Sausage brand The Jolly Hog has “defied” a general downturn in processed meat sales to post big increases over the past year.
The Bristol-based supplier posted value sales increases of 46% in bacon last year to a total of £7.2m, while sausage sales rose by 27% to £9.8m [Kantar 52 w/e 29 December 2024].
These numbers eclipsed the total market for sausages (up 2%) and in branded (with largely flat sales growth up 0.4%), the brand said. The Jolly Hog’s performance against the wider market in bacon was even better, the data showed, with the total market growing by just 0.4%, and branded sales falling by 9%.
Co-founder Olly Kohn put the brand’s growth down, in part, to increased supermarket listings, particularly in Tesco and Morrisons, with distribution by store count up 16% over the past year.
It had also increased its marketing spend, while NPD – such as its Harissa Pork Cheeks in partnership with Belazu, a Hog Roast line, and a Sausage Roll – had all resonated with shoppers, added the brand, which had also relaunched its burgers.
“The meat category is evolving,” Kohn told The Grocer.
“It’s back in vogue, with fewer people removing meat from their diets and instead opting for premium options and demanding higher-welfare British meat.”
The business was also seeing a shift towards added value meat, with less traditional roasts being eaten and more prepared meats consumed, such as slow cook or marinated options.
“As a brand that operates across meat categories, and known for quality and welfare [via its RSPCA Assured status], we are well placed to take advantage of this trend,” Kohn said.
“We are the only brand that has the ability to stretch across multiple categories, with presence in slow cook, sausage, bacon, snacking and cooked meats,” he added.
“We are known by consumers for our higher welfare and chosen for that and our great taste. We hit the needs of the conscious consumer, who are foodies, looking for quality over quantity.”
It comes as the price of sausages is falling in the major supermarkets, according to Assosia data for The Grocer’s Key Value Items tracker (below). The price of an average 8-pack of own label sausages is down 7% to £1.88 week on week and by 6% year on year.
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