Consumers buy more frozen food in a bid to cut costs

NEWARK, England, Oct. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- New research reveals that 38% of people are buying more frozen food than last year to help save money. The UK has been gripped by levels of inflation not seen since the 1970s and while the actual rate of inflation has slowed, consumers are still feeling the pinch, according to independent research commissioned by the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF). 

Figures supplied by Kantar show that the average grocery shop costs 12% more than it did compared to this time 12 months ago, meaning that every £100 shoppers spent on food in 2022 costs £112 now. Frozen food costs are usually less than their fresh counterparts, meaning shoppers are making more calculated choices.

Fr-easy swaps to save you money

*price comparison conducted online across Tesco, Asda and Waitrose

Rupert Ashby, Chief Executive Officer of the BFFF said: "The common assumption is that frozen food costs less because it's lower quality. Yet one of the main reasons is that there's considerably less waste. When retailers price fresh and chilled foods, they have to account for spoilage in the supply chain. Soft fruits get squashed, vegetables bruise and transportation delays impact shelf life."

Top tips to make savings in the kitchen:

1. Look for the frozen equivalent of your favourite fresh and chilled products. Frozen pork sausages cost up to 38p less than fresh, frozen cottage pie costs up to 50p less and you can make savings of up to 99p when swapping from fresh to frozen cod^[1].
2. Plan your meals and shop according to the plan. Impulse buying can lead to food waste.
3. Batch cook and freeze portions. It's OK to re-freeze raw meat and vegetables that have been cooked.
4. Shop online or use the in-store scan and shop services. You're less likely to go off-piste when you can see the price of your basket going up with each new item.
5. Use supermarket price comparison apps like trolley.co.uk to find the best prices for your favourite branded items and cupboard staples.

^[1] https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/can-switching-to-frozen-food-save-you-money-aSfQs0Y7oQLd  

The survey also found that 42% of consumers would buy more frozen food if they knew more about the sustainability, waste reduction and nutritional benefits it offered. To capitalize on the growing consumer preference for all things frozen, and to help consumers to make informed choices about frozen food, the BFFF has created FrozenFoodRevolution.co.uk.

Launching for Frozen Food Week, 16 – 25 October 2023, the microsite will play host to the facts about frozen food while giving visitors the chance to win up to £500 of Farmfoods vouchers. For more information about frozen food, visit www.frozenfoodrevolution.co.uk or head to instagram.com/frozenfoodrevolution/ and tiktok.com/@frozen_food_revolution.

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