Where does 'British made' factor in grocery shoppers’ food preferences

Sainsbury's recently introduced a 'Best of British' page on its website, a move mirroring other grocers such as Morrisons and Aldi, in an effort to promote British-grown and produced goods. Just how in demand are British-made products?

Several factors influence people’s choice of food, ranging from nutrient levels to allergens. Consumer data from YouGov Profiles sheds light on grocery shoppers look out for when they’re shopping for food and eating out.

Whether a product is “British” ranks seventh in grocery shoppers' minds in a list of over 20 factors of what influences people’s choice of food. The top factor is freshness (46%), followed by sugar levels (34%), fat content (29%) and calorie intake (28%).

Ethical considerations also influence food preferences, as 23% of respondents prefer free-range products, and 15% value ethically farmed options like line-caught fish.

Looking at whether age is a differentiating factor reveals that older Brits are far more likely than younger consumers to check if the food is “British” when choosing what to eat. While around three in ten consumers over 55 years (31%) take the ‘British-ness’ of the food into account, only 11% of 18-24-year-olds do the same.

There isn’t much of a difference between men and women with around a fifth of consumers looking for food that are “British”.

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Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for Great Britain is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, social grade and region. Learn more about Profiles. 

Image: Getty Images