The breakfast club
Print21 August 2026
Breakfast remains a key meal occasion, with shoppers looking for everything from quick weekday solutions to more indulgent weekend treats. Innovation across cereals, bakery, dairy and grab-and-go products continues to reshape the category.
For retailers, the breakfast fixture is increasingly being shaped by demand for convenience, nutrition and value, with shoppers seeking products that fit around busy lifestyles while still delivering on taste. This is creating opportunities for brands across traditional and emerging formats, from high-fibre cereals and protein-rich products to overnight oats, breakfast bars and ready-to-eat options.
Health and affordability are also influencing choices, with consumers looking for accessible ways to make breakfast more nutritious without adding complexity to their routines. Research from Safefood highlights the importance of staple foods in Irish diets, with bread and dairy products among foods consumed by almost everyone in its North/South Ireland Food Consumption Survey.
At the same time, changing mealtime habits are opening the door to more flexible breakfast occasions, with products such as breakfast bars, drinkable yoghurt and granola increasingly catering to consumers eating on the move.
Against this backdrop, manufacturers are continuing to innovate across the category, giving retailers new ways to meet evolving consumer needs and drive growth in the breakfast aisle.
Meridian: The natural choice for breakfast from Ireland’s number one nut butter brand
Meridian range
As breakfast habits continue to evolve, consumers are increasingly seeking products that combine great taste, natural nutrition and simple ingredients. These changing preferences have increased demand for natural nut butters, with Meridian, Ireland’s number one natural nut butter brand, continuing to lead the way.
Holding a 19.9% value share of the peanut butter market, Meridian’s success reflects its focus on delivering delicious, natural nut butters that meet the needs of today’s health-conscious consumers. As awareness around health and nutrition grows, shoppers are paying closer attention to ingredient lists and looking for minimally processed foods they can feel good about eating and serving to their families. As a result, demand for natural, palm oil-free nut butters continues to rise.
Meridian has been championing this approach since the 1980s, when it became one of the first brands to produce palm oil-free peanut butter. Today, that commitment remains at the heart of the range, with Meridian’s core products containing only 100% nuts and no added palm oil, sugar, or unnecessary additives.
Breakfast remains a key eating occasion, with consumers increasingly looking for foods that provide sustained energy throughout the morning. Nut butters naturally provide protein, healthy fats, and fibre, making them an ideal breakfast staple. Meridian goes one step further by roasting its peanuts with their skins on, helping to deliver higher fibre content than many alternatives.
Whether stirred into porridge, blended into smoothies or drizzled over pancakes, Meridian nut butters provide a simple way to elevate breakfast while supporting a balanced diet.
For sales enquiries, please contact SHS Sales & Marketing at +353 (1) 401 6200 or info@shs-sales.ie.
Cuisine de France savoury pastries – Ideal for breakfast on the go
Pizza swirl
Cheese & chive twist
Ireland’s savoury food-to-go market continues to evolve as consumers look beyond traditional options in search of greater variety and flavour. While global influences such as Mediterranean ingredients and more adventurous savoury profiles are gaining popularity, familiarity remains key. Consumers are embracing products that combine trusted bakery formats with modern flavour innovation, making savoury pastries an increasingly important part of deli and daytime offerings.
The Cuisine de France Pizza Swirl answers the growing demand for convenient, flavour-packed savoury snacks. Made with rolled yeast dough, it features a rich tomato sauce filling and is topped with cheese and basil, delivering the classic taste of pizza in a fresh bakery format. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or on-the-go snacking, it offers consumers a familiar favourite with broad appeal and strong deli counter presence.
For those seeking a more indulgent option, the Cuisine de France Cheese & Chive Twist combines flaky puff pastry with a smooth Emmental and Gouda cheese filling blended with chive and finished with a sprinkling of cheese. Its distinctive twisted shape creates standout shelf appeal, while its rich, savoury flavour profile taps into consumer demand for premium snacking experiences. Combining comfort, quality and convenience, it is a versatile addition to any deli food-to-go offering.
Irish Pride brings fibre to the everyday breakfast
Irish Pride Fibre Filled Big Toast
Irish Pride Fibre Filled Sandwich
As busy lifestyles continue to shape the way Irish households shop and eat, breakfast is increasingly about making everyday choices work harder. Irish Pride is helping retailers meet that demand with its new Fibre Filled range, bringing a meaningful fibre boost to one of the most familiar staples in the weekly shop.
Delivering up to 32% of an adult’s daily fibre needs in just two slices, the range is designed to challenge perceptions of white bread and make it easier for consumers to add fibre without changing their routine. With no preservatives, no added sugar, no palm oil and an emulsifier-free recipe, it combines everyday convenience with nutritional credentials that are increasingly important to shoppers.
The timing also makes the range particularly relevant as families head back to school. From quick breakfasts before the school run to lunchbox sandwiches, bread remains a fixture of family routines, making it a simple and accessible way to help increase fibre intake throughout the day.
For retailers, the range taps into two strong and complementary consumer needs: convenience and better-for-you choices. Rather than asking shoppers to compromise on taste, familiarity or versatility, Irish Pride is positioning fibre as something that can fit seamlessly into everyday eating.
With its bold new identity and distinctive packaging, the Fibre Filled range also brings standout shelf appeal, allowing retailers to refresh the bread fixture and engage shoppers looking for smarter choices for busy family life.
Just Live a Little Toppers
Just Live a Little range
Building on the success of its granola range, Just Live a Little has introduced two new Toppers, designed to support the growing “fibremaxing” trend. With 96% of adults in the UK and Ireland falling short of the recommended daily fibre intake, the new additions make it simple for consumers to add more fibre, flavour and crunch to breakfast and beyond.
Made in Northern Ireland using whole, plant-based ingredients, the premium range is naturally gluten-free, high in fibre and packed with fruits, nuts and seeds, delivering a wholesome breakfast without compromising on taste.
The new Toppers bring together carefully selected nuts, seeds and fruit to add texture and flavour to porridge, yoghurt, smoothie bowls and even salads. Vegan and naturally gluten-free, they’re a versatile way to elevate everyday meals while supporting healthier eating habits.
Just Live a Little Toppers come in two flavours:
Pomegranate & Almond Topper 200g RRP €4.75
A flavourful medley of crunchy almonds, dried pomegranate arils, cranberries, juicy raisins and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Caramelised Pecan & Cranberry Topper 200g RRP €4.75
A melody of crunchy caramelised pecans, dried cranberries, juicy raisins and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Acti-Snack Caramelised Biscuit Granola
Acti-Snack Protein Crunch Granola Caramelised Biscuit
Demand for protein-rich breakfasts continues to rise as consumers seek convenient options that deliver lasting energy without compromising on taste. Acti-Snack meets this demand with its new Protein Crunch Caramelised Biscuit Granola – an indulgent breakfast combining the much-loved flavour of caramelised biscuit with functional nutrition.
Made with crunchy oat clusters and natural ingredients, the granola is both high in protein and high in fibre, helping consumers stay fuller for longer while supporting busy, active lifestyles. Whether enjoyed with milk, yoghurt or sprinkled over smoothie bowls, it offers a versatile and satisfying breakfast or snack.
The launch strengthens Acti-Snack’s growing range of protein-led products, created for health-conscious consumers looking for everyday nutrition that doesn’t sacrifice flavour. Positioned as “Real Food Fuel”, the range is vegan and made using carefully selected ingredients, appealing to shoppers seeking strong nutritional credentials.
With protein remaining one of the fastest-growing trends in the breakfast category, Acti-Snack’s Protein Crunch Caramelised Biscuit Granola provides retailers with an exciting opportunity to attract shoppers looking for delicious, functional breakfast solutions that fit seamlessly into modern lifestyles.
The Acti-Snack Protein Crunch Granola range is available in 350g packs with an RRP of €5.
Linwoods expands Overnight Oats range
Linwoods Overnight Oats range
For busy mornings when convenience matters, Linwoods Overnight Oats offer a simple and nutritious way to start the day. With all the ingredients conveniently combined in one bag, simply add your favourite milk, stir, and leave to chill overnight for a delicious breakfast that’s ready to enjoy in the morning. Packed with plant-based goodness, the range is a source of fibre, Omega-3 and protein, making it an easy addition to your morning routine.
Available in four delicious varieties, including Original Energy, Strawberry Energy, Chocolate Protein and Vanilla Protein, the newest addition to the range, there’s a flavour to suit every taste.
The Energy varieties provide vitamins B6 and B12, which contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, while the Protein varieties deliver 11g of plant-based protein per 50g serving in Chocolate and 12g per 50g serving in Vanilla. Enjoy straight from the fridge or add fresh fruit, yoghurt and your favourite toppings for an easy breakfast that makes busy mornings that little bit easier.
Nestlé Cereals highlights high-fibre breakfast range
Nestlé Cereals is supporting Irish consumers in meeting their daily fibre intake of 25g per day by making it easier to identify breakfast cereals that contain fibre and whole grain. With 74% of the Nestlé Cereals portfolio high in fibre, the range offers shoppers clear choice across household favourites including Shredded Wheat, Shreddies and Cheerios.
The breadth of the portfolio gives Irish consumers convenient breakfast options that can help contribute towards daily fibre intake, while many products are also made with whole grain as the number one ingredient.
The update is being supported by new High in Fibre portfolio creative across shopper channels, bringing fibre and whole grain benefits to the forefront. The activity reinforces Nestlé Cereals position across Shredded Wheat, Shreddies and Cheerios as a portfolio that delivers on both nutrition credentials and great-tasting breakfast choices.
Galway business marks over 50 years of craftsmanship with innovative new additions for today’s busy households
Galway-based Loughnanes of Galway, a family business providing quality meats since 1975, has introduced an exciting range of new gourmet and convenience products designed for today’s busy households, while continuing its long-standing tradition of craftsmanship and great taste.
The launch builds on the brand’s portfolio of much-loved traditional products, introducing new flavour-led and ready-to-enjoy options that reflect evolving consumer tastes and lifestyles.
Included in the range are Loughnanes of Galway’s Traditional Breakfast Sausages (227g and 454g packs), Traditional Black Pudding and Traditional White Pudding, continuing the trusted recipes and quality Irish families have enjoyed for generations.
Each product has been created with the same care and dedication that has defined Loughnanes of Galway for over 50 years. Whether it’s a traditional breakfast, a midweek meal or a quick and convenient option, the range delivers quality, flavour and ease for every occasion.
With over 50 years of expertise, Loughnanes of Galway continues to combine heritage and innovation, ensuring its place at the heart of Irish kitchens for generations to come.
The new range is now available in select Tesco and Dunnes Stores retailers across Ireland.
For more information about Loughnanes of Galway and their new products, visit @loughnanesofgalway on Instagram.
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