The freezer aisle is having a renaissance as shoppers are adding more frozen products to their baskets majorly due to the growing quality, variety, and value frozen foods offer, shows the latest industry data, thus giving an insight into shifting consumer habits.
According to new data from Ocado Retail, overall sales of frozen products are up by 18 per cent year-on-year, with almost half of UK adults (47 per cent) saying they’ve increased their frozen purchases in the past year.
The top performing categories are frozen fruit and frozen vegetables, with sales up 23 per cent and 38 per cent respectively in the past year.
Standout products include frozen strawberries, broccoli florets, frozen herbs, frozen coriander and chopped garlic, highlighting how shoppers are increasingly using frozen ingredients to prepare meals from scratch.
Demand is also growing for frozen pastries, as consumers turn to frozen to keep their bakery products fresher for longer and more convenient, shows the data.
Shoppers are replacing store cupboard staples with their frozen equivalents, with searches for frozen sauces up by 63 per cent, and sales of cupboard staples like M&S Italian tomato sauce up 29 per cent.
Ice Kitchen, a small supplier focused on providing fragrant frozen pastes and sauces, has seen sales rise 16 per cent year-on-year. Its Thai Red Curry and Thai Panange Curry pastes are particularly popular this year.
Nicola Waller, buying director for fresh & frozen at Ocado Retail, said, “Frozen food is seeing a real resurgence as shoppers are discovering that it offers reassuringly good value and quality, as well as unmatched convenience.
"It’s no longer just a backup option or last resort for rainy days – frozen products are helping households reduce food waste, making cooking more manageable without compromising on taste.”
The research by Ocado Retail and Savanta shows just how far frozen has come.
Almost three quarters of UK adults (73 per cent) believe frozen food quality has improved in recent years, while four in five (80 per cent) say there is more choice than ever before. Once associated with compromise, frozen is increasingly seen as a way to eat well while keeping costs and waste down.
Health concerns are also driving the shift, as consumers grow more conscious of ultra-processed foods. According to the data, 43 per cent agree that buying frozen food helps them cut back on UPFs, opting for staples like vegetables, fruit, and bread that can be cooked from frozen without preservatives.
Convenience remains a key driver, as frozen products help shoppers plan, prepare, and shop more efficiently rather than simply saving effort.
Two-thirds of shoppers (67 per cent) say frozen ingredients help them plan meals more effectively, nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) say it speeds up preparation.