The UK Bakery market is worth £5 billion and is one of the largest markets in the food industry. Total volume at present is over 4.5 billion units; the equivalent of over 11 million loaves and packs sold every single day. Traditional wrapped bread is the largest sector with a value over £2 billion.
There are three principal sectors that make up the UK baking industry:
The larger (plant) baking companies produce around 85% of bread sold in the UK. In-store bakeries (ISBs) within supermarkets produce about 12% and high street retail (craft) bakers produce the rest.
| % by value | % by volume | |
|---|---|---|
| Large plant bakers | 75 | 85 |
| In-store bakeries | 20 | 12 |
| Craft bakers | 5 | 3 |
| 100 | 100 |
Source: Gira
Due to the short shelf life, the majority of the bread sold in the UK is produced here. The 3 main manufacturers (Allied Bakeries, Hovis & Warburtons) account for nearly three-quarters of the branded wrapped sliced bread sold.
