Home baking 2023: Home bakers ditch brands for own label

Own label is rising to the occasion. In volume terms, it’s outperformed brands in all four home baking sectors in this report. Clearly, Britain’s amateur bakers have been tightening their purse strings.

In flour, this trend is especially clear: private label has shifted an extra 5.1 million kilos while brands have sold 1.3 million fewer.

“Own label plays an important role for consumers, providing a cost-effective way for consumers to try different flours,” concedes Bertie Matthews, MD of Matthews Cotswold Flour. “What they lack sometimes in terms of specification, provenance and traceability, they make up for in price.”

That being said, it’s still “forward-thinking brands” that lead the way in home baking innovation, he adds.

This case is proven by Dr Oetker, which this year unveiled 13 limited-edition lines. It also added four permanent products, including a Rainbow Choc Chips Mix. “Rainbow continues to be a key trend in the category,” says Jen Johnson, Dr Oetker Baking head of marketing for cake.

Another key trend driving sales is hassle-free baking, says Bakels group marketing manager Michael Schofield. “Social media is driving the appetite for quick and easy recipes among younger shoppers,” he says.