Posted by Food and Drink Towers, Thursday 6th of January 2011 12:01:00 AM. Territory: Global
Back to News

Ten Top Trends For 2011 Report

Published in January 2011 by Helen Lewis, managing editor & founder at http://www.foodanddrinktowers.com.

Industry introduction…

This fifth edition ‘Ten Top Trends’ report comes at a time of hope and optimism within the global food and drink industry after a turbulent two years. food&drink towers has had the privilege of working closely with many food and drink producers, retailers and suppliers, who have successfully managed to weather the global financial storm. The current climate sees the food and drink industry beginning to re-invest in new product development (NPD) and take stock of market opportunities (export, new products, line extensions, marketing, branding and PR initiatives). However, those who have continued to invest in such activity – against the odds – are the companies that remain the most optimistic about the future ahead. The hard work of the resilient food and drink industry in 2010 did not go unnoticed at food&drink towers and we commend your ambition and motivation.

About this report…

This report is freely available to the global food and drink industry – at a time when market research and trends analysis is more important than ever before – to prepare you for a stronger and more successful 2011.

Written by Helen Lewis, managing editor and founder of www.foodanddrinktowers.com, the report includes insight and comment from our four sponsor companies: AOk Drinks (http://www.aokdrinks.com), Cargill (http://www.cargill.com), Rich’s Products (www.richuk.com) and Uncle Roy’s Comestible Concoctions (http://www.uncleroys.co.uk). Helen has written about, researched and investigated food and drink trends for more than a decade, starting as head of publishing at leading consumer goods intelligence company, Reuters Business Insight (now known as Global Business Insights (BI)). Helen has written more than 60 management reports for BI, Aroq Publishing (Just-food.com and Just-drinks.com), Business Monitor International, food&drink towers and the Australian Trade Commission. Helen is also a freelance food journalist, having written for trade magazines such as The Grocer, Caterer & Hotelkeeper, Pira’s packaging magazines, The Juice Market and many more.

Helen also works as a PR and brand consultant with numerous small and start-up food and drink companies. Her combined expertise enables her to make informed, educated and unique trend insights, which make this report a must-read for PRs, journalists, producers, retailers and consultancies in 2011.

About food&drink towers…

Helen Lewis established www.foodanddrinktowers.com in October 2006 in an aim to increase communication between journalists, PRs and the food/drink industry. Having written ample stories about the major multinationals, Helen was desperate to hear from the smaller players but many did not have the PR resources available to build relationships with journalists, however much it would have helped them.

food&drink towers attracted hundreds of registered members (it is free to join) when it first opened its doors and has since attracted a loyal database of 5,000+ including more than 1,500 journalists. Whatever your budget or know-how, you can upload a food/drink press release for free publication in our press pages (it will appear on the homepage for a limited amount of time too). We can send relevant and interesting press releases to our journalists for a very small (in comparison to the other ‘resources’) flat-fee of just £20. We’re always open to competition, feature, news and other editorial ideas too. You can email Helen Lewis at helen@foodanddrinktowers.co.uk with your suggestions.

The Ten Top Trends For 2011

1. Mini treating
2. Dispelling the myths
3. Sustainability
4. Sleep – or our lack of it
5. Mums and tums
6. Pop-ups
7. Reducing food waste starts at home
8. Too busy to peel a spud?
9. Rising cost of raw materials – who will take the brunt? 
10. Social networking & interactivity

TREND 1: Mini treating

‘Mini treating’ doesn’t necessarily equate to small products, instead it relates to small in value. Rather than splashing out on holidays, cars, expensive jewellery, designer make-up and other traditionally premium treats to reward ourselves for our hard work, we’re downsizing to smaller tokens. These are indulgences purchased for friends, families and ourselves. Mini treats include cakes, chocolate, alcohol and other goodies that can brighten our day, even if just for a short time, but won’t break the bank. Brands will tap into this feel-good factor that is achievable by creating a mini-indulgence experience during the continuing doom and gloom of the Con-Dem cuts.

“Two of our ranges have become increasingly important in recent times. Smaller gift offerings, both in terms of size and price, are becoming ever more popular as take home or gesture gifts, as well as hamper and stocking fillers. We are responding to this with our three new gift packs, based on smaller packs of our innovative Flower Petal Seasonings and our new High Fruit Extra Special Condiments,” says Uncle Roy, partner at Uncle Roy’s Comestible Concoctions based in Scotland.

“We are also increasing, from 16 to 25, the range of premium presentation single-serve condiments. Originally intended for use on the breakfast bar and room service trolleys in four/five star hotels, these mini jars are increasingly popular in restaurants and direct sale to older people for whom a normal size jar is too much. Restaurants can charge 50 pence and make a profit instead of giving away plastic sachets,” explains Uncle Roy.

“As a global food ingredients business serving the food and beverage industry, the trend of mini-treating will find its way back to our research and development (R&D) centres particularly for our experts in cocoa and chocolate, sweetener and flavour applications,” according to Christine Nicolay, Global Communications Manager, Cargill.

“We all seek the ultimate treat that is indulgent but not full of sugar and fat. So, our flavour experts might be looking to improve the taste notes when using a fat-free oil or to provide real sugar taste profiles in low or no calorie formulations. Meanwhile, our R&D teams have come up with a patented blend of sweeteners, which includes our zero-calorie bulk sweetener, Zerose™ erythritol, to produce chocolate with a 30% calorie reduction.”

Related stories at www.foodanddrinktowers.com

/press-releases/demarquette-receives-gold-great-taste-chocolate-awards-2010/ Demarquette receives Gold Great Taste Chocolate Awards 2010

/news/kids-dont-see-sweets-as-a-treat-any-more/ Kids don't see sweets as a treat any more

/features/the-2010-christmas-foodie-gift-guide/ The 2010 Christmas Gift Guide for Foodies

http://foodanddrinktowers.com/news/consumer-demand-for-chocolate-stays-sweet/ Consumer demand for chocolate stays sweet

Brands to watch in 2011…

Honeybuns (www.honeybuns.co.uk) with its range of mini cakes and flapjacks in mini portions.

AOk Drinks (http://www.aokdrinks.com): trading up from a can of soda to a juice drink that fulfils your daily recommended antioxidant intake and still costs less than £1.70 can make you feel good in more ways than one.

Uncle Roy’s (http://www.uncleroys.co.uk): launching an extended range of mini condiments for the premium foodservice trade.

TREND 2: Dispelling the myths

Consumers are becoming much wiser than ever before, but there are still mixed messages throughout the food and drink industry and 2011 is the year to address these. Additives, for example, are continually questioned by consumers: what do they do and why are they used in food production? The good versus bad fats issue continues unabated. Sales of skimmed milk rise at the detriment of sales of whole – despite the latter being proven to contain more nutrients including vitamins A and B. Why? We want to save a few calories – yet we’re prepared to eat our body weight in chocolate cake to cheer us up. Savvy companies will explore innovative ways of communicating the truths behind the food and drink industry and television programmes such as Channel 4’s FOOD will help immensely.

Nicolay at Cargill says: “One way in which Cargill is able to help our customers ‘dispel myths’, or aid consumer understanding about the ingredients in their products, is around labelling. Additives and preservatives provide significant benefits to our foods; they make foods tasty, pleasant to eat, safe and affordable. They bring texture, taste, mouthfeel and all other sensory aspects of foods and drinks. Pectin is an example of this. Long-used in the home as a gelling agent for jam-making but when referred to on a food label through its numerical code of E440 it is confusing and difficult to understand what the use and nature is of this additive. Although all additives are highly regulated in the EU, some people prefer foods produced with nature-derived ingredients. Working with Cargill’s wide portfolio of nature-based ingredients, we can offer ‘clean label’ ingredient solutions for all type of foods and drinks, for example a sunflower lecithin to get the smooth texture of chocolate rather than a synthetically produced emulsifier. However, depending on the requirements requested by the consumer (convenient, long life, not too expensive) may mean that a different additive is more appropriate”.

Health is one of the biggest sources of contention within the food and drink industry.

Stuart Roberts, MD/creator of AOk Drinks and naturopathic nutritionist, says: “AOk aims to provide people with their full daily recommended amount of antioxidants – but more than that – we aim to give people honest and reliable information about the small steps they can make to change their lifestyles to be healthier and happier. Antioxidants fight free radicals, which build up through pollution, general modern living, the food and drink we consume and even exercise. They make us feel sluggish and have been identified as causing serious problems including certain cancers. There are so many myths about what is and is not healthy, particularly in the food and drink industry. We aim to provide consumers with the tools they need to make informed decisions about health and nutrition via our marketing, PR activity and website – www.aokdrinks.com”.

Understanding which foods we should and should not eat for improved health and wellbeing is a complex issue for many people due to mixed messages. Uncle Roy at Uncle Roy’s Comestibles explains: “The Mediterranean diet has been promoted as being the healthy ideal, but of course, almost anything is better than convenience and mass-produced fast foods, and those terrifying things with an ingredients list that goes on and on, listing food fractions and additives. Yes, olive oil is better than that, but the scientists tell us we should be minimising saturated fat and maximising our omega-3 intake - yet olive oil scores badly on both points. However, recent years have seen a growing demand for the new, improved rapeseed oil with Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Oil being produced throughout the country, and it certainly has been gaining ground against olive oil.

“New on the scene is an even healthier and tastier oil - 'Single Estate, Extra Virgin,Cold Pressed Mustard Seed Oil' has recently been sourced and brought to the UK and EU by Uncle Roy, from the only farm in the world producing it. Available in two varieties (Light & Nutty and Spicy) it has the lowest

saturated fat content and the highest omega-3 content of all of the culinary oils.”

Cargill’s Nicolay adds: “Another commonly held myth is that you can’t have something, which both tastes good and benefits health. Using our consumer insight, regulatory and scientific expertise, Cargill develops and markets products that help manufacturers capitalize on consumer demand for great tasting, healthier products.

“Cargill’s Barliv™ barley betafiber ingredient is a prime example. Unique in the marketplace, it is a high purity beta-glucan derived from wholegrain barley. Beta glucans have been clinically proven to help reduce blood cholesterol level as part of a diet low in saturated fat. However, where oat-derived beta glucan ingredients have had limitations around use, particularly in beverages (for example taste and colour issues), this barley-derived beta glucan can open up new opportunities for drinks manufacturers to produce a delicious tasting drink that contains an ingredient clinically demonstrated to help maintain a healthy blood cholesterol level as part of a diet low in saturated fat.”

Related stories at www.foodanddrinktowers.com

/news/cargill-meets-industry-demands-for-healthier-oils/ Cargill meets industry demands for healthier oils

/press-releases/exquisite-premium-extra-virgin-olive-oil-lambda-launches-in-the-/ Exquisite premium extra virgin olive oil, /lambda/ launches in the UK

/news/all-e-numbers-should-be-banned-say-mps/ All E-numbers should be banned say MPs

Brands to watch in 2011:

Spain's olive oil producers launched a marketing campaign in early 2010 across Europe to drive consumption of the product in key export markets. The industry-, government- and EU-funded campaign continues to promote the health benefits associated with olive oil including bad cholesterol reduction.

TREND 3: Sustainability

Shouting about sustainability will become a priority for companies who have invested in strategies over the years to reduce their carbon footprint. All this work, money and time should be communicated more effectively to the media – and consumers – and 2011 is the year to do it. Why? Because regardless of how admirable and necessary it is for companies to be more sustainable, if their customers don’t know about it, then as a marketing/PR tool it has been futile. At a time when PR budgets are being slashed, this positive story is a vital ‘good news’ angle.

During the past decade, there has been a growing understanding that previous (and in most cases, current) business models and corporate development strategies are unsustainable i.e. the way we act is placing an increasing environmental strain on the planet and its natural resources.

Three major consequences of unsustainable development are:

• Climate change.
• A reduction in resources and a change to environmental systems.
• Loss of biodiversity (from rainforest to fish stocks).

The world continues to be divided between rich and poor societies, with more than one billion people living on less than one dollar a day, more than 800 million people are malnourished and more than two and a half billion lack access to adequate sanitation. This unequal world is unsustainable and it is increasingly recognised that companies must play their part in reducing this disparity. Not only is sustainability the ‘right thing to do’ it is also in the best interests of long-term business survival and longevity.

What are the best ways to communicate your sustainability strategies (no matter how big or small they seem to be in the grand scheme of things)?

Many food and drink businesses have already put in place a list of commitments/goals to make their business more sustainable over the next five to 10 years. Companies such as Cargill operate within the boundaries of these commitments. For Cargill there are four broad commitments:

1.)   We will conduct our business with high levels of integrity, accountability and responsibility.

2.)   We will develop ways of reducing our environmental impact and help conserve natural resources.

3.)   We will treat people with dignity and respect.

4.)   We will invest in, and engage with, communities where we live and work.

According to Nicolay at Cargill: “In 2001, we began setting and tracking five-year goals to put an even greater emphasis on caring for the planet. Our 2010 results demonstrate strong improvement since 2005 and set the stage for our 2015 goals. For example:

• We are more efficient in our use of one of the world's most precious natural resources – freshwater. We improved our freshwater efficiency 6% from our 2006 baseline, exceeding our goal of 2%.
• More of our energy portfolio consists of renewables. Our goal was to have 10% of our energy come from renewable sources. At the close of fiscal 2010, renewables met 11% of our energy demand”. 

A specific example of how the company aims to reduce Cargill’s carbon footprint – and that of its customers in Europe - is through its green transportation project. Cargill uses intermodal shipping containers that incorporate alternate transport methods, such as barges, ships and trains, along with truck transport.

Related stories at www.foodanddrinktowers.com

/press-releases/kro-restaurant-group-implements-sustainable-environmental-polici/ Kro Restaurant Group implements sustainable environmental policies

/news/food-and-drink-firms-set-new-environmental-targets/ FDF set new environmental targets

/press-releases/green-is-good-for-macsween/ Green is good for Macsween

Brands to watch in 2011:

Diageo’s 2010 Corporate Citizenship Report states a goal of having both premium and sustainable packaging across its portfolio proving that sustainability can also offer exclusivity.

Cargill has announced a further three-year US$5 million commitment to support sustainable cocoa in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. This funding will expand its farmer-training program and contribute to its partnership with *CARE to improve access to education and basic services and promote better agricultural practices in cocoa-growing communities.

TREND 4: Sleep – or our lack of it

As a nation we’re becoming obsessed with how many hours sleep we’ve had, whether our partner snores, what time we went to bed, what time we got up, whether the kids woke up in the night…it goes on and on. Sleep spas are popping up across the country and sales of light-therapy lamps (also known as dawn simulators) are on the up. We’re doing our best to get a good night’s sleep! Products high in melatonin are proving popular, as they’ve been scientifically proven to aid sleep…what else is out there to help support people’s sleep patterns and cure our insomnia?

AOk Drinks’ Roberts says: “Sleep, or lack of it, is one of the most common health complaints today. Research shows that only one in 10 say we always sleep well; one in five suffer from problems sleeping and two thirds say we get less sleep now than we used to – by around 90 minutes”.

At a time when many of us are trying to cling on to our jobs, sleep could be threatening our chances of avoiding redundancy. A BUPA study found that almost one quarter of UK workers with sleep problems admitted their productivity is low. Job satisfaction is 23% lower among people with sleep issues too (2).

Being overweight or obese can also contribute to sleep problems. In the UK around 43% of men and 33% of women are overweight, and a further 22% of men and 23% of women fall into the obese category.

“It is more about the quality rather than the quality of sleep you are getting on a regular basis,” says Roberts at AOk Drinks. “Our body does most of its repair work when we are in a deep sleep, so it is advisable to be in bed before this starts in earnest – at around 10pm.

“Different people need different amounts of sleep, for example babies need a lot more than young adults, and women need more when they’re pregnant.”

Pregnant women, who often experience difficulty sleeping (due to leg cramps, being unable to sleep in their usual position etc), are more likely to suffer insomnia due to their pregnancy. Yet, a US study has shown that pregnant women who got less than six hours of nightly sleep during early pregnancy had higher blood pressure readings in their last trimester compared to those who slept nine hours nightly. Women who got less than five hours of sleep increased their odds of pre-eclampsia more than nine fold.

Drinking tart cherry juice daily could help reduce the severity of insomnia and time spent awake after going to sleep, according to a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food in July 2010.

A US team of researchers conducted a pilot study on the sleep habits of 15 older adults. The adults drank eight ounces of tart cherry juice beverage in the morning and evening for two weeks, and a comparable matched juice drink, with no tart cherry juice, for another two-week period. There were significant reductions in reported insomnia severity and the adults saved about 17 minutes of wake time after going to sleep, on average, when drinking cherry juice daily, compared to when they were drinking the juice drink.

The researchers believe tart cherries' natural benefits could be due in part to their relatively high content of melatonin - a natural antioxidant in cherries with established ability to help moderate the body's sleep-wake cycle. Produced naturally by the body in small amounts, melatonin plays a role in inducing sleepiness at night and wakefulness during the day.

Related stories at www.foodanddrinktowers.com

/press-releases/grab-a-bottle-of-mile-high-for-an-antioxidant-boost-when-the-clo/ Grab a bottle of Mile High for an antioxidant boost when the clocks go back

Brands to watch in 2011:

AOk Drinks provides information about how to get a good night’s sleep on its website www.aokdrinks.com as well as through PR and marketing literature – it is a hot topic for the antioxidant drinks brand.

TREND 5: Mums and tums

Whatever happens in the world, regardless of the recession, property prices and job cuts, babies will continue to be born. There were 706,248 babies born in England and Wales in 2009.

Women are becoming wiser about the importance of staying healthy and eating a nutritious diet during pregnancy. Weaning is also becoming big business with a growing number of brands directly targeting Mums seeking specialist advice, recipes, and products that offer health and convenience. Brands such as Ella’s Kitchen, Plum Baby and experts such as ‘My Daddy Cooks’ will storm ahead of the crowd due to first mover advantage, but others will follow in 2011.

Related stories at www.foodanddrinktowers.com

/news/baby-and-toddler-food-and-drink-month-at-fandd-towers/ Baby & toddler food & drink month at f&d towers

/press-releases/the-baby-chef-matt-hazell-launches-easy-weaning-dvd/ The Baby Chef, Matt Hazell, launches 'Easy Weaning' DVD

/news/heath-and-heather-tea-range-targets-detox-time/ Heath & Heather tea range targets detox time

Brands to watch in 2011:

My Daddy Cooks: Nick Coffer is the 36-year-old dad of a willful two-year-old called Archie. Nick established his blog (www.mydaddycooks.co.uk) in November 2009 after losing his job.

He writes: ‘The blog was initially just a creative side-project to give me something to focus on but, five months later, it has now become my full time activity. I am also very lucky to have been offered a book deal with Hodder & Stoughton and am currently writing the My Daddy Cooks cookbook, which is due to be published in Spring 2011.’

Mrs Tinks: The food&drink towers review of the new Mrs Tinks’ ready meals for toddlers and families is available at http://www.tinksfood.com/pr_news.html. Entrepreneurial Mums like the founder of Mrs Tinks are likely to be spurred into action to produce home-cooked, highly nutritious and convenient products for families and young children, over the next year.

TREND 6: Pop-ups

Pop-up restaurants, shops, tearooms, delis and other food experiences ‘popped up’ all over the place in 2010. 2011 will see more innovation, inspiration and opportunities to create bespoke and individual experiences, partner with new brands and create novel opportunities. Look out for a pop-up foodie enterprise near you!

Passionate home cooks and aspiring chefs are even opening their homes to strangers who are prepared to pay in advance for a ticket to eat at so-called pop-up restaurants.

Hix & Buck, importers of exclusive French wines to the UK, for example, ran a series of Parisian-style pop up wine bars in south London in 2010. Customers were invited to sample and buy by the glass/bottle new award winning wines.

Related stories at www.foodanddrinktowers.com

/press-releases/the-time-for-tea-tearoom/ It’s always Time for Tea with Time For Tea’s Pop Up Vintage Tearoom

/press-releases/hix-and-buck-pop-up-wine-bar-at-streatham-festival1/ Hix & Buck Pop Up Wine Bar at Streatham Festival

/press-releases/pop-up-winter-ice-lounge-at-plateau-in-canary-wharf/ Pop Up Winter Ice Lounge at Plateau in Canary Wharf

Brands to watch in 2011:

Hix & Buck (http://www.hixandbuck.co.uk)

Ms Marmite Lover’s Underground Restaurant (http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/oct/02/underground-restaurants-tv 2 October 2009).

“Since I started The Underground Restaurant in London nine months ago, pop-up or home restaurants have increased in popularity up and down the country. My initial idea was simple: provide well-cooked food in intimate surroundings at a reasonable price, with an element of punk rebellion and a do it yourself attitude which sprung from my background in a political samba band and cooking at anti-G8 camps. I wanted to stick it to the Man.

As the number of venues has increased, so too has there been a flurry of interest in running a home restaurant, and the ways in which the phenomenon works around the world are fascinating.”

TREND 7: Reducing food waste starts at home

Food waste is a major problem in today’s society, and hopefully the message about throwing away scraps and wasted food going mouldy in the fridge, is starting to resonate. In 2011, the message will switch to making the most of our existing resources: using every inch of the animal and not throwing away the offal, growing our own fruit and vegetables, raising chickens at home and baking bread.

The average British family throws away £610 of perfectly good food each year, much of it untouched, according to figures from WRAP (the government-backed Waste & Resources Action Programme). It works out to an astonishing £11.73 each week and a total £10 billion of waste across the country.

With one-fifth of all the food we buy in the UK ending up in the bin, celeb chefs took it upon themselves in 2010 to encourage people to use their scraps rather than throw them away. Angela Hartnett, Matt Tebutt, Simon Rimmer and Richard Corrigan went head-to-head in a contest that saw them create restaurant-worthy dishes from food found in supermarket and market bins.

Best before labeling is blamed, in part, for confusing people about what they can and cannot eat. There is confusion over whether best before labels really mean the food should be thrown away if it goes one day over. According to Tristram Stuart’s book, Waste, there is a desperate need for "a simple message stating that food on or after its best-before or sell-by date is not necessarily unsafe to eat". The sell-by and the display-until dates exist for stock control purposes, and have nothing to do with food safety, according to Stuart, and can be ignored by consumers. However, people are finding it hard to ignore the labelling on the front of packs glaring at them from the bottom of the refrigerator. Germany, for example, concluded they were so confusing that they’ve been banned. Indeed, WRAP is encouraging British retailers to phase them out voluntarily.

In 2011, producers will be encouraged to consider the role of their product labelling and its impact on food waste levels. People will be encouraged through television programmes, newspaper/magazine articles and recipe books to use up their leftovers to produce inventive snacks and meals. More and more producers will be encouraging their consumers to use their products by adding recipes and ideas to their websites and their packaging.

Related stories at www.foodanddrinktowers.com

/news/tesco-successfully-diverts-all-waste-from-landfill/ Tesco successfully diverts all waste from landfill

/news/shoppers-bulk-buying-food-to-save-on-waste/ Shoppers bulk buying food to save on waste

/news/4-4-million-apples-thrown-away-every-year-in-uk/ 4.4 million apples thrown away every year in UK

Brands to watch in 2011:

Unilever launched its 'Sustainable Living Plan' in November 2010, which will see the firm source 100% of its agricultural materials sustainably, was launched in London, Rotterdam, New Delhi and New York.

US food group General Mills announced an expansion of its environmentally sustainability goals for 2015, also in November 2010. The targets include reducing water use by 20%, reducing solid waste generation by 50%, reducing energy use by 20%, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20%.

TREND 8: Too busy to peel a spud? 

Apparently we have so little time nowadays that potato sales are dropping because they’re too much hassle to peel. So, convenience food is taking on a whole new meaning for many people. Despite the rising interest in cooking from scratch, dinner parties and cookery programmes, this trend does not stretch to the whole nation. It’s important to remember the many people who don’t enjoy cooking and cite ‘time pressures’ for their lack of interest in peeling a spud.

Uncle Roy believes that the masses will continue to eat junk food but fortunately, there’s an increasing appetite for something better. “Originality, simplicity and quality ingredients have ensured we have been awarded 24 Great Taste awards over the last nine years and given us great credibility. Great attention to presentation has enormous credibility us to develop a recognisable brand that appeals to foodies and chefs worldwide. The food scares from the 1990s sparked a sea change in outlook; people nowadays look for freedom from additives, interesting and original ingredients and concepts, and their increasingly sophisticated tastes expect higher standards of presentation too. It doesn’t matter how good it is, if it doesn’t look good enough to get off the shelf we are wasting our time”.

Roberts at AOk Drinks believes that products that can offer both health and convenience will continue to thrive in 2011. “A drink such as AOk, which provides your full requirement of antioxidants in one 250ml bottle that can be easily drunk at breakfast, on the go, or in a long glass with ice and mint leaves, also provide one of your five a day. This is the ultimate in convenience for health-conscious consumers who are having a busy day and want to ‘top up’ their nutritional intake”.

Convenience food in general will be a booming business in 2011 despite consumer cutbacks. Almost a fifth of people (17%) who use convenience stores shop there at least once a day, according to research from IGD – the food and grocery experts. 59% use them at least twice a week. On average these shoppers make around three trips a week to a convenience store. Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive, IGD, said: “Convenience stores are clearly popular and this trend is set to continue. We predict the market will be worth £42.6 billion by 2015, up a third from its current value.

“The main consumer trends that will contribute to this growth include a growing population, less meal planning, more people missing meals at home and a desire to shop locally.

“As more and more people live in urban areas nearer convenience stores, retailers and suppliers need to ensure they are aware of the changing profile of their catchment area. And they will have to adapt their product range and merchandising accordingly.”

The IGD report also found that:

• 35-54 year olds and those from AB socio-economic groups are more likely to use convenience stores to buy something for their evening meal, and alcohol.
• 15-24 year olds and those in CDE socio-economic groups are more likely to use this store format to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products.
• This younger age group is also more likely to buy lunch and snacks from this type of shop.

Related stories at www.foodanddrinktowers.com

/news/more-brits-buying-frozen-food/ More Brits buying frozen food

/news/dairy-snack-market-driven-by-health-and-convenience/ Dairy snack market driven by health and convenience

/press-releases/macsween-launches-convenient-haggis-for-vegetarians/ Macsween launches a 'convenience' haggis for vegetarians in Scotland

Brands to watch in 2011:

UK retail chain Marks & Spencer (renowned for its fresh convenience ranges, which launch a Lovely Vegetables range in January 2011: each of the 10 fresh convenience lines contains a minimum of two of the recommended five a day. It will include beetroot multigrain risotto with goat’s cheese and red honey glazed parsnips with red chard.

TREND 9: Rising cost of raw materials – who will take the brunt?      

The price of wheat, corn and milk are all going up. Spending is slowing at the grass roots level. A two-year economic downturn has stunted growth and many manufacturers can only manage these conditions to protect margins for a while longer. Food makers seeking respite from commodity costs can’t turn to lenders as easily as they may have done in the past. 2011 will be a year of significant consolidation within the food and drink industry, as bigger companies seek acquisitions to boost their bargaining power with retailers and improve their margins. 2011 will be the year to adapt or vanish...

Food prices are set to spiral this year. Inflation statistics released by the Office for National Statistics recorded a 1.6% rise in food prices in November 2010, an annualised rate of 19.2%, which is the fastest rise since the 1970s.

Growing populations, rising affluence in emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia, India and China, and crop failures caused by extreme weather have pushed up the prices of wheat, sugar, cotton and other household staples.

So far, bread, breakfast cereals and clothing have become more expensive – but the full effects of the cost of raw materials are unlikely to filter to the shops until early 2011. Wheat, for example, was up by 69% in 2010; coffee was up by 48%, potatoes by 47%, cocoa powder by 32% and sugar by 23%, according to the commodities and raw materials research company Mintec.

Related stories at www.foodanddrinktowers.com

/news/us-dairy-market-success-despite-economy/

US dairy market success despite economy

Brands to watch in 2011:

All of the retailers! We’re waiting with bated breath to see how they react to the rising raw material costs throughout the supply chain.

TREND 10: Social networking & interactivity

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn: they are all free tools which, when used correctly, can be incredibly powerful for food and drink brands. Interacting with the brand, building a consumer–brand relationship, creating a real identity and engaging in direct communication are all-essential in today’s market. If you don’t have a social networking plan yet then it is strongly recommended that one is built into your 2011 plan. There are many interesting and exciting examples of the food and drink industry storming ahead including augmented reality, which enables customers to scan packs to get recipes, an image of the ‘finished product’ or even see bands playing their latest single. iPhone Apps are also big business and are being introduced by most major brands.

If you have never heard of it, this is your chance to get ahead of the competition in the new year. The buzz surrounding Augmented Reality (AR) is growing daily and it holds huge potential to propel food and drink products further into the world of consumer branding and interactivity. AR is becoming a global phenomenon of the 21st century – a potent marketing tool that enables brands to capture the attention of the iPhone generation. In the UK, Kit Kat launched a limited edition pack that enables you to watch a music video (Scouting For Girls’ ‘Silly Song’) on your chocolate wrapper. In the Philippines, Nestle (www.nestle.com.ph/) and retailer 7Eleven (www.7-eleven.com.ph) partnered on its Milo drinks brand (http://www.milo.com.ph) to launch an AR card with packs that, when held up to a computer’s webcam, enables the end-user to win prizes and publish unique photographs on Facebook (www.facebook.com) and other social networking websites.

Related stories at www.foodanddrinktowers.com

/news/wagamama-leads-the-way-with-iphone-app/

wagamama leads the way with iPhone app

/press-releases-pending/do-you-know-your-brussells-sprouts-from-your-brassicas-leiths-ne/

Do you know your Brussels sprouts from Your Brassicas? Leiths new, FREE, iphone app cookery quiz

/news/wine-app-launched-by-expert-natalie-maclean/

Wine app launched by expert Natalie MacLean

Brands to watch in 2011:

Specialist agencies such as London-based digital creative agency, Skive (http://skive.co.uk), which was responsible for the use of AR packaging as part of its Music Break ad campaign for Kit Kat.

About our report sponsors…

AOk Drinks (http://www.aokdrinks.com)

AOk is a deliciously fruity combination of red grapes, cherries, aloe vera and ginger. AOk has been created by nutritionist and MD Stuart Roberts to provide a convenient way of getting your optimal daily antioxidant requirements from just one bottle; no matter how busy your life is.

Each ingredient has been carefully chosen to ensure that there is a synergistic mix of multiple antioxidants. This makes AOk an extremely potent antioxidant drink, which can be enjoyed as part of a healthy active lifestyle. Laboratory industry standard tests have shown AOk to be an exceptional antioxidant drink.

Just one 250ml bottle of AOk provides:

• Your daily recommended requirement of antioxidants.
• One of your ‘five a day’.
• Only 145 calories.

Press enquiries should go to info@aokdrinks.com or helen@aokdrinks.com.

Cargill (http://www.cargill.com)

Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. Our ingredients business serves food and beverage manufacturers, foodservice companies and retailers with food and beverage ingredients, meat and poultry products and new food applications.

Our aim is to work in partnership with our customers to:

-            Help drive sales and growth by creating new and exciting food and beverage products.

-            Identify ways in which we can help improve the taste, flavour, texture, bite or other sensory aspect of a food or drink product.

-            Through our rigorous supply chain control, provide ingredients as well as expert advice to ensure that a customer’s product is not only tasty but is of high quality and, most importantly, safe to eat.

Press enquiries should go to francoise_mallet@cargill.com.

Uncle Roy’s (http://www.uncleroys.co.uk)

New on the scene is Single Estate, Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Mustard Oil, which has been recently sourced and brought to the UK and EU by Uncle Roy’s from the only farm in the world producing it. It is available in two varieties (Light & Nutty and Spicy). It has the lowest saturated fat content and the highest omega 3 content of all the culinary oils. Both varieties of these oils have won Great Taste awards and have a high smoke point, are GMO-free and erucic acid-free. Interestingly, mustard seed oil as sold in some Asian stores has to be marked ‘for external use only’ because of its high erucic acid content, but the new Australia-sourced oils have none. Mustard seed oil is rich in vitamin E, D and A and has a shelf life of four years.

Press enquiries should go to uncleroy@uncleroys.co.uk

Rich’s Products (http://www.richuk.com)

For over 60 years Rich’s Products has been supplying delicious, premium bakery products to the international retail and food services industry. It is now the leading supplier of wholesale bakery products in the UK. It all started in Buffalo, US, back in 1945, when Robert E. Rich Sr. developed ‘Rich’s Whip Topping®’ – the world’s first non-dairy topping that revolutionised food processing and opened up a new world of non-dairy products to the rapidly growing frozen food industry. With innovation at our core, Rich’s Products then developed a series of new culinary products from frozen éclairs, crème puffs, pies and cakes, to Italian pasta, the finest barbeque and meat products, our renowned seafood specialities and of course, its range of premium bakery products.

Serving the UK since 1985, Rich’s now supplies a wide base of retail and food service customers throughout the food industry, with over 2,300 products, in more than 85 countries. The company employs some 6,500 people in 18 different countries and, in addition to acquisitions; its dedicated research and development team continues its fine heritage of food innovation by regularly introducing award winning frozen and ambient bakery products.

Press enquiries should go to glindsay@rich.com.

Thank you for taking the time to read the annual food&drink towers Ten Top Trends Report. You’re welcome to use extracts, including quotes from our sponsor companies, from this report (for your publication or planning/strategy documents and presentations etc) as you wish but PLEASE ensure they are correctly attributed to Helen Lewis, managing editor at www.foodanddrinktowers.com. If you have any feedback or would like to be involved in next year’s report please email Helen Lewis at helen@foodanddrinktowers.co.uk. 

 

Tweet this

Latest News