Free-from Market Continues To Grow Strongly

The free-from category grew by 12.7% in 2020, according to Nielsen data, and is now worth over £3bn. Although some of this growth can be attributed to a 17.6% spike in sales during the first lockdown, as panic buying led shoppers to turn towards the free-from aisles, it indicates that the free-from market continues to grow strongly and should remain a key focus in-store.

The category is benefitting hugely from the now widely recognised link between gut health and overall wellbeing. Even if consumers don’t have a medical reason for cutting out gluten, dairy or sugar, reducing their consumption can be beneficial for overall gut health and this is driving more and more wellness-savvy consumers to turn towards free-from products, with 97% of households now regularly purchasing from the category. There has also been more convergence with other ‘trends’ in the health and wellness industry such as organic, vegan, and sustainability.

Tree of Life’s wide range of products is perfect for your free-from customers. All of our Organic Pastas and Sauces are certified gluten free, including our Superfood and High Protein Pastas, plus our hand-finished Organic Chocolate is free from dairy and refined sugar. For vegan diets our new Oat Drinks and Coconut Oils provide easy alternatives to milk and butter, whilst our Yeast Flakes with added Vitamin B12 provide extra nutritional support. We believe in making health easy by offering a range of delicious, high quality and affordable products for all your customers’ needs.