Abstract
The non-sweet biscuit market is worth £304 million, a 25% increase since 2002. Performance however is patchy, with traditional plain products such as crackers, crispbreads and oatcakes stagnating, while growth is concentrated in savoury, mini, snacking and ' healthy' segments.
Manufacturers face the challenge of responding to consumption patterns which are shifting in favour of snacking, dipping and lunch boxes. With more than seven out of ten adults already eating at least one type of non-sweet biscuit, extending the range of eating occasions and types consumed will be essential if current rates of growth are to be sustained.
For the purposes of this report, Mintel' s definition of the UK retail non-sweet biscuits market includes:
- Crackers and crispbreads: includes savoury cracker biscuits, crispbreads, toasts, crisp rolls, rice cakes, matzos, eg Cream Crackers, Water Biscuits, Jacob' s Olive Oil & Oregano Crackers, as well as snack-style products sold in the savoury biscuit aisle of the supermarket eg Snack A Jacks, Ryvita Minis.
- Savoury biscuits: including cheese-flavoured biscuits, thins, oatcakes, flavoured biscuits (not crackers), cheese straws, breadsticks, eg TUC, Ritz, Cheddars, Sesame Seed Biscuits.
- Mini savoury snack biscuits: including mini bite-sized baked snacks, based on existing savoury biscuits, which tend to b e merchandised in the savoury biscuit aisle in the multiple grocers, for example, Mini TUC.