New figures from Kantar Worldpanel report that the number of people who have eaten fresh salmon has increased from five million in 2008 to 6.1 million in 2010 (February 2008 – February 2010), an increase of 22 per cent.
The leading market researchers also report that one in two (48 per cent) grocery shoppers bought fresh salmon at least once during 2009 and that fresh salmon now accounts for over £1 in every £5 spent on fish in the UK.
The release of the new figures coincides with the publication of the Annual Report from Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation (SSPO), which highlights the industry’s contribution to the social, economic and environmental sustainability of Scotland.
Scott Landsburgh, chief executive of SSPO, said: “As the UK continues to be our most important market, we welcome the leap in popularity of fresh salmon.
“Historically, seafood consumption in the UK is much lower than in many other nations. However, fresh salmon is increasingly catching the attention of our palates.
“We estimate that the demand for salmon is such that we could supply twice as much as is currently produced. With consumption continuing to increase and a massive global undersupply, we remain confident about future demand,” he added.
Mark Thomson, Strategic Insight Director of Kantar Worldpanel, said: “Although salmon is most likely to be consumed for its health credentials, it is now making more of a splash as a ‘favourite’ meal ingredient. The growth in new consumers is across both adults and children, which links into recent recessionary trends as more people eat together, rather than at separate eating occasions.”
