Speciality Food - October 2025

12 @specialityfood Value of genuine food markets highlighted by new campaign The FarmRetail Association (FRA) has announced the launch of the second phase of it’s More than Food campaign, supported by celebrated chef and TV presenter Prue Leith. The campaign is designed to highlight and celebrate genuine FRA- accredited farmers markets. Accreditation ensures that markets meet strict standards in terms of authenticity and provenance, quality and freshness, and trust and reassurance, meaning that shoppers can be confident that they are buying locally and seasonally-produced food from the people who created it, and that the market is professionally run. Prue Leith said of the importance of supporting genuine farmers markets, “Food tastes better from a farmers market because it’s fresher. Supermarkets have a long food chain, so it can take days or even weeks for food to reach us, whereas if you buy from a farmers market, it will taste fantastic. It’s important to get great food but farmers markets bring something else. It’s the best day of the week, it’s when the while village turns out and communities come together. It’s a social event and it’s glorious! If you’ve never been to a farmers market or farm shop, give it a go! It’s fun and you’ll come with a lot more than you meant to!” Emma Mosey, chair of the FarmRetail Association, said, “We’re proud to highlight the difference that accredited Farmers Market make. Many of our Farmers Market members are celebrating 25 years this September which is a testament to how they strengthen rural economies, reduce foodmiles, and give people access to real food they can trust. With Prue’s support, we can show just how powerful markets are in bringing people and communities together.” HFSS legislation has changed shopper behaviour 39% of respondents stated that they would purchase fewer HFSS products when the promotion restriction comes into force on 1st October, and 61% said that they thought the restrictions were a positive move. While in 2022, 61% of UK shoppers said they would purchase HFSS foods while they were not on promotion, the latest study showed that that figure has now dropped to 27% – demonstrating the impact inflation is having on shoppers’ habits. When asked which products should not have promotion restrictions placed on them, 46% of respondents said fizzy drinks, 34% said cakes and biscuits, 33% said readymeals, 23% said pizza and 22% said ice cream. The research also showed that British consumers are placing a greater emphasis on healthier foods – while 17% of shoppers stated that they regularly buy healthy food in 2022, that figure rose to 24% in 2025. 58% of shoppers said that they check product ingredients labels, down from 73% in 2022, which suggests that there is a greater understanding around nutrition and healthier food options. While value and taste remain the key considerations for consumers when purchasing food and drink products, low levels of salt and/or sugar has moved from fourth to third place. New research conducted by Vypr, ahead of the volume- based promotion restriction coming into place in October, has demonstrated that the way consumers shop has evolved since the launch of the first phase of HFSS legislations in 2022. Ben Davies, founder of Vypr, said, “On the surface, this latest consumer insight shows that HFSS regulations as well as recent public focus on things like ultra-processed foods have been a huge success in terms of helping the nation to eat more healthily. We also asked what consumers’ opinions are of the new promotion-based restriction and the top answer was that they think the volume ban is ‘babying consumers’ and that they should be able to make their own decisions. This was followed, significantly by shoppers claiming that it would help other people cut down, but they don’t need to. “It all shows that there is still a long way to go for consumers to be truly aware of what they are eating and drinking andmore headway for brands to make changes and reformulate their products so they still taste good but are healthier. A very similar number of consumers from 2022 to 2025 (41% and 37% respectively) expect brands to be changing their ingredients to stay within HFSS guidelines showing there is a huge opportunity for those brands who can do so and communicate it quickly.”