WHILE the total value of the UK retail frozen food market appears stable at around £5.7bn, there are profound changes in the sector as the market responds to a shopping revolution which includes discounter growth and grocery price deflation.

Unfortunately, red meat values and volumes have declined the most over the past two years, with frozen poultry being the worst performing.

Analysis published in The Grocer magazine points to a significant fall in the price for chilled chicken over the last 18 months, closing the price gap with frozen. Shoppers now choose chilled as a result However, with products such as lobster, beef Wellington and partridge now found in the frozen food isle, other retailers have added frozen Wagyu beef-burgers, rabbit fillet, venison haunch and kangaroo fillet to the sector in a bid to compete.

It’s possible that consumers are beginning to associate the frozen aisle with premium products, said the report.

Despite a 3% fall in volume since November, 2014, the value of the frozen fish market has increased by 1.9% on the back of an average price increase of more than 5% in two years.