World cuisine flavours hold strong untapped potential in snack bars/breakfast biscuits. They appeal to 62% of users, but few brands currently explore these. These flavours' momentum in other…
UK
Snacks
Breakfast Foods
simple
UK Snack Bars and Breakfast Biscuits Market Report 2026
"Inflation-driven value growth defined 2025. Functional benefits and novelty will be essential to justify higher prices and drive standout."
World cuisine flavours hold strong untapped potential in snack bars/breakfast biscuits. They appeal to 62% of users, but few brands currently explore these. These flavours’ momentum in other snacks like crisps and chocolate offers a precedent and inspiration.
Price inflation fuelled value sales growth of 4.6% in the UK snack bars and breakfast biscuits market in 2025, while seeing volume fall by 3.3%, as pressures on household finances kept grocery budgets under close scrutiny. Ongoing ingredient cost pressure is expected to be the main driver of 12% value growth over 2025-30.
Faced with rising costs and promotion-led shopping behaviour, breakfast biscuit and snack bar brands are under intense pressure to justify their prices. Health benefits offer a route for doing so, given high interest in more bars offering these. High interest in fibre and users seeking energy boosts from these snacks point to related benefits as key areas to consider.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
Performance of the market, with volumes ebbing in 2025
Key trends in recent launch activity and product development opportunities
Usage of cereal/snack bars and breakfast biscuits and core users
Importance of protein and fibre callouts in cereal/snack bars and breakfast biscuits
Consumer behaviours relating to cereal/snack bars and breakfast biscuits, including interest in seeing more products offering specific health benefits
Consumer attitudes towards cereal/snack bars and breakfast biscuits, including interest in fibre and the appeal of pairing these with high-protein dairy products
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What you need to know
Outlook for snack bars and breakfast biscuits
Opportunities
Look beyond widespread high-fibre and -protein claims
Meet snackers’ demand for newness
Health benefits and reformulation hold potential among cost pressures
THE MARKET
Snapshot – market size and forecast
Weak consumer confidence brings mixed prospects for cereal/snack bars and breakfast biscuits
Graph 1: financial wellbeing and confidence indices, 2019-26
Daily snacking by seven in ten supports snack bar/breakfast biscuit use
Graph 2: frequency of snacking, 2021, 2023 and 2025
Healthy eating efforts bring opportunities and threats to snack bars
Restrictions on HFSS food & drink limit visibility
Market size and forecast
Inflation to drive continued value growth while volume sales fall
Graph 3: retail market forecast for cereal/snack bars and breakfast biscuits, 2019-30
Nature Valley retains top position, leading brands struggle to make strong gains
Graph 4: leading brands’ retail value sales in cereal/snack bars and breakfast biscuits, 2023/24-2025/26
Price rises drive own label growth, natural positioning proves appealing
THE CONSUMER
Usage
Two thirds eat snack bars and breakfast biscuits
Two in three eat cereal/snack bars or breakfast biscuits
Graph 5: frequency of eating breakfast biscuits and cereal/snack bars, 2025
Protein and fibre hold untapped potential
High protein and fibre are top choice factors
Look beyond widespread high-fibre and -protein claims
Strengthen standout of fibre claims with tangible callouts
Link fibre to functional benefits
Drive impulse at point-of-sale
Ensure new products are clearly signposted
World‑cuisine flavours are timely for cereal/snack bars and breakfast biscuits
Spotlight new products
Tap impulse buys beyond the snack bar aisle
Health benefits and reformulation hold potential amid inflation
Functional benefits can help counter higher prices
Spotlight benefits to justify higher prices
Explore low-cost ingredients
Pulses and seeds lend themselves to snack bars
Leverage targeted loyalty schemes to protect margins
PRODUCT INNOVATION
Chocolate flavours lead as major brands double down on treat flavours
Protein attracts more launches from big brands and new entrants
Two category-firsts with Nomadic’s chilled yogurt bar and Tribe x Wildfarmed’s regenerative flapjack
Licensing and film links open routes to engagement
Cadbury Brunch Bar and Trek revamp packaging, Kellogg’s launches Oaties
APPENDIX
Report scope/market definition
The market
Forecast methodology
Forecast methodology – fan chart
Market size and forecast of cereal/snack bars and breakfast biscuits (volume fanchart)
Graph 6: retail volume sales of cereal/snack bars and breakfast biscuits, 2019-30
Market size and forecast of cereal/snack bars and breakfast biscuits (value)
Market size and forecast of cereal/snack bars and breakfast biscuits (volume)
Market forecast and prediction intervals (value)
Market forecast and prediction intervals (volume)
Market share – cereal/snack bar and breakfast biscuit brands (value)
Market share – cereal/snack bar and breakfast biscuit brands (volume)
Market share – cereal/snack bar and breakfast biscuit manufacturers (value)
Market share – cereal/snack bar and breakfast biscuit manufacturers (volume)
Trends in the population age structure
The consumer
Consumer research questions
Consumer research methodology – EMEA
UK generation groups
Ambient products in chilled and frozen aisles
Other data source methodologies
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