The Vogue For Home Baking

Published: 10 September 2007

It seems homemade cakes and bread are no longer the sole preserve of our grandmothers kitchen.

A new survey highlights the home baking resurgence has been boosted by a younger generation of time-poor bakers who favour cake and bread mixes.

The survey of 1,000 people found the key reasons for taking up home baking are taste (60%), health (25%), relaxation (22%) and to save money (18%).  14% of mums, especially those with children aged 5-9 years old, regard baking as a good bonding activity and a way of teaching cooking skills.

Psychologist Donna Dawson, says:
"Baking together allows family member to share a task, which in turn increases communication, cooperation and a sense of 'togetherness', as well as teaching a valuable life-skill."

42% claim to bake weekly, while it's a regular monthly event for 25%.  A weekly batch of bread and scones emerge as the most frequently baked items (20%), however it is cakes (26%) and pies (22%) which are considered the favourite items to bake.

Apart from the creation of a delicious end product, mastering the skills of baking brings a sense of achievement for 45%, while 34% use baking to relax.  Baking is truly the route to a man's heart for the 31% who claim baking a
tea-time treat is a way of showing they care.

The fabulous baker boys
The 'Nigella Lawson' effect can perhaps be used to explain why men aspire to be domestic gods in the kitchen while kneading the dough.  25% of men chose breads and scones as their baking favourite, compared to 15% of women.  In contrast cakes are the delicacies women are most likely to produce.  When it comes to learning the skills of baking, men are more likely to have learnt from a partner or friends, while women list their mums or grandmothers as their baking mentors.

Baking inspirations
According to home bakers, the fresh, laid back approach of The Naked Chef means Jamie Oliver is their favourite baking role model (28%), followed by Delia Smith (25%), Nigella Lawson (14%) and James Martin (13%).  In terms of recipe sources, TV cookery programmes (40%) are the most popular, followed by cook books (35%), supermarket recipe cards (18%) and personal recommendations (16%).

Baking on the curriculum
Amid the current debate about reinstating cooking back into schools, over 99% of those polled believe baking is a useful skill which should be taught to young people.

Notes to editors

1.  The Home Baking Survey was commissioned by the Flour Advisory Bureau (FAB).  The research was conducted by Kember Associates, during June 2007.  It comprised 1000 interviews with home bakers in towns throughout England, Scotland, Wales and NI. 

2.  Mintel 2006 Home Baking report: Mintel have predicted that the value of the home baking market will have grown 20% by 2011.  Since 2001, the total home baking market has grown by 22% to reach £419 million in 2005.

For further information, please contact:
Claire Donnelly
0207 493 2521