16-34s and parents lead on using sweet/nut spreads in ways other than for spreading on bread/toast. If the current young cohorts and children retain their wide repertoire of occasions as they age, these spreads should become less reliant on bread over time. This emphasises the importance for individual brands in these segments of ensuring they are seen as relevant for other uses.
Bread is forecast to see volume sales fall going forward. This makes a heavy dependence on use with bread a threat to sweet & nut spreads. Honey offers learnings here, leading among the main sweet/nut spreads in other uses. Its appeal for other uses partly reflects runny honey being easy to drizzle onto, or stir into, other foods or drinks. Exploring ‘runny’ and ‘squeezy’ formats should similarly help jams/conserves and peanut butters to boost their relevance across a wider range of occasions.
Variety holds strong potential for driving engagement in the category, with keen interest in limited edition/seasonal products, those inspired by other treats, and chocolate spreads with added chocolate/biscuit pieces.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Key trends in recent launch activity and product development opportunities.
- Ways of using different types of sweet & nut spreads, and the need and potential for building links with uses other than on bread/toast.
- Factors influencing choice of sweet & nut spreads, and opportunities arising from interest in making healthy choices.
- Interest in more variety, including limited edition/seasonal flavours, added biscuit/chocolate pieces in chocolate spreads and spreads inspired by other food products.
- Value attached to bee protection and opportunities to communicate sustainable practices in honey to help build loyalty.
Increasing usage beyond bread is key for growth. More pairing ideas, squeezable formats, limited edition/seasonal flavours and added protein can support sales.
Richard Caines, Principal Analyst, UK Food & Drink Research
Market Definitions
This report covers all sweet spreads that can be used to spread on bread and toast for example, but can be used in many different ways, and includes:
- Jams, marmalades and honey
- Chocolate and hazelnut spreads (also includes caramel, toffee, biscuit and marshmallow spreads)
- Peanut butter and other nut butters
- Syrup and treacle
- Fruit curds.
Sales through foodservice and catering outlets such as cafés, restaurants and canteens are excluded..
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of His Majesty’s Stationery Office and the King’s Printer for Scotland.
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Executive Summary
- Opportunities for the sweet & nut spreads market
- Give more prominence to usage ideas
- Opportunity for more limited-edition/seasonal flavours
- Added protein will help sway healthy product choices among younger users
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market size and forecast
- Market predictions
- Slower value sales growth forecast with lower inflation
- Higher prices drive value sales growth for most segments
- Graph 1: retail value sales of sweet and nut spreads, by segment, 2022-24
- Own label takes a bigger share of sales, but top honey brands gain
- Graph 2: leading brands’ sales in sweet and nut spreads, by value, 2021/22-2023/24
- Fall in supply of fruit and nuts due to weather
- Squeezed incomes supported bread sales in 2023
- Graph 3: retail volume sales of bread and bread products, 2017-23
- Population growth buoys demand, but shrinking under-35s’ population poses a challenge
- Graph 4: population, share of total by age, 2004-44
- What consumers want and why
- Jams/conserves have the highest usage
- Graph 5: types of sweet and nut spreads eaten/used in the last three months, 2024
- Nearly three in 10 users eat/use sweet or nut spreads most days
- Graph 6: frequency of eating/using sweet and nut spreads, 2024
- Bread/toast remains the key carrier
- Graph 7: ways selected sweet and nut spreads eaten/used, 2024
- Price, flavour and health are top influences
- Graph 8: factors influencing choice of sweet or nut spreads, 2024
- Opportunity for more limited-edition/seasonal flavours
- Graph 9: interest in different products/features in sweet and nut spreads, 2024
- Bee protection matters to honey users
- Graph 10: behaviours related to eating and buying sweet and nut spreads, 2024
- Innovation and marketing
- Added flavours being seen in honey and nut butters
- High/added fibre or protein claims feature in small number of nut spread launches
- Highlighting different uses dominates advertising
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Market Dynamics
- Market size
- Volume sales show a small recovery after three years of decline
- Graph 11: retail market size for sweet and nut spreads, by volume, 2019-24
- Value sales boosted by rise in average prices
- Graph 12: retail market size for sweet and nut spreads, by value, 2019-24
- Market forecast
- Small increase in volume sales forecast for next five years
- Lower inflation will mean slower value sales growth
- Sales forecast to reach £794 million by 2029
- Market segmentation
- Jams/marmalades volume sales fall in 2024
- Graph 13: retail volume sales of sweet and nut spreads, by segment, 2022-24
- Higher prices drive value sales growth for most segments
- Graph 14: retail value sales of sweet and nut spreads, by segment, 2022-24
- Market share
- Higher prices drive rising value sales for most brands, but few see volume growth
- Graph 15: leading brands’ sales in sweet and nut spreads, by volume, 2021/22-2023/24
- Graph 16: leading brands’ sales in sweet and nut spreads, by value, 2021/22-2023/24
- Sales gains for Rowse, Bonne Maman and Pip & Nut
- Market drivers
- GDP growth bounces back from H2 2023 recession
- Graph 17: GDP, 2021-24
- Falling inflation has reduced pressure on household finances
- Graph 18: CPI inflation rate, 2021-24
- Price rises for food have come down, as have prices for sweet spreads
- Graph 19: consumer price inflation for jams, marmalades and honey and all food, 2022-24
- Fall in supply of fruit and nuts due to weather
- Increase in consumer interest in healthy eating, but still room for treats
- Graph 20: how often people try to eat healthily, 2018-24
- Ultra-processed foods in the media spotlight
- UPFs coverage likely to have a limited impact on sweet & nut spreads
- Squeezed incomes supported bread sales in 2023
- Graph 21: retail volume sales of bread and bread products, 2017-23
- Population growth buoys demand, but shrinking under-35s population poses a challenge
- Graph 22: population, share of total by age, 2004-44
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What Consumers Want and Why
- Usage of sweet & nut spreads
- Nine-in-ten eat sweet & nut spreads
- Jams/conserves have the highest usage
- Graph 23: types of sweet and nut spreads eaten/used in the last three months, 2024
- Younger people are top users of honey, peanut butter and chocolate/hazelnut spreads
- Graph 24: top five types of sweet and nut spreads eaten/used in the last three months, by age, 2024
- Usage frequency
- Nearly three in 10 users eat/use sweet or nut spreads most days
- Graph 25: frequency of eating/using sweet and nut spreads, 2024
- Younger people are most-frequent users
- Graph 26: frequency of eating/using sweet and nut spreads, by age, 2024
- Presence of children and healthy finances buoy usage
- Graph 27: frequency of eating/using sweet and nut spreads, by presence of children and age, and financial situation, 2024
- Ways sweet & nut spreads are eaten/used
- Bread/toast remains the key carrier
- Graph 28: ways selected sweet and nut spreads eaten/used, 2024
- Make the most of spreads being closely wedded to bread…
- …but also build links to other occasions
- Big opportunity for occasions beyond spreading on bread/toast
- Occasions beyond bread/toast topping enjoy a wide reach…
- Graph 29: usage of sweet and nut spreads in ways other than on bread/toast, 2024
- …particularly among under-35s
- Give more prominence to usage ideas
- Look to in-store activity to drive links
- Honey benefits from availability of runny and squeezy formats
- International examples of squeezable formats
- Factors influencing choice
- Potential for differentiation beyond low price to add value
- Price, flavour and health are top influences
- Graph 30: factors influencing choice of sweet or nut spreads, 2024
- Price doesn’t matter to half of buyers
- Half of buyers look for healthy choices
- Low incidence of healthy claims in sweet & nut spreads
- Graph 31: new launches of sweet spreads, by top health claims, 2023
- Sugar content not a big issue for most eaters/users
- Taste of reduced-sugar jams divides opinion
- Graph 32: behaviours related to the sugar content of sweet and nut spreads, 2024
- Spreads with protein powder interest one in three under-35s
- Graph 33: interest in spreads with added protein powder, by age, 2024
- Opportunity for collaboration with sports nutrition brands
- Topping up the protein can drive standout in nut butters
- UK and international launches offer cues on spotlighting protein
- Product concepts of interest
- Limited-edition/seasonal flavours hold untapped potential
- Three in 10 interested in limited-edition/seasonal flavours
- Graph 34: interest in different products/features in sweet and nut spreads, 2024
- Limited-edition/seasonal flavours offer a way to increase usage frequency
- Graph 35: interest in limited edition/seasonal flavours in sweet and nut spreads, by age, 2024
- Small number of seasonal and limited editions seen for Christmas/Winter
- Chocolate spreads with added pieces interest three in five users
- Strong interest in spreads inspired by other food products….
- …particularly among the young
- Honey with spice appeals to one in five
- Strong interest in jams using misshapen/leftover fruit…
- …holds potential for value brands
- International examples of jams highlighting reducing fruit waste
- Behaviours related to eating and buying sweet & nut spreads
- Strong messages from honey brands on bee protection can add value
- Bee protection matters to honey users
- Graph 36: behaviours related to eating and buying sweet and nut spreads, 2024
- Initiatives to protect bees help to justify a premium price for honey brands
- Communicate sustainable practices in honey to help build loyalty
- Smaller brands communicate sustainable beekeeping
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Innovation And Marketing Trends
- Launch activity and innovation
- Jam/marmalade and honey lead launch activity
- Graph 37: new launches in sweet and nut spreads, by sub-category, 2019-24
- New varieties/range extensions and new packaging dominate launches
- Graph 38: new launches of sweet and nut spreads, by launch type, 2019-24
- Strawberry, raspberry and orange the top flavours in jam/marmalade
- Graph 39: share of new launches in confiture and fruit spreads, by flavour component, 2019-24
- Added flavours still rare in honey, but more being seen in 2024
- Gourmet/small batch launches push flavour boundaries
- Hot honey taps interest in hot/spicy flavours
- Harry’s adds spice to nut butters
- More sweet flavours launch in nut butters
- Bonne Maman further extends range outside jams
- Small share of launches call out no added sugar or low/reduced sugar or salt
- Graph 40: share of new launches in sweet and nut spreads making no added sugar or low/reduced sugar or salt claims, 2019-24
- ‘Less sugar’ messages appear on a small number of jam/marmalade of launches
- High/added fibre or protein claims feature mostly on nut spreads
- Graph 41: share of new launches in sweet and nut spreads making high/added fibre or protein claims, 2019-24
- Granola butters: high in fibre and nut-free alternative to nut butter
- Whole Earth and H&B offer rare examples of high/added protein claims
- Vegan/plant-based claims continue to be prominent in jam, nut butter and chocolate/hazelnut spread launches
- Graph 42: share of new launches in sweet and nut spreads making vegan/no animal ingredeints and plant based claims, 2019-2419-24
- More launches of vegan/plant-based chocolate/hazelnut spreads
- Vegan honey alternatives remain rare
- Seeds feature in new launches
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Total advertising spending on sweet & nut spreads holds steady
- Graph 43: above-the-line, online display and direct mail adspend on sweet and nut spreads, 2020-24
- Ferrero returns as biggest advertiser
- Graph 44: above-the-line, online display and direct mail adspend on sweet and nut spreads, by advertiser, 2020-24
- Highlighting different uses dominates advertising
- Nutella highlights breakfast pairings in new TV advert
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Appendix
- Market share
- Sweet and nut spreads – value brand sales
- Sweet and nut spreads – value brand sales (continued)
- Sweet and nut spreads – volume brand sales
- Sweet and nut spreads – volume brand sales (continued)
- Sweet and nut spreads – value manufacturer sales
- Sweet and nut spreads – volume manufacturer sales
- Launch activity and innovation
- Share of new launches by sub-category
- Share of new launches – branded vs private label
- Share of new launches by launch type
- Share of new launches by claim
- Share of new launches by claim (continued)
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Main media advertising by advertiser
- TV takes biggest share of advertising on sweet & nut spreads
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Value market size and forecast
- Volume market size and forecast
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (value)
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (volume)
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
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