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- Report scope and definitions
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Target at-home occasions to align with cautious consumer mindsets
- Focus on vitamins and minerals to tap parents’ top priority
- Healthier sweet baked goods for babies/toddlers spark wide interest
- Market predictions
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THE MARKET
- Snapshot – market size and forecast
- Birth rate in 2023 falls to its lowest level in over 40 years
- Graph 1: live births in England and Wales, 2018-24
- CMA enquiry into the formula milk sector prompts a flurry of price cuts
- Second extension of the free childcare hours creates opportunities for baby food
- Baby food category comes under renewed criticism over sugar
- Formula milk retains its narrow lead on value sales in 2024, though the gap is diminishing
- Graph 2: retail value sales of baby food and drink, by segment, 2022-24
- Rising value sales and falling volumes in 2019-24; similar picture expected for 2024-29
- Further, though slowing, inflation expected for 2024-29
- Aptamil and Cow & Gate continue to dominate formula milk sales but lose ground in 2024
- Graph 3: retail value sales of formula milk, by leading brands, 2022-25
- Ella’s Kitchen retains lead in baby food, snacks and drinks
- Graph 4: leading baby food/drinks/snacks brands’ value sales, 2022/23-2024/25
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THE CONSUMER
- Consumer fast facts
- Usage of baby food and drink
- Homemade food leads on usage frequency
- Graph 5: frequency of feeding of different types of baby food and drink, 2024
- Tight household finances remain a problem for the category
- Less well-off parents use ready-made meals and snacks less often
- Graph 6: feeding of baby/toddler food products and baby/toddler finger foods/snacks once a day or more often, by how people describe their household finances, 2024
- Parents’ priorities for their children’s diets
- Put the spotlight on vitamins and minerals, parents’ top priority
- Parents’ focus on vitamins/minerals suggests untapped opportunity
- Latch onto parents’ strong trust in experts
- Explore vitamin/mineral food supplement powders
- Usage occasions for manufactured baby/toddler food and milk
- Target at home occasions to drive purchase amid cautious spending mindsets
- Advise on how to make at-home occasions more fun to engage parents
- Promote ready-made baby/toddler food as an easy way to add variety to children’s diets to boost usage
- Portray ready-made baby/toddler food as giving parents more time to spend with their children
- Encourage use as an ingredient, and explore shortcut cooking/baking products
- Interest in innovation in baby food and drink
- Babies/toddlers’ healthier sweet baked goods warrant exploration
- Healthier sweet baked goods for babies/toddlers appeal to many
- Bake-at-home versions can appeal as a less processed option
- Promote frozen baked goods outside the freezer aisle
- Behaviours relating to baby food and drink
- Media criticism of baby/toddler food boosts appeal of homemade foods
- Low/reduced sugar claims are rare in baby/toddler food
- Raise consumer awareness of the benefits of ingredients and processes
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PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING
- Nutrition and health claims are more widespread in formula milk than in baby/toddler food
- Graph 7: share of new product launches with selected health claims in the baby/toddler food and milk category, 2020-24
- Baby food brands call out their omega-3 content
- Baby food brands continue their efforts to stay relevant to older children
- Further activity in international flavours
- Competition heats up in formula milk
- Advertising spend on baby food rises in 2024
- Increased public profile boosts Kendamil
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APPENDIX
- Trends in the population age structure
- Retail sales and forecast for baby food and drink
- Market size and forecast – volumes
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (values)
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (volumes)
- Market segmentation
- Market share – formula milk – brands
- Market share – formula milk – brand owners
- Market share – baby food, snacks and drinks – values – brands
- Market share – baby food, snacks and drinks – volumes – brands
- Market share – baby food, snacks and drinks – values – brand owners
- Market share – baby food, snacks and drinks – volumes – brand owners
- Advertising and marketing
- Consumer research methodology
- Consumer research questions
- Forecast methodology
- Abbreviations and terms
UK Baby Food and Drink Market Analysis
The UK baby food and drink market has seen nearly 20% decline in volume sales from 2019 to 2024, mainly due to falling birth rates, financial pressures, and rising prices.
The market is expected to continue facing volume declines, but value sales will grow through 2029 due to slower inflation and premium products. Brands will focus on trends like fortified food, international flavours, and healthier snacks to stay competitive.
UK Baby Food and Drink Market Consumer Trends
Consumer trends show a shift towards homemade baby food due to financial concerns and health preferences, with 75% of parents preparing meals daily. However, convenience keeps ready-made products popular. Parents are increasingly focused on vitamins and minerals in their children’s diets, and healthier sweet baked goods for toddlers are gaining interest.
Purchasing the UK Baby Food and Drink Market Report for 2025 provides essential insights into shifting consumer preferences, key health-focused trends, and market forecasts, enabling brands and retailers to adapt their strategies and maintain a competitive edge in the evolving baby food market.
About The Report
The UK Baby Food and Drink Market Report for 2025 offers in-depth insights into consumer behavior, market performance, and future growth projections, with a focus on key trends such as the shift towards homemade food, rising demand for nutrient-rich products, and the growing interest in healthy baby snacks. The report surveys areas such as market value and volume, brand performance, consumer preferences, and emerging innovations like fortified foods and international flavors. This research is invaluable for baby food manufacturers, retailers, and marketers, as well as industry analysts seeking to refine their strategies, identify new opportunities, and stay competitive in the dynamic and evolving baby food industry.
Key Topics Analysed in the Report
- The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on value and volume sales of baby food and drink
- Parents’ priorities for their children’s diets, and the untapped opportunities stemming from their focus on vitamin and mineral intake
- Usage occasions for baby/toddler food/milk and the importance of targeting at-home occasions
- Trends in launch activity in baby food, drink and milk, and opportunities for innovation in sweet baked goods based on parents’ interest
- Behaviours relating to baby food and drink, including the need to combat concerns from mainstream media coverage of these products’ healthines
| Report Attributes | Details |
|---|---|
| Published Date | April 2025 |
| Data Range | 2019-2029 |
| Measurement Metrics | Revenue in £ |
| Country Focus | United Kingdom (UK) |
| Consumer Data | 800 internet users aged 16+ who are parents of children aged 0-4, November 2024 |
| Number of Pages | 48 |
| Market Segmentation | Milks (Liquid Ready-to-Feed Products), Meals and Desserts (Wet and Dry, Including Cereals and Dairy-Based), Baby Drinks, Finger Foods (Rusks, Extruded Snacks, Baby Rice Cakes, Biscuits, Fruit Snacks) |
| Leading Companies | Aptamil, Cow & Gate, Kendamil, Ella’s Kitchen, Organix, Kiddylicious, Little Dish, Heinz, Piccolo, SMA, HiPP Organic, Alpro, Mamia Organic, Asda Little Angels. |
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Alice Baker. Alice analyses and writes on the UK Food & Drink sector, having joined Mintel in January 2016. She has previously worked for the International Meat Trade Association and in local government. She holds a BA in History and an MA in History of Political Thought from University College London.
Proving their value beyond convenience and up-ageing are crucial for the market as household finances remain tight and with no growth for birth rates ahead.
Alice Baker
Food and Drink Analyst
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