As a supplier to predominantly large scale bakeries, we wanted to take some time to talk about the scale of baking in the UK and just how much we produce as a nation.
The UK bakery market is worth £3.9 Billion and as such is one of the largest markets in the UK food industry. At present, the total volume is approximately just under 4 billion. To put that into perspective, that's the equivalent of 11 million loaves sold every single day!
Within the UK baking industry, there are 3 main sectors;
Large Plant Bakeries
In Store Bakeries
Craft Bakers
The larger (plant) baking companies are responsible for roughly 85% of bread sold in the UK. In Store bakeries within supermarkets produce around 12% with the craft bakers making up the remaining 3%.
Due to the nature of baked products and their short shelf life, the majority of bread sold in the UK is produced here. The 3 main manufacturers; Allied Bakeries, Hovis & Warburton account for nearly 3/4 of the wrapped sliced bread sold here.
A report written this year by IBIS World demonstrates the sharp increase in demand the bread & bakery goods industry has faced this year. Before the pandemic, the average industry growth was 0.6%. However the revenue forecast sees an increase at a compound annual rate of 3.2% over the 5 years through to 2020/21 driven by the growth of 16.6% in this current year which can be attributed to the sharp rise in demand as a result of the governments stay at home order following the coronavirus outbreak.
However, the demand is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels and the industry will continue to face pressure from falling bread sales and increased health consciousness. It is therefore likely that operators will continue to launch new innovative products and expanding current product ranges.
The implementation of new technologies will help manufacturers face the oncoming challenges. For example, our Magnacooler can streamline production by significantly decreasing cooling times (in an environmentally friendly way) and increasing the shelf life of your products.
If you'd like to talk to one of our team about how Magnacool could benefit your business please call us on +44 (0) 1159 659539 or email us at info@magnacool.co.uk