UK Bread Market Report 2023

Stay ahead of the curve and secure future growth for your business with Mintel’s UK Bread Market Report. The full report is packed with consumer-led market intelligence, market dynamics, and the latest consumer and industry trends affecting the UK bakery market.

Key Issues Covered in this Report

• Bread purchasing and usage frequency.
• Key trends in recent launch activity and future product development opportunities.
• Qualities consumers associate with healthy bread and opportunities to tap into these, including opportunities for in-store bakeries.
• Consumer behaviours related to bread, including the importance of disrupting the shopper journey.
• Consumer attitudes towards bread, including how to leverage interest in toppings and accompaniments.

UK Bread Market – Current Landscape

Retail value sales for bread and bread products soared to over £4.5 billion (est.) in 2023, driven by high inflation. As inflation eases in 2024, the rate of growth will come down gradually, but a slight increase is forecast over the next five years to 2028. 

Bread has benefited from a strong value for money perception and its relative affordability throughout the ongoing cost of living crisis. However, trading down is evident, with own-label sales up, and almost a third of consumers agreeing that own-label bread tastes just as good as branded products.

• UK bread market share: Warburtons leads the prepackaged bread market, however during the income squeeze the market leaders are coming under increasing pressure from own-label, which increased its market share by almost 40% in the past two years.

UK Bread and Bread Products – What Do Consumers Want?

Time to address ultra-processed concerns

Bread has attracted attention amid the recent public spotlight on ultra-processed foods. Half of UK consumers agree that most bread available at supermarkets is an ultra-processed food. Brands need to drive awareness of the simple breadmaking processes and ingredients to cut through the ultra-processed foods narrative and avoid consumers being put off the category altogether.

More healthy options

Over half of consumers think there should be a wider selection of healthy breads available. Such interest suggests that efforts to drive awareness of existing healthy products and to expand ranges to include more healthy options would find fertile ground.

Purchase Mintel’s UK Bread Market Report for a complete analysis of the UK bread and bread products industry, including detailed consumer insights and market dynamics. Readers of this report may also be interested in Mintel’s A Year of Innovation in Bread and Bread Products.

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More About this Report

The market size in this report includes white, brown and wholemeal loaves, including with various additions, which may be sliced or unsliced, wrapped or unwrapped, as well as speciality bread. A distinction is drawn between bread that is baked by plant/factory bakeries and stocked on grocery shelves (also called prepacked bread) and bread that is baked by in-store bakers. Part-baked products are also included.

For the purposes of this report, the specialty bread market is taken to include: bagels, baguettes, pittas, wraps, sandwich thins, naan breads, other Indian breads including chapattis and garlic bread (ambient and chilled).

Sweet baked goods are excluded from this report and can be found under Mintel’s Cakes, Cake Bars and Sweet Baked Goods Market Report.

Expert Analysis from a Food Industry Specialist

This report, written by Claire Finnegan, a leading Food & Drink analyst, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends in the UK bread market and add expert context to the numbers.

Bread’s affordability has kept it on the table in 2023. As consumer finances improve, the category will need to respond to a renewed consumer focus on health.

Claire Finnegan
Food & Drink Analyst