UK Breakfast Eating Habits Consumer Report 2026
World cuisine holds untapped potential in the breakfast space, two in three under-35s breakfast eaters drawn to ideas for putting such twists on this meal.
World cuisine holds untapped potential in the breakfast space, two in three under-35s breakfast eaters drawn to ideas for putting such twists on this meal.
"Nutrition, world flavours and convenience offer routes for breakfast foods to justify value and win spend from foodservice as consumer budgets face renewed pressure."
Amy Bishop, Analyst UK Food & Drink Reports
World cuisine holds untapped potential in the breakfast space, two in three under-35s breakfast eaters drawn to ideas for putting such twists on this meal. While this poses a wake-up call for traditional staples, it points to opportunities for new condiments and baked goods to follow in the footsteps of panettone in sweet bakes to forge a foothold in the UK market.
Grocery budgets face growing scrutiny in 2026 amid rising inflation overall, and accelerating food prices. This puts renewed pressure on brands to justify their prices, but opens up scope for the retail channel to gain spend from foodservice. The latter holds potential for added value products such as on-the-go and premium variants.
Over-65s’ rapid growth will buoy at-home breakfast occasions over 2025-30 and reaffirms their importance as a target group for the category. However, this also poses a threat, as advanced age comes with reduced appetites. Not feeling hungry is the leading reason this group foregoes breakfast, by a wide margin. Heroing the role of breakfast in nutrient intake to shift the focus away from appetite to maintaining wellness is needed, while small, nutrient-dense formats warrant growing attention in light of this.