Fish pastes, sandwich spreads on a comeback

Sales of fish paste in the United Kingdom are soaring as consumers tighten their purse strings and taste buds go retro.

Data released this month by mySupermarket.co.uk revealed an 18 percent and 5 percent increase in sales of fish paste and salmon paste, respectively, since 2008. Sales for brown shrimp also soared 13 percent during the same period.

“The items that have seen sales increases are things we tend to associate with wartime, so this may well be a reaction to the recession as consumers look to rein in their shopping bills to get through a difficult time,” said mySupermarket.co.uk spokesperson Jonny Steel.

The market research firm further suggested that the growing taste for these “once-maligned products” may well be part of a broader trend toward foods that were until recently considered “waste products.” Compounding the trend is the impact of the economic downturn, as penny-pinching consumers switching to less expensive sandwich ingredients.

In this spirit, figures collated from leading UK retailers Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda and online food group Ocado revealed that sales of sandwich spread brand Shippam’s have jumped a remarkable 77 percent since 2008. In 2009, Shippam’s, established in 1750 and now part of the Princes food group, launched a range of deli-inspired, gourmet fillings.

Shippam’s said the new range, which includes Creamy Peppered Mackerel and Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese, has boosted the once stagnant category, with 39 percent of customers new to the category.

Tastes for fish pastes and seafood sandwich spreads may be linked to where consumers live, according to mySupermarket.co.uk. The popularity of old-fashioned food items, including corned beef and powdered custard, has seen the biggest increase in the east of England, with consumers there boosting their annual spending from GBP 6.82 in 2008 to GBP 10.20 this year.

Londoners, it appears, are less disposed to buy such items. In May, the city’s shoppers spent 15 percent less on fish pastes and seafood sandwich spreads than in 2008.