Breakfast on-the-go presents profit opportunity for caterers

Foodservice operators can profit from breakfast sales by offering a takeaway option, suggests new research by bakery supplier Lantmännen Unibake.

During 500 consumer interviews focusing on preferences when buying bread products, one in six said they have the first meal of the day on-the-go at least once a week, presenting a growing opportunity for operators to make the most of breakfast time.

If choosing to grab breakfast on-the-go, customers prioritised the three most important product characteristics as easy to handle (40%), healthy (18%), and quick to eat (14%), therefore a breadth of easy to eat on-the-go options is key to capturing this morning market, for coffee shops and sandwich outlets particularly.

"It's clear that eating breakfast on-the-go remains a trend as we lead busy lifestyles and cannot always fit this in before the school run or by the start of our working day." says marketing director Kate Raison. "As such, people are looking for quick and easy options they can pick up en-route. Foodservice operators can cater for these occasions by offering a selection of hand-held and tempting breakfast options. If possible, these should be freshly baked to capitalise on morning hunger pangs."

Taste came out on top when participants were asked what the most important factor was when eating bread with 30% saying it was their number one priority. Being freshly baked was deemed the second most important, with ‘wholegrain' and ‘healthy' all lower down on the list of priorities.