From whisky exports powering the economy to the plant-based alternatives filling our fridges, the UK's food and drink industry is a dynamic £133.6 billion powerhouse shaping what we eat and how we live.
Key Takeaways
- The UK food and drink manufacturing sector contributed £38.2 billion to Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2022
- Total turnover of the UK food and drink industry reached £133.6 billion in 2022
- Food and drink manufacturing accounts for 18% of total UK manufacturing GVA
- Food and drink sector supports 3.9 million jobs contributing 7.8% to UK employment
- Food and drink manufacturing employs 476,000 people directly in the UK in 2022
- 29% of UK manufacturing workforce is in food and drink sector
- UK food and drink exports reached £23.2 billion in 2022
- Food and drink exports grew 8.4% year-on-year to £23 billion in 2022
- EU remains top destination for 58% of UK food and drink exports
- UK households consume 85kg of fruit and veg per person annually 2022
- Average UK adult drinks 2.2 litres of soft drinks weekly 2022
- 62% of UK consumers buy plant-based alternatives weekly 2023
- UK produces 60% of food consumed domestically by volume 2022
- Food manufacturing output increased 1.8% in Q4 2022
- 7,500 food and drink manufacturing businesses in UK 2022
The UK food and drink industry is a massive economic engine with significant domestic production and global exports.
Consumer Trends and Consumption
- UK households consume 85kg of fruit and veg per person annually 2022
- Average UK adult drinks 2.2 litres of soft drinks weekly 2022
- 62% of UK consumers buy plant-based alternatives weekly 2023
- UK meat consumption per capita 75.5kg annually down 5% since 2015
- 28% growth in low/no alcohol beer consumption 2022-2023
- 45% of UK shoppers prioritize sustainability in food purchases 2023
- Ready meals consumption up 15% post-pandemic to 2.5kg per person monthly
- 73% of UK consumers snack between meals daily 2023
- Organic food purchases by 19 million UK consumers annually 2022
- 35% increase in functional food consumption for health benefits 2022
- UK average sugar intake 63g daily exceeding WHO 50g recommendation
- 56% of consumers prefer local produce in supermarkets 2023
- Plant-based milk sales up 20% to 15% market share 2023
- 41% of Gen Z avoid meat for environmental reasons 2023
- Home cooking frequency up 22% since 2020 lockdown
- 68% check nutrition labels before purchase 2023
- Ethnic cuisine consumption 25% higher among under-35s 2022
- 52% of households buy premium products despite inflation 2023
- Alcohol-free drink consumption doubled since 2018 to 12% market
- 77% of consumers influenced by health claims on packaging
- Fish consumption per capita 12.3kg annually down from 15kg in 2000
- 30% rise in at-home coffee consumption post-COVID 2023
- 64% prefer own-label products for value 2023
- Dairy-free cheese sales up 45% in 2022
Consumer Trends and Consumption Interpretation
The British palate is in a fascinating tug-of-war, earnestly piling kale onto the plate while guiltily washing down a ready meal with a fizzy drink, all the while eyeing the plant-based milk and checking the sugar content on the label.
Employment and Labor
- Food and drink sector supports 3.9 million jobs contributing 7.8% to UK employment
- Food and drink manufacturing employs 476,000 people directly in the UK in 2022
- 29% of UK manufacturing workforce is in food and drink sector
- Average salary in UK food manufacturing is £31,200 annually in 2022
- 62,000 vacancies in UK hospitality and foodservice in 2023
- 40% of food and drink manufacturers reported skills shortages in 2023
- Women make up 41% of the UK food manufacturing workforce
- BAME employees represent 14% in UK food manufacturing
- 25% of food manufacturing roles filled by EU nationals post-Brexit adjusted
- Apprenticeships in food and drink manufacturing reached 5,200 starts in 2021/22
- Turnover per employee in UK food manufacturing £242,000 in 2022
- 15% increase in food manufacturing employment since 2010
- UK hospitality sector employs 3.5 million people, 10% of workforce
- 70,000 job losses in UK foodservice due to COVID-19 by 2021
- 48% of food manufacturers investing in training programs in 2023
- Youth employment (16-24) in food manufacturing 8.5% of workforce
- Disability employment rate in food sector 12% above national average
- Part-time workers 28% of food manufacturing staff
- Zero-hour contracts in hospitality foodservice 8% of staff in 2022
- 35% of food manufacturers report labor shortages as top challenge 2023
- Average tenure in food manufacturing 8.2 years
- 22,000 new jobs created in food manufacturing 2021-2022
- Female managers in food sector 32% in 2022
- Overtime worked by 25% of food production workers weekly
- Training spend per employee £850 annually in food manufacturing
Employment and Labor Interpretation
For a sector that literally puts food on every table, the UK's food and drink industry is itself a hearty but unbalanced meal: it's a massive employer with surprising loyalty and a growing appetite, yet it's critically understaffed, underpaid, and wrestling with a recipe that needs more skilled hands, diversity in leadership, and fewer empty plates.
Market Size and Economic Contribution
- The UK food and drink manufacturing sector contributed £38.2 billion to Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2022
- Total turnover of the UK food and drink industry reached £133.6 billion in 2022
- Food and drink manufacturing accounts for 18% of total UK manufacturing GVA
- The grocery market value in the UK was £215.1 billion for the 52 weeks ending 25 June 2023
- Online grocery sales accounted for 11.3% of total grocery market share in the UK in 2023
- The UK soft drinks market was valued at £13.8 billion in 2022
- UK confectionery market revenue stood at £5.2 billion in 2022
- The UK dairy market generated £11.4 billion in revenue in 2022
- Packaged food market in the UK reached £90.5 billion in 2022
- UK meat market revenue was £18.7 billion in 2022
- Bakery products market in the UK valued at £6.8 billion in 2022
- UK foodservice market size was £22.4 billion in 2022 pre-COVID recovery levels
- The premium grocery segment grew by 9.2% in the UK in 2023
- UK ambient food market revenue hit £15.3 billion in 2022
- Chilled food market in the UK was £25.1 billion in 2022
- Frozen food sector revenue reached £10.2 billion in the UK in 2022
- UK snack food market valued at £4.9 billion in 2022
- The plant-based food market in the UK grew to £1.1 billion in 2022
- UK ready meals market was worth £3.4 billion in 2022
- Organic food sales in the UK reached £3.2 billion in 2022
- UK craft beer market size estimated at £1.5 billion in 2022
- Non-alcoholic drinks market in UK valued at £2.8 billion in 2022
- UK pet food market revenue was £3.6 billion in 2022
- Functional food market in UK reached £1.2 billion in 2022
- UK sauces and condiments market £2.9 billion in 2022
- Breakfast cereals market in UK £1.8 billion revenue 2022
- UK edible oils market valued at £1.4 billion in 2022
- Infant food market in UK £0.9 billion in 2022
- UK food manufacturing output index rose 2.1% in 2022
Market Size and Economic Contribution Interpretation
While the British stiff upper lip may be famous, these figures prove our national mouth is decidedly and profitably open, from the £38.2 billion backbone of manufacturing to the £3.4 billion in ready meals that keep it from actually having to cook.
Production and Manufacturing
- UK produces 60% of food consumed domestically by volume 2022
- Food manufacturing output increased 1.8% in Q4 2022
- 7,500 food and drink manufacturing businesses in UK 2022
- 90% of UK bread produced domestically daily 12 million loaves
- UK milk production 14.8 billion litres annually 2022
- Pigmeat production 920,000 tonnes in UK 2022
- Poultry meat output 2.1 million tonnes 2022 record high
- Beef and veal production 870,000 tonnes in 2022
- UK wheat production 13.9 million tonnes 2022 harvest
- 4,200 dairy processing plants in UK processing 100% domestic milk
- Beer production 4.2 billion litres annually pre-2022 declines
- 98% of UK pasta made domestically 2022
- Chocolate manufacturing output £4.5 billion turnover 2022
- 75% of UK soft drinks produced locally 15 billion litres annually
- Bakery sector produces 11 billion loaves/packs annually
- UK potato production 5.6 million tonnes 2022
- 85% self-sufficiency in cereals production 2022
- 70% of fruit juice produced from UK concentrate
- 3,000 new food products launched annually by manufacturers
- Energy use in food manufacturing 25 TWh annually 2022
- Water usage 300 million cubic metres in food processing 2022
- 50% of manufacturers adopted automation lines by 2023
- R&D spend £1.1 billion in food and drink sector 2022
- Waste generation 4.5 million tonnes food manufacturing 2022
- 65% of production energy from renewables target by 2030 progress 20% 2022
Production and Manufacturing Interpretation
The UK food and drink industry, while impressively churning out enough bread and beans to keep the nation mostly self-sufficient, must now balance its manufacturing muscle with a growing appetite for efficiency and sustainability.
Trade Exports Imports
- UK food and drink exports reached £23.2 billion in 2022
- Food and drink exports grew 8.4% year-on-year to £23 billion in 2022
- EU remains top destination for 58% of UK food and drink exports
- US is the largest non-EU market for UK food exports at £1.1 billion in 2022
- China imports £700 million of UK food and drink annually 2022
- UK food imports totaled £48.6 billion in 2022
- Fruit and vegetables make up 25% of UK food imports value £12.1 billion 2022
- Meat imports to UK £7.8 billion in 2022 mainly from EU
- Cheese imports £1.2 billion annually, 70% from EU in 2022
- UK exported £4.9 billion in beverages in 2022 led by Scotch whisky
- Scotch whisky exports £5.1 billion representing 22% of total food drink exports 2022
- Dairy exports from UK £1.4 billion in 2022 to 140 countries
- Pork exports £0.6 billion down due to African Swine Fever impacts 2022
- Fish and seafood exports £0.9 billion mainly to EU France Netherlands 2022
- UK imports 90% of its coffee and 50% of tea consumed domestically 2022
- Chocolate exports £0.8 billion to 130 countries in 2022
- Post-Brexit non-tariff barriers affect 40% of EU exports volume
- UK food trade deficit widened to £25.4 billion in 2022
- Ambient grocery exports grew 12% to £2.1 billion in 2022
- Chilled and fresh exports £6.3 billion facing logistics challenges 2022
- 75% of UK food exporters report increased costs post-Ukraine war 2023
- India imports £150 million UK food drink mainly biscuits confectionery 2022
- UAE top Middle East market £400 million UK food imports 2022
- Japan post-trade deal imports £250 million UK products 2022
- 52% of businesses export to single market EU dependent
Trade Exports Imports Interpretation
Despite raising a glass of £5.1 billion Scotch to our growing global sales, we're still eating our way to a £25.4 billion trade deficit, proving that while the world craves our whisky and cheese, we simply can't resist their avocados and coffee.
Sources & References
- Reference 1FDFfdf.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 2KANTARkantar.comVisit source
- Reference 3STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 4SOILASSOCIATIONsoilassociation.orgVisit source
- Reference 5ONSons.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 6UKHOSPITALITYukhospitality.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 7GOVgov.ukVisit source
- Reference 8BHFbhf.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 9DEFRAdefra.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 10SCOTCH-WHISKYscotch-whisky.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 11AHDBahdb.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 12MINTELmintel.comVisit source
- Reference 13BIRAbira.co.ukVisit source
- Reference 14BREWERSbrewers.orgVisit source
- Reference 15BRITISHSOFTDRINKbritishsoftdrink.comVisit source