Hooked on salmon
In the past two years the number of people eating salmon once a week has increased by 300,000. Now 25% of Australians are eating salmon each week.
The most voracious salmon eaters live in NSW, where 28% enjoy the fish each week (up marginally from 27% in 2014), but the greatest increase in uptake has been in Victoria, where 26% eat salmon each week, up from 23% two years ago. Queenslanders increased their salmon eating from 22 to 24%.
But two states saw a decline — South Australia (down to 18% from 21% in 2014), and ironically, given its flourishing salmon-farming industry — Tasmania, from 27% down to 23%.
The age of salmon eaters is fairly consistent across the country with the over-50s being the largest consumers.
The fish fancied by foodies
Applying Roy Morgan’s culinary profiling system, Food Segments, to the country’s salmon-eaters reveals how someone’s overall attitude to food and cooking can influence whether or not they are likely to consume salmon.
The fact that almost a third of Australians from the ‘Trendsetter’ segment and an almost identical proportion of ‘Entertainers’ eat salmon in an average week indicates that the fish is rated highly by those who take their food seriously. Trendsetters are culinary adventurers, constantly in search of new flavours and gourmet ingredients, while Entertainers love the social aspect of enjoying fine food with friends and family.
At the other end of the spectrum, people from the decidedly anti-gourmet ‘Zappit’ and ‘Take-it-away’ segments are well below average for salmon consumption. As their names suggest, these folks prefer to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible and are not remotely interested in the finer points of their food.
Norman Morris, industry communications director, Roy Morgan Research, said: “Salmon consumption in Australia is tracking well, with a quarter of us eating it at least once a week. Celebrated for its nutritional benefits, such as omega 3 and protein, as well as for being low in fat, salmon is especially popular with people who restrict how much fattening food they eat, those who prefer to eat healthy snacks and those who are eating less red meat these days.
“The decline of salmon consumption in Tasmania is puzzling, given the state’s thriving aquaculture industry (not to mention the widespread — if gradual — upward trend elsewhere). More research is required to identify the reason for this.
“Meanwhile, Roy Morgan’s Food Segments provide a different perspective on Australia’s salmon-eaters. Salmon brands would be interested to learn that, as well as being more inclined than most to eat salmon, more than half of all Trendsetters are aged between 25 and 49: an age bracket not usually as enthusiastic about the pink fish as the 50-plus brigade. By gaining a deeper understanding of what makes Trendsetters tick, savvy salmon brands can then tailor their marketing to appeal to this potentially lucrative consumer group.”
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