Seafood is gaining momentum in the UK.
By Bjørn-Erik Stabell, Country Director UK @ Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC).
For several years, the UK seafood conversation has been dominated by challenges: inflation, pressure on household budgets, changing consumer habits and growing competition from other proteins. But the latest retail data tells a different story: seafood is gaining momentum. You can read more about this in our new UK Mid-Year Market & Retail Report.
Across 2026, fish has consistently outperformed the wider food and drink market in retail. Growth has accelerated, volumes have remained resilient, and consumer engagement with the category continues to strengthen. Crucially, this is not simply a story of rising prices. Consumers are buying seafood more often, incorporating it into a wider range of meals and spending more per trip. Retail penetration remains exceptionally high, reaching more than 95% of UK shoppers.
The message from the data is clear: seafood is becoming increasingly relevant to today’s consumer. As a nation built on seafood, Norway has a strong interest in understanding how these trends are shaping opportunities in one of its most important seafood export markets for Norway.
Aligned with powerful consumer trends
Shoppers want foods that are nutritious, high in protein, and support healthier lifestyles. Seafood is naturally well placed to meet these needs. From salmon and tuna to prawns, cod, haddock, sardines and mackerel, the category offers many of the attributes consumers are actively seeking. Chilled seafood is also growing, with health remaining a key purchase driver.
A stronger value proposition
Our new report shows that the food inflation remains a reality, but seafood’s competitive position has strengthened. Compared with several other protein categories, it is increasingly seen as an accessible source of nutrition and quality.
Even if prices also on seafood are increasing consumers are maintaining, and in some cases increasing, their seafood purchases despite continued economic uncertainty. That should give the industry confidence. When strong nutritional credentials are combined with improving perceptions of value, growth becomes more sustainable.
Innovation is creating new occasions
The pace of innovation is another encouraging sign. Across UK retail, new formats, species, meal solutions and convenient products continue to enter the market. Examples include:
- Salmon-based lunch solutions
- Poke concepts
- Ready-to-cook meals
- Value-added frozen products
These formats can attract new consumers while making seafood more relevant to existing shoppers. The growth logic is simple: innovation creates occasions; occasions create consumption; consumption creates category growth. Innovation will be a key theme at the Norway-UK Seafood Summit in February 2027, where Henrik Vedeler, Partner at Boston Consulting Group, will be among the speakers exploring how innovation can unlock further growth and value creation across the seafood category.
Turning momentum into long-term growth
In the coming weeks, the Norwegian Seafood Council will publish a new UK Retail & Consumer Trends Report, building on the work released earlier this year. We look forward to sharing the findings and continuing the conversation on how retailers, suppliers and industry partners can unlock the category’s full potential. You can find the new report here (Login needed) NSC Mid Year Report V12a-tm
Image: NSC
