Market Research on Chutney

Research on the chutney industry * Study of salad accompaniment (2007) revealed that Mayonnaise and salad cream compete with pickles, chutney and relish as meal accompaniments and as sandwich ingredients. Ethnic products such as mango chutney, premium products such as organic beetroot and relish that are marketed as essential barbecue components are growing in popularity. There is a good opportunity for salad accompaniments to step into the breach with innovation in flavours that satisfy consumer demand for exotic flavours to brighten up mealtimes. Mintel (2009) has researched into attitudes towards food preparation and found an increase of people that want to try new recipes 7 points between 2005 and 2009 Rising concerns about obesity have put the spotlight on the nation’s diet as never before. Not only confined to adults, obesity rates are set to increase among both boys and girls if current trends continue, with more than one in five girls forecast to be classified as obese by 2010. This has serious implications for their future health. * The English provender company EPC is rolling out a new product range and packaging, based on the theme of natural ingredients. The launch will include seven chutney made using the traditional open-pan cooling method. There will be four new flavours, including Hot Chilli & red pepper chutney and Moroccan spiced chutney and new recipes for three existing flavours including ploughman’s plum chutney and caramelised red onion chutney. ’ The range will retain its trademark square jar but new clear labels will allow consumers to see the natural colour and texture of the products. The use of script typeface will give an artisan feel to the range, while tamper tags will carry serving suggestions and natural ingredients will be stamped around the lid. our research revealed a growing demand for products that taste as good as home-made using natural ingredients and traditional cooking methods’ says marketing director Grahame Wright. We’re filling a gap in the premium mainstream market’ EPC says the ? 31M chutney category has grown by 4% in the past 12 months and is targeting Christmas shoppers. * In July 2007 marketing director Kerr Arthur said that ‘consumer tastes are becoming ever more sophisticated. People are beginning to look beyond classic flavours and are also using the products in different ways such as for sandwich filling, dip and barbecue ingredients. ‘Whit this in mind we decided to extend our range of speciality chutneys and have developed these tasty new recipes to make al fresco dining more memorable this summer’ ( fire-roasted pepper chutney with capers and sweet caramelised onion chutney with orange) * Ribblesdalecheese (2011) have done a small tasting session on their chutneys and had a small questionnaire for their subjects. These are the results that they * 1) How do you rate it out of 10? * 2) Would you change anything? * 3) Would you eat it with cheese? * 4) Would you buy it?

Results of the Men Tasters|  |  |  |  |  | | Rank|  | Type| Total score| Average Score|  | 1| Tomato & Chilli| Spicy| 145|  | 8. 0|  | 2| Sweet Chilli| Hot| 149|  | 7. 9|  | 3| Red onion marmalade| Savoury| 111|  | 7. 8|  | 4| Onion 1|  | Savoury| 79|  | 7. 3|  | 4| Spicy Onion| Spicy| 82|  | 7. 3|  | 4| Spiced Apple| Sweet| 67|  | 7. 3|  | 4| Piccalilli|  | Spicy| 66|  | 7. 3|  | 4| Apple 1|  | Sweet| 55|  | 7. 3|  | 5| Pineapple|  | Sweet/Spicy| 66|  | 6. 8|  | 5| Banana|  | Spicy| 66|  | 6. 8|  | 6| Pear & Apricot| Sweet| 66|  | 6. 7|  | | Apple 2|  | Sweet| 51|  | 6. 1|  | 8| Tomato 2|  | Savoury| 36|  | 6. 0|  | ‘This is quite interesting, because if  you take the top five chutneys, then men prefer savory chutneys, and preferably a little spicy and hot. The sweeter chutneys appear at the lower end of the table. So what do women like, is this any different? ’ Results of the Women Tasters|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Type|  | Total score| Average Score|  | 1| Red onion marmalade|  | Savoury| 120|  | 8|  | 2| Piccalilli|  | Spicy| 92|  | 7. 7|  | 3| Sweet Chilli|  | Hot|  | 61|  | 7. 6|  | | Pear & Apricot|  | Sweet| 99|  | 7. 6|  | 3| Apple 1|  | Sweet| 76|  | 7. 6|  | 4| Pineapple|  | Sweet/Spicy| 90|  | 6. 9|  | 4| Tomato & Chilli|  | Spicy| 83|  | 6. 9|  | 4| Spicy Onion|  | Spicy| 62|  | 6. 9|  | 4| Onion 1|  | Savoury| 55|  | 6. 9|  | 5| Spiced Apple|  | Sweet| 81|  | 6. 8|  | 6| Banana|  | Spicy| 78|  | 6. 5|  | 7| Apple 2|  | Sweet| 82|  | 6. 3|  | 8| Tomato 2|  | Savoury| 41|  | 5. 9|  | ‘Well, looking at this, it would appear that women do have slightly sweeter tooth’s than men,  and that men and women do have different tastes.

Whilst Caramelized Red Onion Chutney and Sweet Chilli Jam appears in both men and women’s top 3, women far prefer Piccalilli to men and men far prefer the spicy Tomato & Chili to women; look at the Pear and Apricot: it is fourth in the women’s preferences and third to bottom in the men’s’ – interesting, hey? And another question to ask…who buys chutney? Men or women? ’ ‘There are many conclusions that can be drawn from this piece of work, but for us, it helps to identify what we are going to make.

This includes Sweet Chilli Jam, Tomato & Chilli, Caramelised Red Onion, Piccalilli, Apple, Pear & Apricot…and we have a couple of new ones up our sleeve! ’ And in case you wondered, here is the combined list of men and women’s results. | What Both Men & Women Tried | Total Score| Average Score| 1| Red onion marmalade|  |  |  | 230. 5 | 7. 9|  | 2| Sweet Chilli|  |  |  | 210| 7. 8|  | 3| Apple 1|  |  |  | 131| 7. 7|  | 4| Tomato & Chilli|  |  |  | 227. 5| 7. 6|  | 5| Piccalilli|  |  |  | 158| 7. 5|  | 5| Pear & Apricot|  |  |  | 165| 7. 5|  | 6| Pineapple|  |  |  | 156| 7. |  | 7| Spicy Onion|  |  |  | 144| 6. 9|  | 7| Banana|  |  |  | 144| 6. 9|  | 8| Spiced Apple|  |  |  | 147. 5| 6. 7|  | 8| Apple 2|  |  |  | 133| 6. 7|  | 9| Onion 1|  |  |  | 134| 6. 4|  | 10| Tomato 2|  |  |  | 77| 5. 9|  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | * Pickles, chutneys and relishes are failing to capture the attention of younger shoppers. While for older generations chutneys have been a flavoursome accompaniment to a range of meals, with some creating their own concoctions, younger consumers’ most likely exposure is when they’re dipping their poppadums into a spot of mango chutney. Bainbridge (2007) believes that ‘November and December are the best-selling months for the pickles, chutneys and relishes sector, as shoppers stock up on accompaniments to their turkey leftovers and ham sandwiches. ’ Dorset population research Pring (2011) laid out interesting demographics research on the Dorset area: * Dorset is average sized, small sparse population (159 per sq. km compared with 362 for E&W on average. * Life expectancy in Dorset for both men (80. 3 years) and women (82. 8 years) was higher than the England average.

Largest elderly population of all the shire counties (29% of retirement age 19% for England and Wales) * Population is increasing due to net inward migration * Average house prices are among the highest in the UK outside London * But, Earnings are below national levels * Unemployment is low * But, there is little manufacturing * Approx. 10,500 people work in residential/social care (7% of employees in employment) * More people work in social care than directly in leisure and tourism * Median gross annual pay in Dorset was ? 24,927 (South West ? 24,922, England ? 26,165) * The latest unemployment rate for Dorset is 4. % (South West 6. 0%, England 7. 6%) * Dorset lowest quartile affordability ratio (house price to earnings ratio: a higher ratio means less affordable housing) was 10. 3 (South West 8. 2, England 6. 7). References Pring, A. , 2011. The demographics of Dorset and its effect on End of Life Care [online] [viewed on 13 November 2012]. Available from: http://www. piperhub. com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Dorset-Demographics-and-EOLC-Andy-Pring. pdf Bainbridge, J. , 2007. Sector Insight: Pickles, chutneys and relishes – Changing tastes hinder growth [online] [viewed on 10 November 2012].

Available from: http://www. prweek. com/uk/news/771632/Sector-Insight-Pickles-chutneys-relishes—Changing-tasteshinder-growth/? DCMP=ILC-SEARCH Bainbridge, J. , 2008. Sector Insight: Pickles, Chutneys and relishes [online] [viewed on 10 November 2012]. Available from: http://www. prweek. com/uk/features/862382/Sector-Insight-Pickles-Chutneys-relishes/ Ribblesdalecheese’s, 2011. Chutney Tasting Results II. In: Ribblesdalecheese’s Blog[online]. 20 February 2011 [viewed on 5 November 2012]. Available from: http://ribblesdalecheese. wordpress. com/2011/02/20/chutney-tasting-results-ii/ Food Manufacture, 2007.

Chutney offer sophistication [online] [viewed on 5 November 2012]. Available from: http://www. foodmanufacture. co. uk/NPD/Chutneys-offer-sophistication Food Manufacture, 2011. Chutneys ‘go natural’ in time for Christmas market [online] [viewed on 05 November 2011]. Available from: http://www. foodmanufacture. co. uk/Ingredients/Chutneys-go-natural-in-time-for-Christmas-market Mintel, 2007. Salad Accompaniments – UK – August 2007 [online] [viewed 11 November 2012]. Available from: Mintel Mintel, 2009. Media and Food (The) – UK – October 2009 [online] [viewed on 11 November 2012] . Available: from Mintel