UK: catering the most active sector of the organic market

The organic catering sector has increased by 15.2 per cent over the past year, according to the Soil Association’s 2016 Organic Market report (more information in our topic of the week) . The report published earlier in February, reveals that, overall, the organic market saw continued steady growth of 4.9 per cent in 2015. The FM World notes, that the sustained interest in organic is partially driven by an increase in young and socially conscious ‘millennials’ (consumers born between 1980 and 200) with strong social, ethical and environmental values. Within the catering sector, the amount of organic food used increased by 15.2 per cent in 2015 – making it the most buoyant sector of the organic market.

Organic food within the catering sector is now worth £64.3 million, a success owing in part to the £9 million spent on organic food through the Soil Association’s Food for Life Catering Mark scheme, as well as widespread use of organic milk by high street chains.

This is the third year of consecutive growth for the UK organic sector, which is now worth £1.95 billion. Sales of organic foodstuffs have continued to outperform the non-organic grocery market, which decreased by 0.9 per cent over the same period.