Ranch on chips? 45% of Brits say yes please!
Ranch is gaining attention in the UK. We asked 500 Brits how they would have it, what stops them from buying it and which bottle they’d grab.
Ranch was not an obvious World Cup talking point, but it quickly became one. International visitors tried it, liked it and took their questions straight to Google, sending searches for “does Europe have ranch?” and “can I bring ranch dressing on a plane?” soaring. Some were so keen to take a bottle home that TSA even had to step in.
It then didn’t take long for ranch to reach the UK. Not only did Google report record search interest in the region, but Brits were also turning to Reddit asking for recommendations on where to start.
With everyone talking about the creamy and herby dressing, we wanted to see what Brits really think of it. We asked 500 consumers across the UK using OnePulse [1] and got the results in less than an hour. Here’s what they told us.
Ranch isn’t exactly new to Brits
In fact, 56% of Brits say they have bought ranch before, including 6% who buy it often. Another 16% have tried it abroad, while 24% know about ranch but have yet to taste it. Just 5% are completely unfamiliar.
So the awareness is there, and plenty have already tried it. Ranch just has not become part of the weekly shop yet.
Britain has already decided what ranch is for
It is not salad.
Brits are more likely to reach for ranch as a dip. Chips come out on top (or fries, depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re on), closely followed by chicken and wings. Pizza is next, with burgers and sandwiches or wraps also in the mix. Salad sits further down the list.
For Brits, ranch looks more at home beside ketchup, garlic mayo and brown sauce than in the salad aisle.
The flavour is not the issue. Finding room for another bottle is.
Ranch does not have much convincing to do. In fact, 35% say nothing would stop them buying it.
The biggest hurdle is much simpler. Around 20% say they already have enough sauces at home, making it the top reason for holding back. Another 14% want to try it first before buying a bottle. 11% are unsure whether they would know they were buying ranch, while 8% simply are not interested.
Consumers aren’t saying no to ranch. They’re saying they already have enough sauces.
Could ranch become the next garlic mayo?
More than a third (35%) of Brits think ranch could eventually become as popular as garlic mayo. Familiar brands may help it get there, with 49% trusting Hellmann’s or Heinz to bring ranch to the UK.
Among supermarkets, M&S leads the way, trusted by 21% of Brits to deliver.
Heinz is the bottle shoppers would reach for
We put the products to the test by showing people a selection of ranch bottles already on shelves and asked which one they’d be most likely to pick up at the supermarket [2].
Heinz Ranch Sauce came first, followed by Newman’s Own and Hellmann’s Creamy Ranch.
It’s not just the name that matters; the simpler flavour might have played a part, too. Hellmann’s Blue Cheese Ranch finished further down the list, suggesting people may be more likely to start with a classic ranch before trying something more adventurous.
Meanwhile in the US…
Americans were pleased to see Europe finally giving ranch some attention. Around 28% were amused by the reaction, and 26% were surprised ranch is still not more widely available [3].
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Sources:
All statistics are based on real-time responses collected from 500 Brits in the OnePulse community.
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