Small-scale producers add zest to the food sector

Over the past five years the number of food and drink manufacturing companies with fewer than five employees rose by 45 percent to 3,660, according to a recent report by Dutch bank ABN AMRO. As a result, this market segment grew much faster than the number of manufacturers in the food sector as a whole (+21 percent). Small businesses make a real difference by being quick to capitalise on food trends. Between 2011 and 2016, the number of microbreweries increased particularly spectacularly, namely by 430 percent. There was also strong growth in the number of manufacturers of bakery products such as cakes (up by 46 percent). This growth is being stimulated by the rising popularity of home baking and the increasing demand for craft beers. The rise in the number of small-scale food manufacturing companies looks set to continue; according to ABN AMRO’s forecast, this group of entrepreneurs will grow by a further 7 percent a year over the next two years. The ‘start-up culture’ is clearly continuing to make its mark on the food sector. 

nl.abnamro.com