It has given Mary Berry’s career a big boost - and it seems that the Great British Bake Off may have done wonders for another old favourite, too. Industry figures show sales of butter are soaring as margarine falls out of favour. The amount of block butter sold last year was up 8.7 per cent, with a 6 per cent boost for spreadable tubs. Mary Berry has helped boost the popularity of baking, which has contributed to soaring butter sales . Experts suggested that a boom in home baking was behind the improved figures, as well as a narrowing of the price gap between butter and margarine. Stuart Ibberson of Arla Foods, whose butters Anchor and Lurpak reported the strongest growth, also suggested that shoppers ‘are moving towards more natural products, away from products such as margarine that are often packed full of additives’. The baking boom has helped sales of block butter soar 8.7 per cent last year . Indeed, sales of other spreads and margarine have fallen – with Flora among the hardest hit. Its sales dropped 7.4 per cent, partly due to a change in its recipe. Analysts claim it lost more than £24million in sales due to tweaking the spread’s formula. Last month, its makers Unilever announced that it was ditching the new-style Flora after 17 months. The company had spent £29million on improving the taste and health benefits of the spread – but is reverting to the old recipe. Shoppers said the lower fat version of . the popular margarine brand was ‘disgusting,’ complaining of an oily . consistency, artificial taste and ‘rancid’ smell, with many shoppers . saying they threw full tubs away and would not be buying it again. Magazine The Grocer says that deals . have also been important to the growth of butter and industry experts . say that price has played a key role in butter’s gains over the past . year. ‘A narrowing price gap between butter . and margarine, as well as evolving consumer habits, are key drivers . behind the margarine decline,' it was reported. Tim . Eales, strategic insight director at market analysts IRI, told the . magazine: ‘The declining sales of margarine must be a concern for the . industry.’
Sales of block butter rose 8.7% last year and spreadable was up 6% .
Flora among hardest hit by switch from margarine with sales dropping 7.4% .
It has given Mary Berry’s career a big boost - and it seems that the Great British Bake Off may have done wonders for another old favourite, too. Industry figures show sales of butter are soaring as margarine falls out of favour. The amount of block butter sold last year was up 8.7 per cent, with a 6 per cent boost for spreadable tubs. Mary Berry has helped boost the popularity of baking, which has contributed to soaring butter sales . Experts suggested that a boom in home baking was behind the improved figures, as well as a narrowing of the price gap between butter and margarine. Stuart Ibberson of Arla Foods, whose butters Anchor and Lurpak reported the strongest growth, also suggested that shoppers ‘are moving towards more natural products, away from products such as margarine that are often packed full of additives’. The baking boom has helped sales of block butter soar 8.7 per cent last year . Indeed, sales of other spreads and margarine have fallen – with Flora among the hardest hit. Its sales dropped 7.4 per cent, partly due to a change in its recipe. Analysts claim it lost more than £24million in sales due to tweaking the spread’s formula. Last month, its makers Unilever announced that it was ditching the new-style Flora after 17 months. The company had spent £29million on improving the taste and health benefits of the spread – but is reverting to the old recipe. Shoppers said the lower fat version of . the popular margarine brand was ‘disgusting,’ complaining of an oily . consistency, artificial taste and ‘rancid’ smell, with many shoppers . saying they threw full tubs away and would not be buying it again. Magazine The Grocer says that deals . have also been important to the growth of butter and industry experts . say that price has played a key role in butter’s gains over the past . year. ‘A narrowing price gap between butter . and margarine, as well as evolving consumer habits, are key drivers . behind the margarine decline,' it was reported. Tim . Eales, strategic insight director at market analysts IRI, told the . magazine: ‘The declining sales of margarine must be a concern for the . industry.’
block butter sold last year was up 8.7 per cent, Indeed, sales of other spreads and margarine have fallen – with Flora among the hardest hit. Its