EXPLOSIVE GROWTH OF FREE-FROM FOODS CONTINUES TO OFFER CATERERS EVEN MORE GROWTH POTENTIAL

Free-from foods have always been around but over recent years have started to lose their “hippy”/medical connotations and moved into the mainstream.  In 2009, retail sales of free-from foods were around £173.5m – by 2012 this had jumped to £288m and sales are forecast to reach £538m by 2018, a growth of 47% from 2013.  To put this into context, the total grocery market grew by just 3.4% in 2013, whereas the total free-from market grew by 37%.*

So who is buying free-from foods?  22% of the UK population (or 31% of households) consider they have a food allergy or intolerance.  Of these, dairy (12% of households) and gluten/wheat (10% of households)+ are the most common.  We know coeliac disease is x4 more common today than 50 years ago^ and that 97% of gluten-free purchasers are not coeliacs*.  Perhaps of even more interest is that 55.2%* of the population buys free-from foods regularly.  This figure shows it is not just consumers with allergies/intolerances buying this range: a large number clearly prefer to buy these products and find the greater availability/improvement in product quality, along with the lowering of prices, all helps.

Caterers cannot afford to ignore these figures – over half of their customers want and expect to see free-from foods on menus.   And they even expect to pay a premium!**  If restaurateurs can cater for everyone, safely, they will earn loyalty and repeat custom, helping to drive growth.

Central Foods has been supplying frozen food wholesalers and large, national account caterers with gluten-free products since 2009.  As customer demand has increased, so has our range, which now includes over 40 lines, x15 of which are also dairy-free.  From centre-of-the-plate items, bread, burgers and sausages to pizza, cakes, desserts and canapés, our range has something for every caterer’s menu.