UK suppliers are diversifying their product ranges to tap soaring demand for frozen bakery goods, according to analysts.

Consulting and research firm Persistence Market Research (PMR) has predicted the frozen bakery market will grow “considerably” worldwide” by 2020 in its latest report.

The study, entitled Frozen Bakery Market: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast to 2020, states that health-conscious consumers prefer food that contains healthy ingredients that stays fresh for a long period of time.

Frozen products account for a 21% value share of the overall UK bakery products market, PMR senior consultant Sonal Shekhar told British Baker.

 “In order to gain exposure to faster-growing categories, frozen bakery products manufacturers are repositioning themselves by diversifying their product portfolios to gain exposure to faster-growing demand for frozen bakery products,” he added.

“Around the European region, the issues of health and wellness have become a key concern. Thus, organic frozen bakery products and products labelled as ‘free from’ are an emerging trend in the country. Frozen bakery products marked as ‘gluten-free’ is one of the most favoured labels among consumers.

“Bakery chains and coffee shops are offering organic and gluten-free frozen bakery products. Also, bakery products manufacturers are expanding their product offering related to frozen bakery products in order to penetrate into the mature bakery product market in the UK.”         

In February 2017, during a visit toMumbai, leading Indian food distributor TJUK Trade Networks told British Bakerthe UK could learn from the Indian market concerning the frozen food category.