Consumers are increasingly choosing to socialise at home, influenced by the growth of on-demand content, lingering pandemic habits and ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
As a result, shoppers are seeking affordable indulgences in the form of premium biscuits that can add fun and variation to at-home consumption occasions. This trend is reflected in the performance of the category, worth £44M and growing at 13.3% YoY (Circana).
Wholesalers can make the most of this performance by offering retailers a variety of premium options, promoting bulk buys through in-store POS and placing them in prime impulse locations.
While indulgence remains a key driver of sales in sweet biscuits, we are also seeing a shift towards products that deliver nutritional balance, allowing shoppers to enjoy their favourite treats without the guilt. Sugar reduction and portion control, in particular, are front of mind for shoppers.
David Henson, Trade Marketing Director at FBC, comments: “The healthier segment is the fastest growing segment in Sweet Biscuits, worth £10M, growing a huge +29.7% in the convenience channel. We expect big volume growth coming from this sector in 2026 and wholesalers should have their finger on the pulse of this change, offering retailers ‘healthier’ options alongside traditional biscuits.
“Our Minis products, which give consumers convenient, bite-sized versions of biscuits they already know and love, are a must-stock as they offer peace of mind around calorie control for the whole family.”
“Sweet biscuits are a must-stock for retailers as they play a vital role in driving impulse sales. To ensure wholesalers are making the most of this, they need to deliver a range that balances innovation, familiarity and value,” adds Henson.
“We’d recommend that wholesalers offer a range that includes new and exciting innovations that create buzz and encourage trial, as well as everyday favourites and classic brands that shoppers know and trust.
Including price-marked packs is also crucial, as they help retailers communicate value clearly and further encourage impulse purchases.”
2025 was a big year for NPD across the FBC range, but none more so than the release of Maryland S’wich which saw the much-loved cookie taken into a new format for the first time in over a decade.
Featuring two golden, crunchy biscuits with a layer of smooth cream in-between, retailers voted on their feet on this one as it delivered £2M sales in just 12 weeks, with 13% of these coming through convenience (NIQ).
The sweet biscuits category has remained resilient, valued at £2.9BN and growing at +3.3% (Circana), and FBC sees this steady growth continuing throughout 2026.
Growth is led by Anytime Treats, worth £991m and growing +3.6% YoY, and Premium Treats, worth £384m and growing +10.3% YoY (Circana).
“FBC is outperforming the category, being the only manufacturer in significant value and volume growth (NIQ and Kantar). We can attribute some of this growth to our Minis Segment, which is growing at +5.9%YoY (NIQ). Mini formats of biscuits are perfect for the top-up shop occasion, as they offer something for the whole family and provide consumers with bite-sized biscuits they already know and love,” says Henson.
“For wholesalers to maximise sales of mini format biscuits, we recommend communicating to retailers the strong growth of the format through in-store displays, POS and theatre – such as radio and digital displays.”
Chris Brooks, Head of Wholesale, pladis UK&I, comments: “High prices remain a reality for many shoppers, which means people are continuing to swap nights out for cosy evenings in.
With value still front of mind, shoppers want to make these at-home moments feel special, and that’s good news for biscuits and cakes. Historically, the category has benefited from the ‘lipstick effect’, with shoppers viewing sweet treats as small, affordable luxuries they can justify during financially difficult times.
“As a result, we’re seeing shoppers willing to pay a little more for products that deliver a sense of indulgence, particularly from trusted brands that offer reassurance on value. Premium ranges like McVitie’s Signature are an example of how indulgent biscuits can elevate everyday evenings in, offering a special treat without the expense of dining out.”
On-the-go snacking continues to play a significant role in biscuits and cakes sales, particularly in convenience. With fast-paced lifestyles, shoppers are often making quick decisions at fixtures and are looking for products that offer instant snacking satisfaction from brands they know and trust.
“Single serve formats are especially important here, as they cater both to immediate consumption moments and to shoppers looking for a treat to take home and enjoy later, adds Brooks. “Products like McVitie’s Gold Billions and McVitie’s Club Layers Orange perform strongly because they combine indulgence with convenience, making them ideal for grab-and-go occasions.”
Biscuits and cakes are indulgence-led categories by nature, with most shoppers buying into them for a treat. That said, there is a growing number of consumers looking to balance indulgence with lighter options.
“This isn’t about shoppers replacing their favourite treats, but about driving incremental sales by giving them even more to choose from,” says Brooks. “Low- and no-sugar options, such as our McVitie’s The Light One range are performing well alongside core products. Retailers should ensure there is select space for these lighter options from big name brands, while still prioritising the bestselling lines that continue to account for the largest share of sales.”
McVitie’s is a powerhouse across both biscuits and cakes. As the #1 Sweet Biscuit Brand in the UK (NIQ), McVitie’s shopper-favourite biscuits dominate the list of convenience bestsellers, with seven McVitie’s products in the top 20. This includes classics like McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Digestives (#1), McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Hobnobs (#3), and McVitie’s Digestives Original (#4, Nielsen IQ). These products have long been trusted by British consumers, making them staples in the convenience channel and key drivers of sales for independent retailers.
“Single-serve formats also play an important role for us in convenience and are particularly popular among on-the-go snacking shoppers. McVitie’s Gold Billions is a must, as is McVitie’s Gold Billions Chocolate & Hazelnut – an extra-indulgent version of the convenience favourite that taps into the growing demand for more decadent snacks in portable formats,” continues Brooks.
“We’re one of the most popular brands in cakes too – particularly when it comes to convenience-friendly formats, like Cake Bars, where McVitie’s has insight-led innovation in this format. These include McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes Cola Bottle Flavour Cake Bars and dessert-inspired Eton Mess and Lemon Meringue Cake Bars and have helped to recruit younger shoppers to the category by bringing novelty and excitement to the fixture. These formats not only meet shopper needs for portion control but also provide a new way for consumers to enjoy a familiar treat with a fun twist.”
pladis has been focused on delivering innovation that meets evolving shopper needs, especially in formats and flavours that resonate with current trends. For example, McVitie’s Club Layers Orange is a unique offering which takes the brand’s popular chocolate and orange flavour combination into the single-serve wafer bar space. As the only product of its kind in this format, it offers wholesalers and retailers a clear point of difference while tapping into demand for permissible, on-the-go treats.
“Wholesalers should offer a diverse range of products to meet different consumer preferences and missions. Retailers are looking for products they know will sell through, like McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Digestives and McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Hobnobs – two of the nation’s favourite biscuits,” advises Brooks.
“They’ll also be keeping an eye out for convenience-led formats, including Chocolate Biscuit Bars and Cake Bars. McVitie’s Club Layers Orange and our McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes Cola Bottle Flavour Cake Bars strike the perfect balance between convenience, portion control, and indulgence, making them strong choices.
“Effective in-depot merchandising is a must for making the most of the category. Wholesalers should guide retailers through the depot by connecting them with the products that matter most. For example, organising bays by shopper mission and using headers to highlight both classic favourites and exciting new launches helps ensure both the reliable performers and the latest innovations are well represented.”
pladis works closely with wholesalers to help them support their retail customers and maximise category performance. A key part of this is the Better Biscuits platform, which provides practical tools and insights to help retailers range with confidence.
Through Better Biscuits, wholesalers and retailers have access to impartial bestsellers lists, tailored planograms and free POS support, helping them to make the most of limited space either in-store or in-depot and unlock the full potential of the biscuits and cakes categories.
Susan Nash, Trade Communications Manager at Mondelez International, comments: “Healthier biscuits are in growth (Nielsen). They offer shoppers a convenient and tasty breakfast option that is great for on-the-go consumption, in the office or at home.
“We’ve seen a 6% (Kantar) year-on-year increase in on-the-go shopper missions within healthier biscuits, which illustrates that shoppers are being more mindful when snacking while they are out and about. Ranges from brands such as belVita and Cadbury Brunch offer a variety of formats and flavours that cater to different shopper needs and preferences.
“As we move through 2026, we can expect that breakfast and snack options that are individually packaged and are easy to pop into a bag to eat on the go will continue to grow this year and that’s not only because hybrid working continues,” adds Nash. “Generally consumers are increasingly busy, and we are a nation of snackers with 88% of the UK snacking at least once daily (Euromonitor).”
Shopper missions in the category can be broadly divided into two main areas – take home and on the go, with sweet biscuits having a higher share of ‘take home sales’ and ‘healthier’ biscuit sales being more weighted to on the go when compared to savoury and sweet biscuits.
Category value is driven when insight into shoppers and consumers is used to meet their different need states and category innovation is truly differentiated to offer something new. New products drive excitement in the category as 53% of shoppers look to trial new flavours (Mondelez).
“In terms of value, while many shoppers are looking for affordable, familiar treats, we also know that value has different meanings to different consumers. While price remains important, value is more than just the financial cost. Value encompasses a range of factors, such as time, quality, gift worthiness, experience and reward,” says Nash.
“We know that 75% of retailers believe that price-marked packs give shoppers confidence in the price and 65% believes that PMP increase sales (Lumina).”
Favourite brand is a key driver of choice in the biscuit category, even in difficult times. Premium brands provide a way of creating a special moment, however mainstream brands are still selected for indulgent moments, a choice predominantly driven by affordability considerations. So, biscuit ranges need to have both premium and mainstream offers.
Biscuits are typically eaten at home with 94% (Kantar) of occasions at home – and 26% of these occasions alone are within special treat consumption (Kantar). Often consumption is with a hot drink, particularly with indulgent biscuits so retailers can take advantage of cross-marketing items to enhance sales.
belVita offers a range of tasty flavours for lasting fulfilment, and the entire soft baked range and best-selling baked biscuit range is non-HFSS.
In 2025 belVita launched a limited edition belVita Duo Crunch Choco Hazelnut, the perfect combination of chocolate — the number one flavour in healthier biscuits with high fibre and belVita’s signature blend of five wholegrains, offering consumers great taste and texture.
LU is the fastest-growing brand in the Special Treat Biscuits segment, growing +28.7% value and +1.4ppt share (Nielsen). Its recent redesign highlights its premium quality and French heritage featuring distinctive, bold bright colours to differentiate each biscuit in the range. Consumers are increasingly looking for biscuits which meet their demand for indulgence and pampering, all of which LU’s taste offers as it brings the authentic taste of the French LU bakery to UK shelves. The brand now reflects these cues in its fresh and sophisticated new packaging, clearly elevating LU’s brand identity and its differentiation in the market.
The world’s number one biscuit brand (Euromonitor), OREO, is launching a limited-edition OREO Creme Egg biscuit, which features the iconic flavour of Creme Egg in an additional layer of filling for the ultimate Easter-themed snack.
The seasonal OREO Creme Egg is set to drive category growth by maximising the Easter snacking occasion, carving out a niche space within biscuits. This delicious treat is designed to be shared by consumers with their family and friends. OREO Creme Egg is available in the grocery and convenience channels until Easter 2026.
Frances Booth, Head of Marketing at Lotus Bakeries UK, comments: “With new flavour combinations and fusion products on the rise, customers are becoming increasingly tempted by something a little more luxurious. Capitalising on this is the Biscoff® Sandwich Biscuits which feature a creamy vanilla, chocolate or Biscoff® filling between two original Biscoff® biscuits. This adds an extra layer of decadence to our classic biscuits, providing customers with a sweet treat that is perfect for offering friends when socialising. “With people’s lives getting increasingly busier, many are resorting to eating regular snacks on the go instead of sitting down for the traditional three meals a day. For this reason, twin or individually wrapped treats are particularly popular, especially when these are part of a multipack, like the Biscoff® 16x2pk. This ensures customers are always stocked up on their favourite cakes and biscuits without frequent trips to the shop whilst also helping sweet treats stay fresher for longer.
Even health-conscious customers crave an occasional sweet treat; however not all resort to purpose-made healthy cakes and biscuits with some instead choosing to limit the portion size of popular classics. This satisfies sweet cravings without being too over-indulgent.
“To capitalise on the growing popularity of sweet treats, wholesalers should ensure they stock popular brand names. This can help retailers drive impulse purchases as customers are tempted by products that they know and love. Found in 7.4 million households, Biscoff® is known for its irresistible taste and distinct crunch, and this appeals to customers as a last-minute purchase (Nielsen),” adds Booth.
“When it comes to Biscoff®, nothing beats our classic 250g pack of biscuits. With their moreish taste and perfect snap, our original Biscoff® biscuits are known for their quality, and as a family-owned business, Biscoff® remains true to its roots, using the unique recipe and craftmanship developed by Jan Boone Sr. in 1932. Each biscuit is carefully crafted from natural ingredients and is free from artificial additives and preservatives to offer a pure and authentic taste.”
Following the popularity of the 250g pack, Biscoff® has recently launched new family packs (2x250g) so customers can ensure they always have a Biscoff® biscuit on hand. Containing approximately 64 biscuits, these are ideal for sharing.
Whether it’s eaten on the go, used in baking or simply enjoyed alongside a cup of coffee, the versatility of Biscoff® means this little biscuit is always in high demand. For this reason, Biscoff® has become an established name within the biscuit sector offering a unique taste and excellent quality, which is the main driver of sweet biscuit sales (Attest).
Oli Sampson, Managing Director of Central Foods, comments: “A sweet treat has become a weekly, and often daily ritual, as a more affordable alternative to a full meal at a pub or restaurant. And as consumers continue to treat themselves at home, they are opting for more premium products as a form of an affordable luxury to help with economic pressures.
“Premium confectionery products including biscuits and cakes fall into this category – often perceived as a permissible treat, offering consumers comfort, reassurance and indulgence, with Kantar reporting that over six in ten UK consumers are now more likely to treat themselves at home than spend on eating out (Kantar).”
With consumers now busier today than ever, quick, convenient grab and go and pre-packaged food items that allow consumers to eat while still on the go will always be a popular option and are driving significant growth within the sector, with IGD data showing that convenience-led food missions now account for more than 40% of UK food shopping occasions (IGD). We are also seeing a strong trend towards ‘trading up’ to more premium, indulgent products.
“One of the biggest trends driving the wholesale sector is health and wellness,” adds Sampson. “As an industry, we are seeing a growing demand for sweet options that offer a better-for-you feel, without compromising on quality and flavour. This is due to stricter health regulations as well as a shift towards mindful snacking. Consumers are now on the lookout for clean-label products and choices that still hit the spot when it comes to satisfying cravings. This opens up plentiful opportunities for wholesalers to expand their offerings to meet these rising demands.”
Considering more inclusive options, including gluten free and plant-based sweet treats are a must-have for wholesalers. The Menuserve Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate/Cherry Dessert falls into this category – targeting vegetarians, vegans and coeliacs.
Against this backdrop, broader dietary diversity is also influencing range decisions, with The Vegan Society reporting that 10% of people in Great Britain now follow diets that reduce or exclude animal products (The Vegan Society.
“Stock innovation keeps ranges fresh, exciting and on-trend,” suggests Sampson. “Balance new launches with high-performing, well-known brands. Prioritise products that align with customer values and expectations. Use trusted suppliers to give buyers confidence in range decisions.”
Central Foods is widely known within the foodservice market and is celebrating 30 years of trading in 2026. As a frozen food specialist, it supplies over 250 wholesalers nationwide, alongside national and regional operators.
Central Foods’ sweet products – particularly its frozen desserts – perform extremely well within foodservice and are a key part of the portfolio.
Menuserve, the company’s own brand, includes several consistently strong performers, with the Gluten Free Chocolate & Cherry Dessert among the most popular thanks to its convenience, premium finish and all-in-one serve format. The product comes pre-cut for ease of service and is ideal for chocolate lovers. Once defrosted, it can be served chilled within four hours and has a defrosted shelf life of up to three days.
Menuserve, Central Foods’ own brand, is firmly positioned within the foodservice sector to provide consistent, high-quality, and cost-effective sweet, fully finished products that can be prepared in no time. The brand is a strong performer within the industry and is renowned for using only the finest ingredients for its traditional and proven recipes – offering something for every menu, all year round.
“Focus on offering a small number of well-known brands and products that cover classic, free from and premium needs,” suggests Sampson. “Success also lies in balancing, stocking, and merchandising, with a heavy emphasis on reacting quickly to trends and seasonal demand.”
Helen Bowyer, Commercial Director – Foodservice at The Compleat Food Group, comments: “Wrights’ timeless classics continue to lead the way. Much-loved bakes like Vanilla Slices, Cream Scones, Jam Doughnuts and Finger Doughnuts consistently perform because they offer something consumers instinctively trust: nostalgic comfort. These are products that have stood the test of time, and in a market full of new trends and innovations, that sense of familiarity is a powerful driver.
Chocolate bakes remain a firm favourite, and shoppers are reaching for options that feel like great value for money or have a touch of added luxury. Compleat Foodservice has been producing bakes that feature traditional flavours but with more elevated finishings, such as chocolate brownies topped with crunchy elements like honeycomb and Maltesers. These additions provide an interesting texture and enhance the overall appeal.
The brand is also seeing particularly strong performance from its part-finished cakes. Buying these frozen and baking off to meet demand gives operators a high-quality, versatile base while still allowing creative control. Whether it’s adding seasonal flair, experimenting with fruit, ganache or jams, or simply applying bespoke topping styles, these cakes give customers the freedom to tailor their patisserie offering while maintaining consistency and minimising waste.
“2026 is a big year for innovation. With major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup taking place in the Americas, we’re expecting a significant rise in demand for American-inspired bakes. US-style indulgence is already gaining momentum, and classics such as Key Lime Pie, Mississippi Mudcake and Boston Cream feel especially well-timed to make a comeback in formats like slices, doughnuts and traybakes,” adds Bowyer. “Inspired by this trend, we’re launching the Wrights Cookies & Cream Cheesecake. Made with crushed dark biscuits and a rich American-style cream cheese and sour cream filling, it taps into that nostalgic, over-the-top American dessert experience while still delivering the consistent quality operators associate with Wrights.”
Limited-edition NPD also plays a key role for us this year. As Wrights celebrates its centenary, the brand has developed a special Centenary Limited Edition Caramel Custard Slice. It’s a fresh twist on Vanilla Custard Slice, featuring layers of luxurious caramel custard between crisp puff pastry, finished with decadent icing and topped with swirls of caramel. The slice offers bakeries, cafés and retail operators a premium indulgence that works perfectly for eat-in occasions or as a take-home treat. The frozen, unbaked format also means operators can defrost as required, reducing waste.
“2026 marks a milestone moment for Wrights as we celebrate 100 years of heritage, craft and innovation. It gives us a huge opportunity to amplify brand awareness and reinforce our reputation across foodservice and retail,” says Bowyer.
“We’re investing significantly in the celebrations, starting with a refresh of our Wrights retail shops across Staffordshire ahead of plans to grow the store network across the UK. Our centenary branding will appear across packaging, vehicle livery and in-store, helping to create a unified and recognisable identity throughout the year.
“To further engage customers and communities, we’re launching the Wrights Roadshow – a branded van touring the UK, offering sampling experiences and sharing the story behind the brand. Community involvement is central to our plans, including school roadshows and charity partnerships with Dougie Mac and Macmillan Cancer Support.”
Digital activity will sit alongside physical activations, with dedicated social media campaigns and a specially produced anniversary video helping to bring the brand’s 100-year journey to life.
This combination of heritage, innovation and engagement will ensure a strong platform for operators stocking Wrights products and will help the brand continue building momentum throughout 2026 and beyond.
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