Benefiting from Britain’s love affair with foreign food, as well as generally positive perceptions in terms of healthiness, versatility and value for money, pasta, rice and noodles enjoy high levels of penetration. While the value of the market has increased by 24% between 2008 and 2013 to reach £1,184 million, it posted volume growth of just 4% over the period, reflecting its maturity, and volume sales declined for the first time in the five-year period in 2013.

However, the instant pot snacks market continues to go from strength to strength, with retail sales soaring by 28% between 2011 and 2013. New entrants have driven premiumisation and helped to extend the demographic appeal of these products, with the current Asian street food trend having a heavy influence on innovation in this arena.

The ageing population and the decline in the number of consumers in the family lifestage continue to pose a challenge to the market, given the strong correlation between household size and usage frequency of pasta and rice. This suggests the need for NPD to explore different packaging sizes, single-serve options and portionability to appeal to the rising number of smaller households.

This report covers the UK retail market for noodles, rice and pasta. It includes:

• Dry pasta – eg spaghetti, shapes, filled pasta eg dried tortellini and dry lasagne sheets (excluding noodles)

• Fresh pasta – eg spaghetti, tortellini, tagliatelle displayed in the chilled cabinet (excluding fresh noodles)

• Frozen pasta

• Ambient ready-to-heat pasta, including canned pasta, pasta in pouches and kids’ canned pasta.

• Dry rice

• Savoury rice

• Frozen rice

• Pre-cooked microwaveable rice, including chilled and ambient.

• Dry noodles

• Ready-to-cook wet ambient noodles

• Chilled noodles

• Frozen noodles.

• Instant dry noodle, pasta and rice snacks that can be prepared by adding boiled water, such as Pot Noodle

• Instant savoury noodles (also referred to as instant three-minute noodles), such as Batchelors Super Noodles

• Instant ambient microwaveable pasta and rice snacks, such as Uncle Ben’s Rice Time, which include a pasta or rice as well as a sauce.

• Pasta-based ready meals (frozen and chilled) – eg lasagne

• Rice-based ready meals (frozen and chilled) – eg chilli con carne and rice

• Noodle-based ready meals (frozen and chilled) – eg Singapore noodles

• Soups, even when containing pasta/rice/noodles

• Pasta salads

• Baby rice.

• Pasta sauces are also excluded from the definition, being covered separately in Mintel’s Cooking Sauces, Pasta Sauces and Stocks – UK, November 2012.

Sales through restaurants and takeaways are excluded from market size data.

Value figures throughout this report are at retail selling prices (rsp) unless stated otherwise. Market sizes at constant 2013 prices are devised using Mintel’s food deflator.

Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen’s Printer for Scotland