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A cheese and pickle sandwich may be a lunchtime staple for many but, overall, 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.
 
In many ways, the sector is out of step with current food trends; our focus is on eating fresh, rather than pickled, fruit and vegetables. Consequently, sales have stalled. There has been no real growth in the market in the past five years, and there is little expectation of any in the next five.

In 2007, the sector was valued at £141m, with two-thirds of sales, £87m, concentrated in sour pickles (predominantly beetroot and onion-based). When inflation is taken into account, this equates to a decline of 9% over the past five years.

A drop in the level of bread consumption in the UK has also had a detrimental impact on the use of pickles as a sandwich filling.

Chutney sales have held up best, reaching £18m in 2007. They have benefited from the rise of ethnic foods in the UK, and, in particular, their association with Indian food, which remains a British favourite. Despite this, the Indian foods market is maturing and growth is slowing.

Relish sales in the UK are weather-dependent, as the product is closely associated with barbecuing; this year's wet summer will not have helped sales in the category.

UK consumers have become more interested in fine cooking oils, and one benefit is that pickles, chutneys and relishes are often sold alongside these specialist oils, boosting the premium end of the market and raising awareness of the products among AB consumers.

There has been innovation in the market as manufacturers try to appeal to modern palates. For example, some are drawing on the Italian antipasti tradition, offering vegetables such as peppers and artichokes in brine, oil or vinegar. Another development has been the introduction of ‘fresh' pickle to chiller cabinets.

Sour pickles could stand to benefit from the increased focus on nutrition-al content and the use of additives. The products are preserved vegetables, meaning their vitamin content remains intact and they are also low in calories. On the downside, they are often served alongside foods, which some consumers may be trying to limit their intake of, because of their fat content, such as meats and cheese.

Mintel research has also found that 23% of consumers eat their dinner in front of the television, which has reduced the likelihood of pickles and sauces being used.
The sweet pickle category is worth £28m, and is dominated by Premier Foods' Branston brand, which has expanded into the relishes market and now has a share of more than 37%. It overtook the more established Bick's following its introduction of ‘squeezy' bottles.

Sharwood's, also owned by Premier Foods, dominates the chutney category; its Mango variant alone accounts for almost a third of sales in this market. However, it faces competition from Patak's and Geeta's.

The leading sour pickle brands are Baxters, Haywards and Garner's, but there is little differentiation in the category, which makes standout hard to achieve. As a result, price is key and own-label dominates the market.

The long shelf-life of the products is of major benefit, as consumers tend to eat such products little and often. The heaviest users are typically men, C2DEs and older consumers.

By 2012, Mintel predicts that the pickles, chutneys and relishes market will be worth £144m - a 2% increase since 2007. However, when the effects of inflation are taken into account, this amounts to a 6% decline over the five-year period.