New Research Reveals Shoppers’ Gripes with Free-From Foods

A survey for new online shop www.honesteats.co.uk reveals consumers’ shopping experiences and perceptions of free-from foods

The UK free-from market is forecast to double in size by 2019¹. However research by new online shop, Honest Eats, suggests that the food industry has yet to catch up with consumer demand when it comes to taste, availability and the motivations behind free-from diets.

Prior to its launch last month Honest Eats asked 1,798 members of the Gluten Free Centre (a leading online directory, resource and community) about their shopping habits and perceptions of free-from products in an online survey.

Here are the key findings:

• 54% do not buy free-from foods specifically for an intolerance
Survey results suggest that diets without gluten are nearly as popular for the perceived health benefits as they are necessary for people with coeliac disease or a gluten intolerance. 54% of survey respondents said that they ate free-from foods ‘as part of a healthy and balanced diet’ or because it made them ‘feel better’, rather than just for an intolerance, medical need or coeliac disease.

• Most shoppers struggle to find the free-from goods they want
The ‘free-from’ aisles in retail stores may be growing but there is still a long way to go to cater for those that don’t, or simply can’t, eat gluten or dairy. 91% of respondents to Honest Eats’ survey said that they have struggled to find free-from alternatives and over a third went so far as to say that they ‘often’ struggle to get free-from food.

• Overall gluten-free alternatives just don’t taste as good
Products that lack gluten can, if not well produced with quality ingredients, lack the flavour and texture of those that do contain gluten. A whopping 83% of respondents in the survey agreed and said that it is ‘true’ or ‘sometimes true’ that free-from products currently on the market compromise on taste.

Why Honest Eats?
Honest Eats is a different kind of online shop with a unique personal shopping experience and one of the largest and most diverse ranges of genuinely delicious, high quality free-from food and drink.

It also caters for people with all sorts of food allergies (including coeliac disease) and intolerances, vegans, vegetarians and those looking for a large range of new organic produce.

• Choice and variety – find over 600 food and drink choices in one place including free-from items from established UK and European food producers. From pies and beers to pastries and gnocchi, discover all the free-from goods that are difficult (and often near impossible) to locate instore.

• Taste and quality – Honest Eats challenges taste perceptions of free-from foods with truly delicious goods that have high quality ingredients. This includes many items from Italy, where free-from produce (such as pastas, gnocchi, breads, meats and flours) is generally more abundant, delicious and of a better quality.

• Shopping experience – do not spend hours searching through the aisles and reading labels. The Honest Eats shopping experience is uniquely personal as it offers the option to narrow down the goods that individuals can put in their basket according to one or more different allergies, intolerances or preferences.

• Sharing – (according to Mintel) nearly two fifths of people live in a household where somebody is avoiding specific foods/ingredients¹. That’s why Honest Eats is about sharing free-from food experiences that everyone can enjoy - people with allergies, intolerances or specific diets shouldn’t have to feel excluded from friends and family.

Place an order at www.honesteats.co.uk before the end of June 2016 and receive 10% OFF when using coupon code “HE10” at the checkout.

-Ends-

¹ Mintel ‘The evolution of the global free-from market’, June 2015
² Coeliac UK, October 2015

Notes to Editors:

About the Gluten Free Centre

The Gluten Free Centre is a free online directory, resource centre and community hub that provides a wealth of information for those with coeliac disease, wheat allergy, gluten intolerance and for people eating a gluten free diet for other health reasons such as Crohn’s Disease, MS, IBS or ASD – in addition to those who choose a gluten free diet as part of a healthy lifestyle. For more information, visit www.theglutenfreecentre.co.uk

About Honest Eats

• Honest Eats, the brainchild of Sussex Entrepreneurs Lisa Costello, Paul Jemetta and Luciano Censorii, is a brand new online shop, offering the largest range of food intolerance replacement products in the UK.
• Over 600 food and drink products will be available to buy online, sourced mainly from the UK, Italy, Spain and Germany.
• Honest Eats will cater for gluten-free, wheat-free, lactose-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, soya-free, sulphite-free, yeast-free, high fibre, vegan, vegetarian, organic, gmo-free, no added sugar, peanut-free and low fat.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/HonestEatsFoods
Instagram: www.instagram.com/honest_eats_foods
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HonestEatsFoods

Media Contacts:
David Wilson and Aneela Rose at Aneela Rose PR
01444 241 341 / 07403 146 331 / david@aneelarosepr.co.uk / aneela@aneelarosepr.co.uk