Sweet biscuits continue to dominate the market, accounting for two thirds of value and three quarters of volume. However, the high media coverage around the contribution of sugar to the UK’s obesity problem in 2014 saw the health credentials of sweet biscuits come under scrutiny.

That four in 10 sweet biscuit eaters limit how often they eat these due to their high sugar content and three in 10 because they are unhealthy demonstrates the impact of health concerns on the market. The interest in reduced calorie versions, however, suggests scope for operators to address such concerns.

With usage standing at 43% of adults, breakfast biscuits have enjoyed several years of impressive growth, however, the segment lost momentum in 2014. Breakfast biscuits with a high fruit content and versions high in protein spark interest, offering an area of further development for manufacturers.

This report covers sweet and savoury biscuits and crackers as well as cereal, snack and energy bars sold through retail channels.

Sweet biscuits include:

• Everyday biscuits: sweet and semi-sweet biscuits defined as those which are not individually wrapped, such as digestives, Rich Tea and wafers.

• Everyday treats: biscuits with added ingredients such as chocolate coatings, cream or jam fillings. This includes products such as chocolate digestives and Jaffa Cakes.

• Special treat biscuits: biscuits with added ingredients such as chocolate, cream or jam fillings with an emphasis on indulgence. This includes brands such as Cadbury’s Fingers, McVitie’s Boasters and Fox’s Fabulously Special Selection.

• Chocolate biscuit bars: individually wrapped chocolate-covered biscuits. This includes brands such as Rocky, Penguin, Club and Breakaway. The products classified as biscuits of brands like KitKat are included.

• Children’s biscuits: include brands such as Burton’s Jammie Dodgers, Burton’s Wagon Wheels and Cadbury’s Animals.

• Healthier biscuits are biscuits with a clear health positioning such as low fat, but also include organic and gluten-free.

• Seasonal biscuits.

Non-sweet biscuits include:

• Crackers and crispbreads: include savoury cracker biscuits, crispbreads, toasts, crisp rolls and matzos (eg Cream Crackers and Water Biscuits) as well as snack-style products sold in the savoury biscuit aisle of the supermarket (eg Ryvita Minis).

• Rice cakes: including rice cakes and rice crackers. Excludes cereal bar formats such as Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Squares and Nature’s Path Organic Rice Bites.

• Savoury biscuits: including cheese-flavoured biscuits, thins, oatcakes, flavoured biscuits (not crackers), cheese straws, breadsticks and sesame seed biscuits (eg TUC, Ritz, Cheddars). Mini bite-sized baked snacks, based on existing savoury biscuits, which tend to be merchandised in the savoury biscuit aisle in the multiple grocers (eg Mini TUC, Oddities) are included.

Cereal and snack bars include fruit-based, nut-/seed-based, cereal-/granola-based bars, energy /exercise bars (eg Trek Bar, Mule Bar) and any other types which do not fit into the segments above.

This report excludes:

• Chocolate confectionery countline products not positioned as biscuits (eg Chunky KitKat, Mars bars, Snickers).

• Savoury snacks, such as Quavers and Doritos, which are fried or extruded, and not baked as biscuits.

• Savoury biscuits that are sold within the crisps and snacks aisle, despite being oven-baked, for example Pretzels, Party Snacks, Twiglets and Mini Cheddars.

• Cracker and cheese or meat products that are packaged together, and sold in the chiller cabinet for example Kraft Lunchables or Ryvita Lunch Packs.

The market definition differs from that used by MMS (Mintel Market Sizes) in that chocolate biscuit bars are included in this report.

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Market sizes at constant 2014 prices are devised using Mintel’s food deflator. Value figures throughout this report are at retail selling prices (RSP) unless otherwise stated.