Contents
- Home baking participation statistics: recent baking frequency and participation
- Home baking participation statistics: reasons people bake
- Home baking participation statistics: barriers that keep people from baking
- Home baking participation statistics: sweet and savoury baking occasions
- Home baking participation statistics: home-baker survey frequency and budget
- Sources
Home baking participation statistics: recent baking frequency and participation
Home baking participation statistics describe different measures of activity. A consumer survey can ask whether someone baked during a recent period; a household panel can count occasions. Those measures answer different questions and should not be read as one continuous trend. The available findings also come from different dates and sources, so they are best understood as separate snapshots.
In January 2025, 58% of UK consumers said they had baked during the previous 6 months. Among those who had baked, 20% planned to bake more often in the following 6 months. The first result records reported participation, while the second records intention among recent bakers. Neither indicates how often each individual baked. Source: AHDB, Cereals market outlook
A household panel offers a different view. Kantar Usage data reported by AHDB showed that UK in-home baking occasions in the 52 weeks ending 1 September 2024 were 10% lower than in the previous year. AHDB also said a slight rise during 2023 had not continued into 2024. This is a comparison of occasions, not the share of consumers who baked. Source: AHDB, Cereals market outlook
In the later Worldpanel by Numerator measure, total UK baking activity was down 7% year on year for the 52 weeks ending 7 September 2025. Weekly household baking occasions declined from 1.7 to 1.6. The result describes household frequency in that panel period; it cannot be directly joined to the earlier Kantar measure or the consumer survey as though all were measured the same way. Source: AHDB, Baking trends: Savoury baking and scratch cooking boost dairy consumption
| Measure | Finding | Population and period |
|---|---|---|
| Baked in the previous 6 months | 58% | UK consumers, January 2025 |
| Planned to bake more often | 20% | Recent UK bakers, plan for next 6 months, January 2025 |
| In-home baking occasions | 10% lower year on year | UK, 52 weeks ending 1 September 2024 |
| Total baking activity | 7% lower year on year | UK, 52 weeks ending 7 September 2025 |
| Weekly household baking occasions | 1.7 to 1.6 | UK households, same 2025 panel period |
Sources: AHDB, Cereals market outlook; AHDB, Baking trends: Savoury baking and scratch cooking boost dairy consumption](https://ahdb.org.uk/news/baking-trends-savoury-baking-and-scratch-cooking-boost-dairy-consumption)
Home baking participation statistics: reasons people bake
AHDB’s February 2026 survey asked UK adults who had baked in the preceding 6 months why they did so. The base was 1,207 respondents. Enjoyment of making homemade food led the listed reasons, at 56%. Taste followed at 47%, while 44% said they thought home baking was healthier or involved less processed ingredients. These are respondents’ perceptions, not assessments of the nutrition or health effects of particular foods. Source: AHDB, Baking trends: Savoury baking and scratch cooking boost dairy consumption
The other reported motivations include both personal enjoyment and occasions shared with others. A total of 37% found baking relaxing, and 35% baked for special occasions. Cost was cited by 23%, who said baking was cheaper than buying premade bakes. Social reasons included enjoying baking with children or grandchildren (20%) and with friends or a partner (16%). The survey allowed respondents to report reasons, so the categories are not exclusive. Source: AHDB, Baking trends: Savoury baking and scratch cooking boost dairy consumption
| Reason reported by recent bakers | Share |
|---|---|
| Enjoy making homemade food | 56% |
| Tastes better | 47% |
| Thought to be healthier or less processed | 44% |
| Relaxing | 37% |
| Special occasions | 35% |
| Cheaper than premade bakes | 23% |
| Baking with children or grandchildren | 20% |
| Baking with friends or a partner | 16% |
Base: UK adults who baked in the previous 6 months (n=1,207), AHDB/YouGov Pulse, February 2026. Source: AHDB, Baking trends: Savoury baking and scratch cooking boost dairy consumption
Home baking participation statistics: barriers that keep people from baking
A separate AHDB question asked UK adults who had not baked during the previous 6 months why they had not done so. Its base was 887 respondents. The most frequent answer was that ready-made baked goods were easier to buy, selected by 36%. Another 29% said they were quicker to buy, and 29% said they did not enjoy baking. These responses record stated reasons; they do not establish what caused any individual’s choice. Source: AHDB, Baking trends: Savoury baking and scratch cooking boost dairy consumption
Time and confidence were also mentioned. A total of 28% said they did not have time to bake, while 24% said they were not confident enough. In addition, 19% considered ready-made baked goods cheaper, and 13% said they lacked facilities or equipment. Because this question was asked of people who had not baked recently, its respondent base differs from the recent-baker group in the preceding section. Source: AHDB, Baking trends: Savoury baking and scratch cooking boost dairy consumption
| Reason for not baking recently | Share of adults who had not baked in the previous 6 months |
|---|---|
| Easier to buy ready-made baked goods | 36% |
| Quicker to buy ready-made baked goods | 29% |
| Do not enjoy baking | 29% |
| Do not have time | 28% |
| Not confident enough | 24% |
| Ready-made baked goods are cheaper | 19% |
| Lack facilities or equipment | 13% |
Base: UK adults who had not baked in the previous 6 months (n=887), AHDB/YouGov Pulse, February 2026. Source: AHDB, Baking trends: Savoury baking and scratch cooking boost dairy consumption
Home baking participation statistics: sweet and savoury baking occasions
The Worldpanel by Numerator figures for the 52 weeks ending 7 September 2025 show different year-on-year directions for sweet and savoury baking. Sweet baking occasions decreased 25%, while savoury occasions increased 1%. In the same comparison, sweet baking fell by 71.5 million occasions and savoury baking grew by 5.1 million occasions. Source: AHDB, Baking trends: Savoury baking and scratch cooking boost dairy consumption
Household frequency for savoury baking also rose, from 1.4 to 1.5 occasions per week. Read together, these measures show a decline in sweet occasions alongside a smaller increase in savoury occasions during the stated panel period. They do not identify which recipes or circumstances explain the movement. Source: AHDB, Baking trends: Savoury baking and scratch cooking boost dairy consumption
| Baking type | Year-on-year occasions | Weekly occasions per UK household |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet | Down 25%; 71.5 million fewer occasions | — |
| Savoury | Up 1%; 5.1 million more occasions | 1.4 to 1.5 |
UK, Worldpanel by Numerator usage, 52 weeks ending 7 September 2025 compared with the previous year. Source: AHDB, Baking trends: Savoury baking and scratch cooking boost dairy consumption
Home baking participation statistics: home-baker survey frequency and budget
A Bigger Bolder Baking survey, reported by HomePage News, drew responses from 8,506 bakers. In that group, 63.5% said they baked once a week or every day. A further 72.7% said they baked as much as or more frequently than “a few years ago.” The comparison period is not defined more precisely, and the report does not state the survey field dates. These findings describe respondents to that survey rather than all home bakers. Source: HomePage News, Survey: Home Bakers Remain Committed to Baking Despite Inflation
The respondents also described inflation’s effect on their baking habits. A total of 43.8% said inflation had not affected their habits at all. The report said 19.1% had reduced baking frequency because of higher prices, while nearly 9% said they were “now baking more than ever.” The report was published on 27 March 2023; it does not provide survey field dates or a precise lookback period, so these responses are not current-year measures. Source: HomePage News, Survey: Home Bakers Remain Committed to Baking Despite Inflation
Planned spending concerned baking supplies and ingredients in the coming year, as described by the 2023 report. The largest specified range was $200–$500, selected by 30.6% of respondents. Another 16% planned to spend more than $500, while 23% planned to spend less. The report does not state separate respondent bases for these budget responses. Source: HomePage News, Survey: Home Bakers Remain Committed to Baking Despite Inflation
Finally, 58.5% of respondents said they shopped for baking supplies and equipment at online-only retailers. Together, these answers provide a snapshot of reported frequency, inflation responses, spending intentions and shopping habits among the survey participants. The unstated field dates and self-selected respondent group limit direct comparison with UK consumer surveys and household-panel measures. Source: HomePage News, Survey: Home Bakers Remain Committed to Baking Despite Inflation