World food is fast becoming a mainstream shopping item, proving that eating at home doesn’t have to be bland or boring and it’s clear that there is growth across the category both from snacking/ food to go and main meals.
In many ways, inflation will benefit the world food category as consumers reduce out-of-home expenditure.
During and after the pandemic, world foods saw a huge sales spike, as consumers began cooking at home more, but this hasn’t slowed.
Demand for global inspired dishes has boomed with sales of world foods rising by 57% yoy during lockdown.
World cuisines are now embedded in UK culture, with 89% of people eating these foods at home and around 75% of the population enjoying between three and seven cuisine types on a regular basis.
Quick and easy meal ideas/solutions to suit busy lifestyles is the focus, with convenience and flavour dominating NPD.
Port Royal, the UK’s No.1 Jamaican Patty Brand, has seen growth across its patty range this year.
The brand’s beef and cheese has seen great success this year and it is proud of its vegan products; mixed veg, jerk bean and butternut squash and lentil.
In the last year Port Royal has fully supported the 75 year anniversary of the Windrush, the brand is also fully immersed in the local community supporting police training events, netball competitions as well as more organised activities such as the Taste of the Caribbean held at sites across London.
Gordon Lauder, MD of frozen food distributor Central Foods, comments: “Legend has it that Chinese food first appeared in the UK as far back as the early 1880s. Food and eating houses began to pop up around the docks in London and Liverpool for sailors from China who had settled in the area. Then in the 1950s and ‘60s as Hong Kong Chinese (a previous British colony) started to move to the UK, there was a further growth in restaurants and takeaways, which ignited the British love for Asian cuisine. This steadily grew over the coming decades and today, according to britishstylesociety.uk, the most popular takeaway in the UK is still the Chinese, with 41.33% of all search results.”
This long love affair with Asian food means it is no surprise to read a recent Lumina Report, which emphasised the growing popularity of Korean flavours in certain sectors of the food service market, and we can see that this is filtering through into all sectors now. In fact, many Asian-style dishes and ingredients are proving pretty popular at the moment.
Central Foods has seen strong interest in its bao buns, and it’s one of the reasons that it has launched 30g KaterBake mini bao buns and Menuserve bao buns hoisin jackfruit, which are pleated-top bao buns filled with hoisin-flavoured jackfruit and vegetables. Suitable for vegans and vegetarians, the filled bao buns complement the brand’s 50g bao buns.
“Serving bao buns is a great way for any caterer to mimic the trends that we are seeing on the high street,” adds Lauder. “Street food style options are bang on trend and bao buns fit the bill perfectly.”
Bao buns are usually served warm filled with slow-cooked meat or vegetables, crunchy salad or pickles, and with sticky sauce. They can also be served with sweet fillings like ice cream and toffee sauce. Bao buns are convenient when stocked frozen as it means that caterers can simply reheat according to demand – giving customers ‘super fresh’ servings every time.
Another new product with a Far Eastern theme that Central Foods has recently launched is the Menuserve gluten free vegan Asian prawn snack selection, which features three different varieties of snack – the torpedo, which is a filo-wrapped vegan prawn, the breaded, which is a crumbed vegan prawn, and the bubble, which is a battered vegan prawn. It is suitable for plant-based diners, yet so tasty that it will appeal to all. Being gluten free means it’s also ideal for coeliac diners and those avoiding gluten, too, which means that customers with dietary requirements don’t miss out on the latest trends.
“These products are super easy to prepare and serve, making them convenient for all caterers – especially those who have limited prep areas or are struggling for staff,” says Lauder. “And because they are plant-based, they’ll appeal to a wide range of customers.”
Tim Dunlop, European commercial director, Casa Firelli from Biggar and Leith, comments: “Casa Firelli is a range of Italian condiments available in Hot, Extra Hot and Truffle. Each sauce is handcrafted in Parma from authentic Italian ingredients including Calabrian chillies, roasted red peppers, balsamic vinegar, porcini mushrooms, herbs, spices and sea salt.”
The original Hot Sauce adds a tangy, rounded flavour and a fiery kick. Extra Hot Sauce brings the heat with only a small dash needed. The Truffle Hot Sauce is made with earthy truffles and chillies for a warm, punchy and spicy, unique flavour.
All three sauces are gluten-free, zero calorie and use all natural ingredients. They’re suitable for keto, paleo and low / no carb diets, and are vegan and vegetarian, helping to drive their versatility.
Traditional sauces and condiments are losing ground as consumers are drawn to spicier options and more premium, unusual products from around the world. Shoppers are looking for new ways to spice up their home cooking and snacking and hot sauces can turn up the heat for those who enjoy fiery flavours.
Whether for spicing up scrambled eggs or adding a bit of a pep to pizza, hot sauces are store cupboard essentials, as seen by the abundance of sauces from around world making their way into British homes.
“Depot managers, and their retail and hospitality customers, will be familiar with the go-to hot sauces from the States or Asia, but Italy, famous for its food and fresh ingredients, is certainly a contender in the category,” adds Dunlop. “Our Casa Firelli Italian hot sauces bring a real taste of Italy to the table and just a few drops can really elevate a meal. We’ve taken care to include top quality Italian ingredients to ensure authentic flavours and the Hot Truffle variant, with its distinctive earthy flavour profile, is a real game changer.”
The sauces bring depth of flavour to dishes, rather than just heat, so they’re great with pizza, as well as with crunchy salads, mac and cheese, chicken wings, burgers, sausages and even fry ups.
“We know Brits love a hot sauce and Casa Firelli is set to be a store cupboard essential for spice-seekers looking to elevate Italian dishes in the home, so wholesalers should stock up now because it’s a trend that is only going to grow,” says Dunlop. “In-depot, it is ideally positioned in the condiments aisle, alongside ketchups and ambient table sauces.”
Casa Firelli Hot, Extra Hot and Truffle (148ml bottles) are available to wholesalers now via UK distributor, Petty Wood & Co. Ltd. Hot and Extra Hot RRP £2.69, Hot Truffle RRP £5.30.
We’re constantly hearing how food inflation is affecting our daily lives and how many are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. Prices of international foods have increased due primarily to rising costs of ingredients, manufacture and transport making trading more challenging than ever.
Despite high inflation consumers tend to remain loyal to brands where there are no cheaper alternatives that match the quality and purity. This is so for leading soy sauce brand, Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce which is made with just 4 pure ingredients and is fermented for a long time to allow the rich levels of umami to develop. Unsurprisingly, Kikkoman’s iconic 150ml soy sauce dispenser bottle is the number one selling SKU in the soy sauce category.
Bing-yu Lee, General Manager for Kikkoman UK says that brand loyalty has remained high despite a price increase. But he adds that it’s important to reward loyal consumers with regular promotions to give them the chance to stock up.
As a nation we like to embrace new trends from around the world. Japanese cuisine is one of the hottest trends right now and one that retailers are capitalising on. We are seeing many more authentic Japanese ingredients from miso to yuzu and of course, Kikkoman which is still made to a centuries old Japanese recipe. “It is important that brands are well supported and move quickly off the shelf. This is just one of the many reasons to stock Kikkoman over less well-known brands,” says Lee.
Kikkoman Tamari Gluten-Free Soy Sauce is the leading brand in its sector, contributing an incredible 61% of gluten free soy sauce value growth over the last 12 months. Kikkoman is also the number one brand in the Teriyaki Marinade sector with a 47% value share.
Supporting the Kikkoman brand in 2024 are several high-profile, recipe-based digital campaigns with a number of store promotions scheduled at key points in the calendar. The next promotion will cover Chinese New Year 2024.
Courtney Lewis, customer director discounters, Spar and Wholesale, at Premier Foods, comments: “At Premier Foods we recognise people are looking for help putting affordable, filling, and nutritious meals on the table, as demand soars for products that help food go further. Nearly two-thirds of UK consumers are choosing to reduce the amount that they spend on eating out and are continuing to make smarter swaps to reduce luxuries and additional spending.”
This has created an excellent opportunity for sales within the convenience channel, as shoppers look to purchase products that aid the home-cooking process from their local convenience retailer. What is also clear is that people are still keen to stick to brands they love, which provide trusted experience and the guarantee of quality, such as Sharwood’s.
Sharwood’s Indian cooking sauces are designed to offer a helping hand to those looking to create meals quickly and easily. The brand offers a range of sauces and accompaniments to help cater for at home celebrations as well as mid-week meals so stocking the Sharwood’s range is the perfect answer to this consumer trend that shows no sign of stopping in the current climate.
“For calendar events, retailers should make sure that relevant products such as cooking sauces, rice and sides are visible on shelves to drive awareness and generate sales,” adds Lewis. “We recommend creating a visually appealing display that includes the key components to a traditional curry to make it easier for retailers to find the products needed for their shoppers to create a last-minute curry night. As well as this, enticing promotions should be used to encourage retailers to stock-up on a range of products.”
The cooking sauces, kits and accompaniments category is performing well and has experienced growth in the last year, with the category now seeing 93.2% (KWP) penetration across UK consumers. With Sharwood’s recent innovation, the Premier Foods brands are well positioned to capitalise on demand for authentic, premium options. Premier Foods has seen strong demand for the East Asian sauce ranges in the last year, with Sharwood’s 30% Less Fat Indian sauces currently at £4.2m retail sales value (Circana).
Sharwood’s celebrated National Curry Week this year by launching an exclusive competition for independent retailers who were members of Unitas and Bestway. The prize was an opportunity to win a meal for their local community, with all the elements needed to host the meal including the venue, food and refreshments provided and catered for by Sharwood’s.
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