As a nation we’re blessed with a seriously wide range of bakery products we can buy in stores – and we’re doing more part baking and scratch baking, spurred on by the mighty Great British Bakeoff, which returns to our TVs in August. At £3bn, bread and bakery is one of the largest categories in the supermarket, a key driver of retail footfall and one of the most important categories for retailers and consumers alike. Firmly established in consumers’ daily routines, it is the most consumed food item in the UK, bought by 96% of households.
Allied Bakeries is one of the UK’s largest bakers, making more than 8 billion slices of bread every year and remains committed to investing in brands, business and people to help maintain its position as one of the leading suppliers of UK bakery products.
With 70% of bread sales attributed to branded bread, Allied Bakeries – home of Kingsmill, Allinson’s and Burgen – is playing a crucial role in meeting changing consumer demands. Matthew Cullum, Director of Marketing at Allied Bakeries says two key trends are driving branded growth: premiumisation, as consumers look for better quality and craft style breads, and health.
Allinson’s delicious premium range of craft-style loaves, feature distinctive paper packaging tap into the artisanal bakery boom. The 650g range is perfectly designed to meet the needs of smaller households, who get through less bread than families, and have a greater disposable income. The brand has performed exceptionally well as a result, seeing a value sales uplift of +35% and volume uplift of 25%, significantly ahead of the category.
In April Allinson’s launched a new premium white loaf made with sourdough, Allinson’s Serious White with Sourdough. With consumer taste for this flavour showing no signs of slowing, the sourdough market is estimated to grow by 6.9% by 2024.
Serious White with Sourdough joins Allinson’s Champion Wholemeal and Allinson’s Scandalous Seeds Wholemeal in Allinson’s craft-inspired range, providing great tasting bread with the visual cues of in-store bakery and the shelf life of wrapped bread.
Kingsmill 50/50 is the number one brand in the Healthier White segment, with 63% share. In September 2018, Kingsmill 50/50 Vitamin Boost was added to the Kingsmill range, offering the Kingsmill 50/50 taste with a boost of vitamins and minerals. Two slices of Kingsmill 50/50 Vitamin Boost provide at least 30% of the reference intake of vitamin D, iron and niacin, 32% of B6, 40% of thiamin, 38% of the reference intake for calcium and 48% for folic acid.
Kingsmill Super Seeds launched in January 2018, an 800g loaf. Made with a variety of seeds, including linseed, sunflower, poppy and pumpkin, it is not only a source of fibre but thanks to the linseed, also a great source of Omega 3 alpha-linolenic acid, which helps to maintain healthy levels of cholesterol. The loaf provides a tasty everyday seeded option aimed at families.
Burgen is a hidden gem in Allied Bakeries’ portfolio and really well positioned for growth in 2018 and beyond with the growth of both seeded and premium loaves. For example, Burgen Soya & Linseed is high in protein and fibre and a source of calcium, with two slices providing over 20% of the reference intake of calcium.
The part-baked bread category’s sales value is growing by 2.4% year on year, says Heather Burgess, Head of Marketing for Paul Hollywood at St Pierre Groupe: “Part-baked breads, such as the Paul Hollywood Ready to Bake Range, appeal to time-poor consumers looking for quick and convenient meal accompaniments with longer shelf lives than fresh bread.”
Paul Hollywood’s Ready to Bake range is driving category growth with an increase in value sales of 49% year on year. The range appeals to consumers who want their part-baked bread to match the quality of their home-cooking. The range consists of Crusty Rolls, Multi-Seed Rolls, Rustic Rolls & Sourdough Rolls, all with a £1.70 RSP. The best-selling products are the Crusty Rolls & Multi-seed Rolls, which have sold over 7.7 million packs to date.
Consumers use the rolls alongside homecooked meals, to dunk in soups, stews, and other one-pot wonders and to take sandwiches to the next level. Consumers buy the ready to bake rolls because they want great quality bread freshly baked at the time of eating, not the time of buying.
To help drive sales of the Paul Hollywood Ready to Bake range, St Pierre Groupe is launching a dedicated Paul Hollywood bread website, including a new series of videos to promote the Ready to Bake range. The videos feature Paul with hero products including the Crusty Rolls and Multi- Seed Rolls and highlight the quality and versatility of the range. A social media campaign will also highlight the range throughout the year, especially in Autumn and the run-up to Christmas when consumer appetite for these products is high.
The St Pierre Groupe has also announced its latest home baking launches: Baker Street, Sponge Flan Cases and three Sponge Cake Layers. Following Baker Street’s successful evolution last year, which grew the brand 30% to the end of 2018, the range extensions take the international branded bakery business into a new category of home baking. The Sponge Flan Cases make it easy for people of all abilities to unleash their inner Mary Berry and create quick and delicious desserts. Available in medium (100g) and large (200g) varieties, the versatile flan cases are ready baked and just need to be filled and decorated.
The Sponge Layer Cakes (400g), in Classic (plain) and Chocolate, lessen the time taken to prepare and serve a delicious treat. With minimum guaranteed 60 days’ life and little more required of the end user beyond filling and decorating, St Pierre Groupe’s most recent launches answer the demand for products that offer convenience and ease of use for timepoor consumers.
According to Kantar World Panel, the UK breakfast occasion is now worth £11.6 billion and growing yearly. With 19.3 billion occasions annually and 78% of us eating breakfast daily, the right breakfast products are thriving. While breads remain one of the most important products on consumer shopping lists, Christina Honigfort, Head of Marketing at New York Bakery Co., the bagel makers, says alternative formats have surged in popularity and are driving growth – in the past year, ambient bagels have added £13.5 million in category sales, seeing annual growth of 15%.
“There is intense competition at the bread and bakery fixture,” says Christina. “With consumers being offered so many different products, ranges which offer a point of difference, whether strong taste credentials, breath of range, convenience, versatility or health benefits, are most likely to succeed.“
The New York Bakery Co.’s range of bagels is boiled then baked the authentic New York way and offers a strong range in a variety of flavours including Original, Cinnamon & Raisin, Sesame, Wholemeal and Red Onion & Chive.
Catering for the healthy eating audience, The New York Bakery Co. also offers a Bagel Thins range, presliced for convenience to provide a lighter option without compromising on taste and available in Original, Cinnamon & Raisin and Soft Seeded varieties. The Soft Seeded variant is registered as a “healthy extra B” on Slimming World. The New York Bakery Co. range includes no artificial ingredients and is vegetarian and vegan friendly.
Christina Honigfort comments: “We’re proud to be the UK’s number one bagel brand, with 68% share – bagels are a growing category, up 17.7% value and an essential addition to any bread and bakery fixture.”
Bagels are the number one breakfast bread choice ‘on the go’ among 18-34’s. Bagels are the perfect carrier to a range of breakfast options or fillings, from simple spreads mid-week, to more indulgent weekend options including cooked items such as bacon, sausages and eggs. ‘On the go’ consumption is also on the increase, with 70% of breakfast eaters preferring to make breakfast at home to save money, according to Mintel. The New York Bakery Co’s latest product is the Tomato & Herb Bagel Thin, inspired by the flavours of New York’s ‘Little Italy’, made with tomato, oregano and basil and containing just 117 calories. A great source of fibre and less than 130 calories, Bagel Thins are a lighter option for bagel lovers who crave the delicious chewy taste of bagels but are seeking out a lighter alternative for lunchtimes.
New York Bakery – the best of “Friends” New York Bakery Co. has announced its first-ever headline TV sponsorship deal as part of a major summer campaign showcasing its New York roots and taste credentials. The UK’s leading producer of authentically boiled and baked New York style bagels is sponsoring Friends on Comedy Central and Comedy Central Extra for three months from July with an exclusive new recipe collection inspired by the characters. Six TV idents, one per recipe, will bring the line-up to life at the beginning and end of each Friends episode on Comedy Central and Comedy Central Extra, and around the advert breaks during episodes.
Premier Foods has extended its popular range of Cadbury home baking kits following their successful launch last year. Two new icings – Chocolate and Fudge – join the existing range of cake mixes, which have already helped to bring +27.9% growth to the chocolate mix segment in ASDA. The baking mixes in the range contain high-quality Cadbury cocoa and real Cadbury chocolate pieces to recreate the Cadbury taste at home, with the new icing products strengthening the range of sponge, cookie and brownie mixes. Ellie Ntougia, marketing controller – baking, Premier Foods says “The Cadbury home baking range has resonated exceptionally well with ASDA shoppers since its launch and we are confident it will be a great success in the rest of the market and bring new shoppers to the category.
“Adding these icings to the range gives home bakers more options than before and allows them to experiment in the kitchen on their own creations, using the Cadbury flavours they know and love, with 100% natural colours and flavourings.”
The gluten free bread market is growing 30% annually, says Erwan Inizan, Northern Europe Sales Director at Bridor. Coeliac disease is being more frequently diagnosed, and more consumers are adopting a gluten-free diet due to its supposed health benefits, most notably in terms of digestion, weight control, and energy levels. In light of consumer demand, it is vital that retail spaces provide a varied offering of quality gluten-free products.
“Bridor’s gluten free 45g plain and seeded rolls have been carefully developed,” says Erwan Inizan, “with the highest quality whole rice flour, buckwheat flour and millet flour. They are an all-round bakery solution, ideal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The addition of brown flaxseed, golden flaxseed, millet, sunflower and poppy seeds adds texture and flavour, as well as making them a healthier choice.
Bridor’s latest NPD includes the Nordic Loaf, a rich and tasty recipe based on buckwheat flour, rye flour, malted wheat and malted barley, catering to the growing popularity of Scandanavian styles of bread. Ideal for the growing out of home breakfast market, Bridor’s new pure butter Confettis are crispy flaky pastry, made with barn eggs, delivering exceptional taste across four flavours and two formats, a 90g maxi and 30g mini. Bridor has also brought to market its Maple Pecan Delice. Made with Californian pecans and 30% more real maple syrup than comparable products, the pastry is perfect for those moments of indulgence.
David Laurence, Joint Managing Director of Signature Flatbreads agrees that consumer demand for traditional breads is in long-term decline, while demand for more innovative, alternative options, such as flatbreads, is growing rapidly, with wrap sales in supermarkets up 11.3% according to recent Kantar data:
“Globally inspired food trends mean consumers are now looking for innovative meal solutions to enjoy at home, which were once more prevalent in the takeaway and the out-of-home market.”
Signature Flatbreads launched Greek Style Flatbreads under the Deli Kitchen brand at the end of May. The flatbreads enable consumers to enjoy Mediterranean-inspired food previously reserved for holidays or bought from street food vendors and allow them to replicate gyros wraps at home. They can also be stuffed with falafel, hummus, or Greek salad with tzatziki, or more traditional British favourites like cheese, ham or egg mayo.
Earlier this year Signature Flatbreads developed a new range under the Deli Kitchen brand inspired by bread from around the world, including Frenchinspired Brioche Folded Flatbreads and Italian-inspired Focaccia.
Signature Flatbreads have partnered with Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley to promote the Deli Kitchen range. Social media activity has been a key part of the marketing strategy and Tom’s 2 million followers on Instagram have been exposed to the brand messages. They have also carried out tactical advertising and sampling, alongside an ongoing PR campaign.
On the sweet bakery front, American sweet bakery brand Otis is quenching shoppers’ thirst for a delicious sweet treat this summer, with the limited edition Otis Pink Lemonade Muffin. The new muffin features a lemon muffin filled with a smooth raspberry & lemon curd filling, topped with delicate pink sugar crystals and decorated with an edible yellow straw; all wrapped up in a vibrant pink and white gingham muffin case, emulating a traditional picnic blanket. The product is supplied as thaw and serve.
“Demand for seasonal NPD is at an all-time high, and summer is a key period for retailers looking to drive sales from the bakery fixture,” says Paul Maxwell, Marketing Manager UK at ARYZTA Food Solutions. “The Otis Pink Lemonade Muffin is the perfect indulgent treat for shoppers looking to reward themselves on the go while, with vibrant packaging and an edible straw offering a fun point of difference to attract shoppers.
Retailers will also be able to drive sales of the Muffin as part of an incremental deal, giving plenty of opportunity to maximise sales from instore bakery this holiday season. Otis is one of a family of brands from ARYZTA Food Solutions, the in-store bakery specialists, offering American baked treats, including cookies, doughnuts and muffins, served from a range of in store display solutions.
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