The value of the UK cooking sauces and food seasonings market fell by 0.3% in 2014, according to a report by Key Note.

The decline was driven by the cooking sauces sector and in turn actually disguises the healthy growth of the smaller food seasonings category. While some cooking sauces categories continue to perform – notably Indian and Italian – the sector as a whole has suffered from a dip in retail prices and rising own label sales.

On the one hand, the demand for greater mealtime convenience is driving ready meal sales, and on the other, the resurgent popularity of cooking from scratch is driving food seasoning sales.

A growing number of Britons want to have full control over what they eat due to concerns about food fraud, additives and health, and believe that cooking from scratch is the best way to achieve this, says Key Note. When combined with the increasingly adventurous nature of the consumer base, the demand for a broader range of dried herbs and spices has grown significantly in recent years.

Despite the fact that the cooking sauces sector is likely to return to growth in the near future, it is expected to be modest and primarily based on recovering sales in the premium category rather than as a result of improved volume sales.

Key Note forecasts market value growth of just below 4% between 2015 and 2019.