Cooked breakfasts have gained ground as an at-home choice, from 19% to 25% of at-home breakfast eaters in 2022 and 2024, respectively. This has contributed to the strong sales of eggs, estimated to have grown by 10% in 2024. The recent spotlight on blood sugar is a factor in their appeal. Cooked breakfasts tend to be savoury, and nearly half of adults agree that eating a savoury breakfast is a good way to avoid spikes in your blood sugar levels.
The habit of skipping breakfast poses a threat to breakfast food categories. While most people eat breakfast daily at home, 38% of people who eat breakfast often skip it, up from 33% in 2018. This rises to 55% of 16-34 year-olds, going hand in hand with their higher reported intermittent fasting. If views of breakfast as optional, or healthy to forego, become ingrained among these current younger cohorts, they could pose a growing threat to breakfast food categories over time.
There is a substantial retail opportunity for on-the-go breakfast foods. Convenience stores offering coffee shop-style breakfast items to go (eg pastries, bacon rolls) appeal to 47% of those eating breakfast out of home. Their ability to undercut foodservice alternatives on price will chime amid low consumer confidence and savvy spending efforts.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Key trends in recent launch activity and product development opportunities.
- Frequency of eating breakfast at home and out of home, and where breakfast is eaten out of home.
- Foods eaten for breakfast at home, at work/college/school or on-the-go, and at restaurants/coffee shops/cafés.
- Qualities that are important when choosing breakfast, including convenience, satiety and health.
- Behaviours related to breakfast, including interest in adding more excitement to breakfasts at home and demand for on-the-go breakfast foods in retail.
- Attitudes towards breakfast, including capitalising on the weekend treat mentality and offering healthy indulgence.
Convenience, health and satiety drive breakfast choices. On-the-go breakfasts, adding more excitement to breakfast and weekend treating offer retail opportunities.
Richard Caines, Principal Analyst, UK Food & Drink Research
Market Definitions
This Report explores breakfast eating habits, including the choice of foods for breakfast and attitudes towards breakfast.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for breakfast-related foods
- Look to ‘fuel’ messaging to boost appeal
- Capitalise on weekend treat mentality
- Opportunity to tap interest in breakfasts traditional to other countries
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Outlook for breakfast foods through retail
- Price rises for food have come down, but prices remain substantially higher than in 2022
- Graph 1: consumer price inflation for breakfast cereals, bread and all food, 2023-25
- Rising consumer interest in healthy eating supports demand for healthy breakfast foods
- Graph 2: how often people try to eat healthily, 2018-24
- Population growth to buoy demand, including more adventurous 15-34s
- Graph 3: population, by age, 2020, 2025 and 2030
- Move back to workplaces boosts on-the-go and out-of-home demand
- Graph 4: where those in employment work, 2022 and 2024
- What consumers want and why
- Three quarters eat breakfast at home on most days
- Graph 5: eating breakfast at home and out of home, by frequency, 2024
- Restaurants/coffee shops/cafés lead for breakfast out of home
- Graph 6: where breakfast is typically eaten out of home, 2024
- Cereals and toast are top choices for breakfast at home
- Graph 7: what people eat for breakfast at home, 2022 and 2024
- Out-of-home breakfast choice depends on location
- Graph 8: what people eat for breakfast out of home, 2024
- Convenience matters most in breakfast choices
- Graph 9: qualities important when choosing breakfast, 2022 and 2024
- Strong interest in bringing more excitement to breakfasts at home
- Graph 10: behaviours related to breakfast, 2024
- Offer breakfast foods that are more of a weekend treat
- Graph 11: attitudes towards breakfast, 2024
- Innovation and marketing
- High/added protein claims grow
- Digestive and energy claims increase in 2024
- Treat flavours on an upward trend in cereals
- Yogurt and breakfast cereal advertisers lead adspend
- Graph 12: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising spending on breakfast-related foods, by category, 2021-24
- Fuelling performance, nostalgia and usage occasions are key marketing themes
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market sizes for breakfast foods at retail
- Value sales grow across breakfast foods, but not all categories see volumes rise
- Eggs, yogurts and hot cereals show strongest value growth
- Market drivers
- Real wage growth continues, many consumers are still catching up
- Graph 13: CPI inflation rate and wage growth, 2021-24
- One in four see their finances as ‘healthy’
- Graph 14: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-25
- Price rises for food have come down, but prices remain substantially higher than in 2022
- Graph 15: consumer price inflation for breakfast cereals, bread and all food, 2023-25
- Rising consumer interest in healthy eating supports demand for healthy breakfast foods
- Graph 16: how often people try to eat healthily, 2018-24
- New Labour Government confirms HFSS advertising restrictions
- HFSS is defined by nutrient profile
- HFSS-compliant products are widely present in breakfast foods
- Highly processed foods come under scrutiny…
- …with calls for more research
- Many popular breakfast foods have been called out as processed
- Spotlight on blood sugar supports savoury breakfast choices
- Graph 17: Google searches for blood sugar, 2022-24
- Population growth to buoy demand, including more adventurous 15-34s
- Graph 18: population, by age, 2020, 2025 and 2030
- Move back to workplaces boosts on-the-go and out-of-home demand
- Graph 19: where those in employment work, 2022 and 2024
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Breakfast habits
- Three in four eat breakfast at home on most days
- Graph 20: eating breakfast at home, by frequency, 2022 and 2024
- More than half eat breakfast out of home at least sometimes
- Graph 21: eating breakfast out of home, by frequency, 2022 and 2024
- Free breakfast clubs will buoy out-of-home breakfasts for parents
- Younger people are most likely to eat breakfast out of home
- Graph 22: those eating breakfast out of home, by age, 2024
- The young are more likely than older people to often skip breakfast
- Half of under-35s often skip breakfast
- Where people eat breakfast out of home
- Restaurants/coffee shops/cafés lead for breakfast out of home
- Graph 23: where breakfast is typically eaten out of home, 2024
- On-the-go breakfasts are a noteworthy occasion
- Graph 24: where breakfast is typically eaten out of home among those eating out of home, by age, 2024
- Foods eaten for breakfast
- Cereals and toast are top choices for breakfast at home
- Graph 25: what people eat for breakfast at home, 2022 and 2024
- Cooked breakfasts gain ground
- Over-35s are core users of breakfast cereals and toast
- Graph 26: top five foods eaten for breakfast at home, by age, 2024
- 16-34s’ desire for more exciting at-home breakfast ideas drives variety
- Graph 27: number of different types of food eaten for breakfast at home, by age, 2024
- Out-of-home breakfast choice depends on location
- Graph 28: what people eat for breakfast out of home, 2024
- Qualities most important when choosing breakfast foods
- Convenience matters most in breakfast choices
- Graph 29: qualities important when choosing breakfast, 2022 and 2024
- Speed and ease are needed to be in the breakfast choice set
- But convenience does not get prioritised at all costs
- Four in 10 breakfast eaters prioritise satiety
- Prioritising staying fuller for longer drives higher eating of porridge
- Look to ‘fuel’ messaging to boost appeal
- Health matters in breakfast choices, but no single aspect stands out
- Give more prominence to calories
- Graph 30: ‘It’s important to know how many calories my breakfast contains’ (Yes), by age, 2024
- Calling out calories on front of the pack will help guide breakfast choices
- Recommend product pairings to cater to those wanting a range of nutrients at breakfast
- Taste more important than healthiness in breakfast cereals
- Offer consumers healthy indulgence at breakfast
- Breakfast behaviours
- Strong interest in bringing more excitement to breakfasts at home
- Graph 31: behaviours related to breakfast, 2024
- Half of eaters want ideas for more exciting breakfast
- Younger people are keenest on new ideas for breakfast
- Graph 32: interest in more ideas for making breakfast at home more exciting, by age, 2024
- Brands must keep innovating with new and exciting flavours
- Retail holds potential for foodservice brands and recipe ideas from foodservice for retail ones
- Opportunity to tap interest in breakfasts traditional to other countries
- Strong demand for on-the-go breakfast foods in retail
- Demand for on-the-go breakfast foods peaks among the young
- Graph 33: behaviours related to eating breakfast out of home, 2024
- Grab-and-go foodservice-style breakfasts opportunity
- Grab-and-go opportunities extend beyond baked goods and pastries
- Opportunities for mini breakfast items targeted at morning snacking
- Attitudes towards breakfast
- Offer breakfast foods that are more of a weekend treat
- Graph 34: attitudes towards breakfast, 2024
- Opportunity for breakfasts with ‘weekend treat’ positioning
- Focus on qualities that make food/drink an indulgent treat
- Graph 35: qualities seen to make a food/drink an indulgent treat, 2024
- Capitalise on weekend treat mentality
- Potential for freshly baked items to own a ‘weekend treat’ positioning
- Promote products offering healthy indulgence
- Offer suggestions on indulgent pairings with healthier cereals for the weekend
- Strong weekend brunch culture that includes eggs and pancakes
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Launch activity and innovation
- Methodology
- High/added protein claims grow
- Graph 36: breakfast-related food launches with high/added fibre, high/added protein and vitamin/mineral fortified claims, 2020-24
- High-protein claims increase in cold and hot cereals
- More high-profile protein yogurt launches and activity in pouches
- Retailers add to high-protein NPD activity
- Low/no/reduced claims remain steady and relatively rare
- Graph 37: breakfast-related food launches with no added sugar, low/no/reduced fat and low/reduced sugar claims, 2020-24
- Healthier alternatives for spreads and syrup
- Digestive and energy claims increase in 2024
- Graph 38: share of new launches in breakfast-related foods making select functional claims, 2020-24
- Tesco launches Gut Sense and M&S adds to Good Gut range
- Brands extend choice of breakfast foods supporting gut health
- Energy focus seen in overnight oats and honey
- Multiple functional benefits being offered by ‘super’ breakfast foods
- Treat flavours on an upward trend in cereals
- Graph 39: variants of breakfast cereals eaten, 2021-24
- Dessert/cake flavours add treat element
- Kellogg’s Corn Flakes Chocolate returns and caramelised biscuit flavour trend continues
- Limited edition launches add more variety in breakfast cereals
- New York Bakery continues to explore sweet flavours in limited editions
- More savoury brands targeting the on-the-go breakfast occasion
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Yogurt and breakfast cereal advertisers lead adspend
- Graph 40: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising spending on breakfast-related foods, by category, 2021-24
- Müller and Weetabix are the biggest advertisers
- Graph 41: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising spending on breakfast-related foods, by advertiser, 2021-24
- Weetabix and Quaker focus on performance in 2024 campaigns
- ‘The Weetabix Discovery’ TV advert links eating Weetabix to performance
- Different uses take centre stage in sweet spreads and yogurt ads
- Nutella highlights breakfast pairings in TV advert
- Breakfast foods combine nutrition and taste messages
- Themes of nostalgia and comfort central to Hovis’ new ad
- Alpen and Kellogg’s look to nostalgia to revive flagging sales
- Alpen uses nostalgia theme with new cereal mascot
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APPENDIX
- Market sizes for breakfast-related foods at retail
- Retail volume sales of breakfast-related foods
- Market drivers
- Consumer price inflation for selected breakfast-related foods
- Graph 42: consumer price inflation for sweet spreads, eggs, fruit and yoghurt, 2023-25
- Launch activity and innovation
- Share of new launches by claim
- Share of new launches by claim (continued)
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Main media advertising by breakfast-related food category
- Main media advertising by advertiser
- Main media advertising by advertiser (continued)
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
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