Australia Looking to Future Trends to Grow Market Share in UK

With UK consumers demanding more from their food and wine, Australian suppliers are using the launch of a new initiative called G’dayUK. Planned for June 24 to 30, 2009, G’dayUK is a series of Australian events and promotions in the UK that form part of a broader strategy by Australia to strengthen relations with the ‘motherland’ and one of Australia’s key export and investment markets.

The predicted trend in ‘free-from’ foods has already been realized in the Australian domestic market. Gluten-free pasta and sausages, dairy-free drinks and wheat-free baked goods are all available alongside ‘standard’ variants, unlike in the UK, where free-from products are typically found in a stand-alone ‘health food’ section, even in the major multiples.

Despite this niche status, the UK is showing signs of becoming a highly profitable market for free-from producers, going from a modest starting point to record double-digit value and volume sales growth in recent years.

Products that provide health benefits as well as convenience are also predicted to become more prevalent as consumers demand more from convenience food in the UK. Time pressures emerging from longer working hours, more active lifestyles and lengthier commutes to and from work are driving sales of convenience food and drink. By 2015, the UK takeaway and convenience food sector is predicted to experience double-digit growth to reach a value of £12.3bn.