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Viewing report
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Poultry Market Report 2003
Key Note Publications Ltd, May 2003
The UK poultry market, as defined by this report, includes sales of poultry and poultry products through retail outlets, as well as the sale of poultry-based meals and snacks eaten in chicken restaurants and other catering outlets. Both sectors have been dynamic in recent years, as chicken and other poultry have benefited from consumer demands for healthier alternatives to red meat and for more convenience foods.
Retail sales of poultry and poultry products were estimated at £2.74bn in 2002, an increase of just 1.2% at current prices on 2001. However, retail poultry prices fell towards the end of 2002, so real market growth was higher than this.
The chicken restaurant sector showed strong growth throughout the 1998 to 2002 review period. Sales reached £488m in 2002, an increase of 5.6% at current prices on the previous year.
Retail poultry sales outperformed sales of most other meats in the 5 years to 2002. They fall into three categories: fresh, cooked and frozen. Fresh poultry is by far the largest category, but sales of fresh whole birds are declining as new products, such as poultry strips and chunks, cater for the growing need among busy consumers for quick-cook solutions. Added-value whole bird varieties, such as basted and glazed birds, are taking sales from traditional whole birds. The cooked chicken sector is the smallest, but it has been showing strong growth, boosted by the performance of the chilled ready-to-eat sector. Sales of frozen poultry have shown the weakest growth, but within that sector, flavoured chicken, children's products and new varieties, such as duck-based meals, are currently the best performers.
Outlet expansion by the leading players, the improved siting of outlets, more family-style restaurants and consumers switching from burger outlets have all helped chicken restaurant sales. Chicken is also an important menu item in many other catering outlets, especially ethnic food outlets, sandwich shops and pub restaurants, and the expansion of outlets in these catering sectors will drive further sales growth.
The poultry-processing industry is populated by a number of large, vertically integrated processors, plus some specialist producers, and poultry breeders and rearers. Most of the UK supply comes from domestic production, but lower-priced imported products are taking an increasing share of the market. The emergence of countries such as Brazil and Thailand as major low-priced producers poses some threat to the UK industry.
As the retail poultry market reaches saturation point, further growth is likely to come from more added-value products, and emerging sectors such as duck-based products. The chicken restaurant market is likely to continue to expand, driven by further store openings by the major players.
Please note within this report that Bird's Eye Wall's Ltd changed its name to Unilever Ice Cream and Frozen Food Ltd on 14th April 2003.
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