A recipe for success – the rise and rise of Home Baking in Britain

With TV shows, books and celebrity chefs all singing the praises of the joys of baking, it seems home baking is enjoying a true renaissance in the UK. New research from Mintel on home baking reveals that today, as many as 41 million Brits (equating to 79% of adults) bake at home. What is more, almost a quarter (23%) of adults bake at least once a week, while an impressive one in twenty (6% – or 3 million) consumers have been well and truly bitten by the baking bug – baking every day. In the last year alone, as many as 22% (equating to 9 million) of home bakers claim to have upped their baking.

Furthermore, the market for home baking rose a spectacular 59% between 2007 and 2012 to reach a delicious £1.7 billion, as cash-strapped Brits engaged in home based activities to save their dough. Mintel’s baking research also highlights the inspiration cookery shows are bringing to Britain’s households. Indeed, some 44% of Britain’s bakers say they have been inspired by cookery shows to bake more, increasing to over half (54%) of the nation’s young bakers, the under-25s.

Emma Clifford, Senior Food Analyst at Mintel, said:

“Home baking is one of the few food categories to have flourished during the recession, in fact the onset of the economic downturn actually helped to kick start the revival in home baking. With real incomes under strain, Britain has become more of a stay-at-home nation and consumers have sought low-cost activities such as baking to save money.”

“But while the economic downturn may have helped to reignite interest in home baking, its revival cannot solely be attributed to economic pressures and it is clear that many Britons have embraced baking because of its enjoyment factor. The explosion in the media on the topic has made home baking more accessible than ever, drawing more novice cooks to the baking aisle and helping the more experienced to develop their baking prowess.” Emma continues.

While the nations’ men filled the finals of The Great British Bake Off, Britain’s women remain the keener bakers, with nine in ten (90%) baking. Nevertheless, not to be left out in the cold, an impressive seven in ten (68%) men bake. Almost a quarter (22%) of male bakers are baking at home more than they were a year ago, compared to 13% who are baking less.

“Male celebrity bakers such as Jamie Oliver, the Fabulous Baker Brothers and presenter of The Great British Bake Off Paul Hollywood are helping to raise the profile of baking among men. As a result, men are becoming more engaged in baking. However, men bake less than women, and bread is the only baked good that male bakers are more likely than women to make. Enticing more male non-bakers to try their hand at baking, and encouraging those who do to bake more frequently and expand their baking repertoires, has potential to spur further growth in the market.” Emma concludes.

Encouragingly for the future of the industry, the younger generation emerge as the keenest bakers. Although the propensity to bake from scratch wanes with age (79% of 16-24 year olds bake from scratch vs 70% of those age 55 and over), the decline in the proportion of consumers who bake partly from scratch is far more prominent (74% of 16-24 year olds vs 57% of those aged 55 and over) with mixes holding significantly more appeal among young, inexperienced adults than older consumers, who tend to have more traditional baking habits.

Finally, the top five items baked in the last 12 months are 1. Standard cake (e.g. Victoria Sponge, Carrot Cake etc) 50%, 2. Small cakes (e.g. Cupcakes) 49%, 3. Batters (e.g. Pancake, Yorkshire Pudding) 40%, 4. Biscuits / Cookies (39%) and 5. Sweet Puddings (e.g. Crumble, Pavlova) 34%.

For more information, please contact Sian Brenchley, Monica Trombini or Amanda Lintott
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7600 5703 Email: press@mintel.com

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