Nils-Gerrit Wunsch
Research expert covering foods trends in North America, Europe, and the global food system
Breakfast cereals in the UK - statistics and facts
In the United Kingdom, the market for breakfast cereals is worth close to 3.15 billion U.S. dollars in revenue. Market revenues are up, by about 160 million U.S. dollars, compared to 2023. Consumption had slumped somewhat after the end of the pandemic. However, it has partially rebounded to an annual consumption of about 7.2 kilograms per person. A multitude of cereal brands are consumed by millions of British consumers each year. Kellogg's Corn Flakes alone can be found in 6.14 million British kitchens, making it the second most eaten breakfast cereal after Weetabix, the reigning monarch of British breakfast tables.
Kellanova’s brand Kellogg’s has 17 breakfast cereal products available for the British consumer. From the aforementioned Kellogg’s Corn Flakes with a reach in the millions down to Kellogg’s crunchy Nut Bites with a humble footprint of 416,000 British consumers. Other popular choices for British consumers are Quaker's cereal products. Quaker Oats and Quaker Oats So Simple reach 4.62 and 5.06 million consumers, respectively. Quaker Oats Granola almost reaches another million consumers.
The role of cereals on the breakfast table
Every week, the average UK household consumes 117 grams of breakfast cereals. There has been an overall downward trend in the past decades. In 2006, consumers ate 135 grams per week. In total, about half a billion kilograms of breakfast cereals are eaten annually in the UK. A further uptick in consumption is forecast.Kellanova’s brand Kellogg’s has 17 breakfast cereal products available for the British consumer. From the aforementioned Kellogg’s Corn Flakes with a reach in the millions down to Kellogg’s crunchy Nut Bites with a humble footprint of 416,000 British consumers. Other popular choices for British consumers are Quaker's cereal products. Quaker Oats and Quaker Oats So Simple reach 4.62 and 5.06 million consumers, respectively. Quaker Oats Granola almost reaches another million consumers.
The role of private label cereals
A very popular private label breakfast cereal is Tesco's Corn Flakes, which was eaten by about 1.86 million British consumers. Combined with its other private label breakfast cereal brands, who reach millions more, Tesco can be considered the leader of the British market. Tesco even eclipses Aldi, whose cereals are eaten by 3.34 million British consumers. Which role private label will have in the future is difficult to tell. As the market has entered the post pandemic phase, food inflation is affecting consumer spending patterns. Which might provide the discounters Aldi and Lidl, and their cheap food products, with additional wind in their sales. Their private label cereals might benefit as well.
