This report is looking at the market for fish and sea foods which will include figures and information relating to fin fish and shell fish in the form of fresh or chilled fish, frozen fish and fish products

Products profile:

• Young’s, under their own brand name, provide chilled and frozen fish range of specialty fish, seafood meals, coated fish and natural fish. Additional brands in the chilled section are Great Grimsby and Frssenburgh Smokehouse. The Chip Shop brand is in the frozen category selling fish fillets.

• Bird’s Eye offer Captain Birds Eye fish fingers, Eat Positive range of frozen ready meals for health conscious consumers, the Simply variety of freshly frozen fish and Steamfresh, which is a range of ready meals and prepared vegetables which can be steam cooked and are microwaveable.

• Lyons seafood are prawn and specialty sea foods suppliers.

• Big Prawn company also supply brined seafood and seafood sauces.

What fish is bought most often?

The kind of frozen fish bought most often in 2007, according to Mintel (2008), is breaded fish with sales of 41% of all frozen fish sales. The least bought was natural fish taking only 15% of the sales figures. However, compared to the figures of 2003, the breaded fish has seen 21.8% decline in sales whereas natural fish has enjoyed 62.4% rise. Therefore, we can say that natural fish is gaining popularity.

UK retail sales of frozen fish by type, by value, 2003-07

Mintel 2008

Consumer characteristics:

According to Mintel (2008), the 2007 statistics show that the majority of people who eat frozen fish products and fish finger have the following characteristics:

• Females
• 35-44 years old
• married
• belonging to socio-economic group D
• hard-pressed
• part-time workers
• household size :4
• people with cars
• people who watch TV
• living in East and West Midlands

An interesting difference between fish finger eaters and other fish products eaters was that fish fingers are mostly eaten by underweight people whereas other fish products are eaten mostly by obese people.

Usage of other frozen fish products in the last 12 months by demographics, 2008

Taken from the TGI survey of around 25,000 adults

(Mintel 2008)

Usage of frozen fish fingers in the last 12 months by demographics, 2008

Consumer behaviour : Occasion of use:

According to Mintel 2008, a survey done in April 2008 for occasion of eating fish in the past 3 months revealed that 91% pf people eat fish at home at different times, but 9% of the population never eat fish and sea foods at home.

Base: 932 main shoppers aged 16+ (Mintel 2008)

Consumer behaviour: why do people eat fish?

The consumption of fish is driven by the following factors:

1. Advice from the Food Standards Agency to eat 2 portions of fish a week, including oily fish.
2. One of many researches on the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids foung in oily fish claims that it improves brain function. (Dr Richard Weisinger of the University of Melbourne, Australia, 2001) and reduction in risk of coronary heart disease in women (FB Hu et al. 2002 cited in Bandolier.
3. Increase in health consciousness amongst consumers. (FSA 2006)
4. Benefits to weight conscious people as fish is considered less fatty. (weightlosssources.co.uk)

References:  All references below were accessed on 18th November 2008

Mintel report, Fish and Seafood - UK - September 2008

 Consumer Attitudes to Food Survey 2006.