UK | Tinned tuna has become one of the oldest kitchen cupboard staples and is now more popular than ever, thanks to younger diners.
Demand for it has soared because it is considered a relatively cheap, versatile, convenient and tasty source of protein.
Over the last two years, demand at Tesco has rocketed by nearly 18 percent, equivalent to an additional 2.25 million kilograms.
While demand for tuna has continued to increase, Tesco has also been playing its part by meeting a longstanding aim to source 100 percent MSC-certified own-brand tuna.
Now all tuna products, including tinned tuna, at Tesco and its wholesale business, Booker, carry the blue MSC ecolabel, meaning they’ve been sustainably sourced.
Currently, 85 percent of Tesco’s wild-caught seafood is MSC-certified, an achievement recognised by MSC, which awarded Tesco with ‘Supermarket of the Year - Gold Award’ in 2025.
The trend has been great news for Ipswich-based canned food specialists LDH (La Doria), which is one of the UK’s biggest suppliers of tinned fish.
Tuna and other tinned fish were among the most popular UK kitchen staples for much of the 20th century, but their popularity began to decline as refrigeration became widespread after the Second World War.
Sales remained robust for decades until the lockdown, when demand for long-shelf-life food briefly rocketed.
Tinned fish is at the height of culinary fashion, driven by younger shoppers who have realised it is a cheap and convenient way to boost their protein intake.
Tesco tinned fish buyer Lee Bannerman said the trend started in America a few years ago and is now really popular in the UK. TikTok is awash with influencers posting their tinned-fish meal creations and offering tips on how to jazz up simple, easy-to-make dishes such as tuna pasta bakes or salmon salads.
“You’d probably need to go back nearly 100 years to find the last time that tinned fish was such an exciting commodity.”
LDH (La Doria), which owns the tinned fish brand Glenryck, supplies Tesco with most of its own-brand tinned fish.
Tinned fish, especially tuna, have always been popular, but with a more defined, more mature audience. Robert Wiltshire, LDH Head of Seafood Sourcing and Sustainability, observed a brief, artificial spike in sales during lockdown because fresh food became harder to buy and shoppers were stocking up on tinned foods that would keep for longer.
Now the younger generation has realised just how versatile tuna is, and even high-end restaurants have added it to their menus, something no one would have imagined even five years ago.
“It's fantastic to see this ambitious commitment from Tesco to only sell MSC-certified sustainable tuna confirmed. We know that for the younger UK consumer, particularly, sustainability is really important,” said George Clark, MSC UK & Ireland Programme Director.
“Making more sustainable tuna available to the TikTok generation shows how Tesco is both meeting expectations of its customers and supporting sustainable tuna fisheries worldwide.”
The NHS recommends that a healthy, balanced diet should include at least two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish.
Fish and shellfish are good sources of a range of vitamins and minerals. Oily fish, such as salmon and sardines, are particularly high in long‑chain omega‑3 fatty acids, which support heart health.
