Cold storage optimisation: the key to hitting consumer trends

The UK is making the switch from fresh to frozen food as consumers look to tighten their spending. Amid high food high inflation and the cost-of-living crisis, cheaper, frozen alternatives to products are rising in popularity, with frozen chicken alone up nearly 6%.

As food price inflation hit 18.2% in February, grocery volumes fell by 4%. Yet frozen food sales stood strong. Another survey, found that 30% of consumers are buying more frozen food, with 21% simply buying less meat and fish. It’s no surprise that Iceland has seen a 9.6% rise in sales as frozen food’s appeal grows.

For food manufacturers, this puts a great strain on cold storage facilities to keep up with demand. As summer beckons, this trend shows no signs of slowing. Therefore, cold storage optimisation and maintenance represents a valuable consideration.

A freeze on food waste

Frozen food’s budget-friendly benefits aren’t its only pulling power, either. Wrap’s roadmap on food waste, published at the turn of the year, highlighted that both consumers and manufacturers can be doing much more to combat food waste. As frozen sales flourish, food waste is expected to face a drop. Additional research by Wrap found that the average UK household throws away £700 worth of food each year. Frozen food provides a solution here, offering longevity that helps consumers use more food rather than throw it away.

Educating consumers can play an important role too, as research from Sainsbury’s reveals that only 11% of its shoppers know that eggs can be frozen, along with herbs (24%) and yoghurt (18%). With consumers searching for the best value for money in tough economic times, there is a real opportunity for manufacturers to drive sales of their frozen portfolio. But to do so, these manufacturers must ensure their cold storage facilities are equipped for the rise in demand.

Historically cool

Cold storage facilities are the backbone of Ambrey Baker. It’s where we began and are still operating 30 years later. We understand the importance of reliability and energy efficiency when it comes to the performance of temperature-controlled environments, and as frozen food sales rise, manufacturers are having to adapt to maintain the supply now demanded.

Whilst new, purpose-built facilities are common projects for us, the value that simple maintenance works can offer when it comes to optimising efficiency and ensuring the utmost protection of produce is a factor often overlooked by manufacturers.

Degradation to thermal walls, for instance, often goes unnoticed as signs aren’t overtly visible. Yet, it makes these facilities vulnerable to rising temperatures – like the record highs we saw in the Summer of 2022. In such cases, greater energy expenditure is needed to maintain the same optimal temperatures. Door gaskets are another problem area which can generate the same energy wastefulness. This, in turn, is hitting manufacturers in the pocket. This negatively counteracts efforts from manufacturers to keep production costs low, to therefore minimise the increases put on the consumer.

Consumers are understandably analysing where they are spending their money during their weekly shopping. They are searching for better value for money, and so manufacturers should go through a similar analytical process to maximise the productivity and profits of their operations. Careful maintenance of cold storage facilities can help sharpen a key weapon in the battle for customer allegiance in times of economic hardship.

To find out how cold storage optimisation can elevate your business, head over to our cold storage page. You can also get in touch with us today via email: enquiries@ambreybaker.co.uk  or give us a call on: 01529 300013