Our survey has shown that the health benefits associated with ancient grains really are key for consumers.
Ancient grain products have been cultivated for centuries for their rich nutritional value and multiple health benefits. With clean eating and health-conscious consumers now increasingly shopping around for dietary alternatives, a growing number of people are becoming aware of the wellbeing benefits and great flavour associated with ancient grains. As the UK’s largest producer of spelt products, we wanted to see what it is about ancient grains that our customers love most. It turned out that health related properties proved the unequivocal leader!
Out of just under 200 customers surveyed, 61% identified the associated health benefits as the top reason for choosing ancient grain products, which can be seen in Figure 1. When asked why, customers in the survey said digestive functioning and lower gluten intake were the key health related motivations (60% and 42% respectively), and nutritional value proved to a top priority for at least 57% of respondents.
Figure 1. Main reasons why customers like to purchase ancient grain products.
The combination of high fibre and low gluten makes ancient grain products much easier to digest than traditional wheat, which is great news for anyone who suffers from digestive functioning issues such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Customers in the survey specifically highlighted how spelt flours were the best for managing their IBS, and many reported that while they were unable to tolerate other types of flour, they could tolerate flours from our Craggs & Co range.
Commenting on the survey’s results, owner Janet Craggs said:
“We already knew that the many important health properties associated with ancient grain products appealed to people. The results of our survey however emphasise just how much this is the case – revealing how significantly the health benefits and tangible results they bring feature on consumer agendas.
“From stimulating and boosting the immune system, to helping with healthy digestion, spelt and ancient grains offer powerful potential. They are nutritionally very rich, high in both fibre and protein, and with more and more people choosing to cook at home from scratch, it’s really encouraging to see that these health-benefits are being valued so much.
“We are also proud to highlight that, alongside all these key health benefits, it seems all our new customers are also noting the enhanced flavour of ancient grain products. 59% of our customers responded that this was another main reason for choosing.”
More broadly, supporting local farmers was another particularly important appeal for our customers. More than half reported that they buy the products for their British guarantee! An impressive three quarters of respondents also selected quality assurance as one of the top things they liked about Craggs & Co.