Lantmännen Unibake UK offer the following tips on why you should be stocking Danish, and how you can achieve the best results.
It’s Danish Week on The Great British Bake Off, in a nod to host Sandi Toksvig’s roots, but what is happening in the category and how can operators capitalise on this potentially lucrative opportunity? Kate Sykes, Marketing Manager from Lantmännen Unibake UK, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of high-quality bakery products, shares the brand’s top tips for getting your Danish offering just right.
Best-sellers
With over 69 million[1] sweet Danish pastries purchased each year, these Nordic treats remain a popular choice among consumers looking for an indulgent sweet treat. However, unlike cakes and biscuits, they are not easily or regularly made at home, providing a clear opportunity for retailers and foodservice outlets to tap into a category worth nearly £62million[2] each year.
In terms of what to stock, consumers love choice, so we recommend stocking a range of flavours. However, to maximise their sales opportunity, it’s crucial that operators stock the best-sellers. Most retailers would be unlikely to consider a drinks fixture without Coca Cola and it’s the same with pastries. Our Schulstad Bakery Solutions Maple Pecan Plait, Cinnamon Swirl and Vanilla Crème Crown are the top three best-selling Danish pastries in the UK[3], making them a vital part of any offering.
Miniature formats are also growing in popularity, allowing consumers who are concerned with portion control to still indulge in a sweet treat. Our Schulstad Bakery Solutions Mini Danish Selection consists of miniature versions of Maple Pecan Plait, Cinnamon Swirl, Vanilla Crème Crown, Raspberry Crown and Apple Coronet, offering both variety and portion control for customers.
Merchandising and positioning
Impactful merchandising is key to converting customers to purchase. Operators should use point of sale material to promote the quality credentials of their product range to help drive sales. Signs such as ‘freshly baked’ and ‘try with a hot coffee’ bring the product to life for consumers and help take them from consideration to purchase. Placing bakery displays near coffee machines and cross-promoting Danish pastries and other sweet bakery items with hot drinks also presents outlets with an unmissable opportunity to increase the spend of existing customers and tempt impulse purchases.
Quality control
Nobody likes a soggy bottom, so operators need to ensure they deliver perfect product quality. This will encourage impulse purchases, retain repeat purchase and ensure customers choose your outlet rather than a competitor’s. You should make sure that your Danish products meet these criteria:
- High quality, flaky and freshly baked pastry is something every product must deliver, the flakiness of the product is a sign of a quality pastry.
- A good level of glaze is important to provide fresh cues to the consumer and ensure the product looks like it has been finished with care, inviting them to consume it.
- The bake colour must demonstrate that the pastry is baked well and will be the perfect texture.
- Finally, well finished icing on Danish pastries is critical to success. It helps to demonstrate the care that has gone into perfecting the product and shows an element of hand finishing as well as providing attractive sweet cues.
The Benefits of Frozen
Unlike the bakers in the tent however, you don’t have to be star baker to provide a stand-out Danish offering. Using frozen bakery products offers outlets all the commercial benefits of ambient, with minimal operational requirements or costs. Outlets should bake off little and often throughout the day to ensure products stay fresh and appealing. This also decreases wastage as short bake-off times make it easy to manage stock levels. Frozen bakery products also allow outlets the freedom to offer a range of quality bakery products, with minimal labour requirements, and without the inconvenience of storing fresh ingredients – it’s all in one frozen box.
[1] IRI MAT 29th September 2018
[2] IRI MAT 29th September 2018
[3] IRI MAT 29th September 2018
Lantmännen Unibake UK
01276 850500
@LantmannenUK.
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