Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Brits are set to splash out an estimated record £140 million on baking cakes and other delicacies for their families and loved ones this Christmas, according to research by Tesco.
The supermarket chain said: “The UK is currently undergoing the biggest home baking revival since the 1970s, with the market now believed to be worth more than £900 million a year. Experts say that renewed interest has been driven by the success of the BBC’s ‘Great British Bake Off’. At Christmas demand rises dramatically, and a third of all annual home baking sales take place during the month of December.”
Tesco predicts that its home baking sales over the festive season will rise as much as 20% on last year, with top sellers expected to be panettone kits, yule log kits and traditional Christmas cake mixes. Cake ingredients and decorations such as vanilla extract, marzipan, ready to roll icing and edible silver balls are also set to be in high demand from home chefs.
Tesco home baking products buyer Darren Atherton said: “Christmas is a magical time of the year when kids and parents get together in the kitchen to bake up cakes and other delights and over the last few years we have seen demand rocket due to a general home baking revival.
“There’s no doubt that ‘The Great British Bake Off’ has inspired a whole new generation of younger bakers and we know that as sales of home baking ingredients rise when the show is on. With home baking being back in fashion, and times being hard financially, consumers are more likely to be making their own Christmas cake this year than ever before.”
Top selling home baking aids at Tesco in the last year have been: ready to roll pastry, cake decorations, marzipan and icing, cooking nuts and sweet cake mixes.
Tesco is also seeing unprecedented demand for baking utensils and baking-related housewares and launched a dedicated collection this year as a result.
