Pork snacks are on the rise

Sausage roll sales are on the up, with Kantar data (52 w/e 29 December 2024) suggesting this is due to their value for money and an increasing demand for snacks and convenient on-the-go meals.

In fact, the rising popularity of the snacking market in general is highly beneficial for the pork sector.

Similarly, restaurants are also seeing a surge in growth with more people treating mealtimes as a social occasion.

Rising prices are not deterring British consumers from snacking as, despite a 6.6% price rise, sales of pork products from bakeries increased by 8.3% (by volume) year-on-year.

The snacking market makes up 42.5% of total pork dish volume sales. Sandwiches and savoury pastries, such as sausage rolls and bacon butties, are the key dishes driving this performance.

According to Kantar, fast-food outlets and quick-service restaurants are losing share, fuelled by growing health consciousness among consumers and a sharp price hike of 9.4%.

While beef is typically associated with strong sales in this sector – due to its strong presence in fast-food meals (70.3% of all quick-service restaurant burger meals) – beef burgers lost share last year and instead lamb gained momentum.

Fast-food retailers now account for 67.9% of total lamb dishes (by volume), with kebabs seeing a 20.2% year-on-year volume increase.

Sales growth for sit-down restaurants also benefits the lamb sector and accounted for 15.8% of total out-of-home lamb volumes in 2024. Meat-centred hearty meals and Indian cuisine were the main contributors and total spend for lamb dishes, which increased by 10.1% last year.

AHDB Retail and Consumer Insight Analyst, Elisya Zain, said:

“It’s great to see a strong performance from red meat in the eating out market. Convenience and value for money are increasingly important to consumers, therefore, ensuring red meat products remain prominent for on-the-go and snack opportunities is crucial.

“Consumers are also looking to treat themselves now more than ever when dining out, so it’s essential for red meat dishes to communicate quality and exclusivity.

“Our research has shown that quality cues for red meat on menus are beneficial, such as signalling British or local sourcing, while foodie images and detailed dish descriptions reinforce taste perceptions.”