Topped baked goods are on the rise

19 July 2022 by

From doughnuts to buns, choux and pastries, there's huge demand for pâtisserie with toppings galore

If you want some of the best Chelsea buns in the UK, head west – but you'll have to be quick. Welsh baker Justin Coles recently won the Professional Baker category at the World Chelsea Bun Awards, but his customers have known how good they are for years.

"When I opened up the shop in Rhydyfelin two and a half years ago, I decided to make Chelsea buns, because that's what people were asking for, and now they're sold out every day," the co-owner of Coles Bakery says. "As soon as you put the Chelsea buns out, everybody wants them."

Brioche Bun Savory Brunch
Brioche Bun Savory Brunch

The residents of Rhydyfelin, a village close to the south Wales town of Pontypridd, reflect the desires of the British public. Although Chelsea buns are not as easy to find as they once were – you'll struggle in the British capital, the bun's alleged hometown – sweet treats as a category remain hugely popular. According to Mintel's 2021 UK report on cakes, cake bars and sweet baked goods, four out of five people eat them, and the market is worth £3.9b.

It's a market characterised by diversity and fluctuating trends. London is full of cinnamon bun shops, each more starkly Scandinavian than the last; doughnuts are everywhere, particularly those that wouldn't look out of place in Homer Simpson's sticky paws; decadently filled pastries are hugely popular, and not just on Instagram; and colourful cakes, the more rainbow shades the better, fill bakery shelves. All this and customers want healthy offerings, too.

The next few years, though, could be difficult for what is undeniably a luxury product, with the cost of living crisis starting to really bite. Perhaps, though, customers will decide that when times are tough, a little bit of what you fancy really does you good.

Don't go topless

Coles is a typical bakery in many ways, combining a long-established wholesale operation with a shop. Justin Coles produces many of the rolls, loaves and other assorted bakery goods that any British adult could recognise without too much problem, plus some sweet specials that appeal to his customers.

"Older customers love coffee puffs, a choux bun filled with cream and coffee with caramel on top," says Coles, who runs the shop with wife Leanne. "They're old favourites – they were another thing people asked for when we opened the shop. Then there's chocolate sundaes, cake jars and footlong doughnuts. Our afternoon teas have been very popular since lockdown, too."

Coles, who worked at the Welsh Pantry after leaving school and set up Coles' wholesale operation with his brother in 2006, says lockdown was a boom time for the company. "[Business] has gone down since then – through lockdown we were really busy. Now everything has opened up it's got quieter … it's still busy but it's not what it was."

His experience demonstrates how important appearance is in modern baking. Customers want something that looks as good as it tastes, according to Steve Lyons, managing director of BFP, ingredient supplier to the bakery industry. In the age of social media, toppings are crucial, he says.

Brioche Loaf Sweet French Toast Brunch
Brioche Loaf Sweet French Toast Brunch

"They're the biggest point of differentiation when it comes to buns and cupcakes," he adds. "As a consequence, we're seeing a growing number of operators buying ready-made baked goods, such as buns, muffins, gingerbread men, traybakes and doughnuts, then using the time saved in the baking process to customise and decorate them. Indulgence and extravagance are key, with buns piled high with an imaginative and varied array of toppings."

This trend has reached its zenith in the rise of diverse and colourful edible toppings, according to Karin Janssen, business development manager at ingredients supplier Henley Bridge. She cites "rizo curls in a wide range of colours, rosettes, stars, roses, batons, marbled twister rolls, petals and coffee beans". "The trend at present is for ‘loaded', hand-finished cakes, piled high with edible décor," she says. "With so many options available, it's an easy way for operators to put their own stamp on their products.

"Think about chocolate buns dripping in chocolate icing and adorned with a variety of chocolate decorations, that not only look amazing but taste amazing too. Henley Bridge offers a wide range of chocolate décor from the world's leading manufacturers, including Dobla, Chocolatree, Hillbo, Barbara Décor and Belcolade."

Innovation is everywhere, even where you might not expect it. Horlicks is an old British favourite, but not too old, it seems, to learn new tricks. Michelle Younger, marketing manager, suggests adding it to dough for its "moreishly malty taste."

"Buns are certainly set to make a comeback on pâtisserie menus this year and beyond – not the kinds of buns that consumers are familiar with but rather exotic, flavoured doughs with delicious fillings and toppings," she says.

"An example of an ingredient that is ideal to add to a bun dough mix is Horlicks; it's sure to elevate the flavour of any bun, particularly when paired with milk for moisture and icing mixed with Horlicks for an extra malty taste."

America the bountiful

As with much of the British food scene, anything that comes with a stars and stripes attached, metaphorically or otherwise, is more than welcome in the world of bakery. Nowhere is this more true than doughnuts – or donuts, as our linguistically frugal American cousins put it – which have swept the nation since Krispy Kreme arrived almost 20 years ago courtesy of a stand inside Harrods.

It now has a number of rivals, including from the Continent, according to Dawn Foods' Jacqui Passmore. "This growing trend in the UK is being fuelled by the range of donut eating opportunities in Europe, where donuts are softer, with a delicate structure and are viewed as a ‘cake' item consumed during a coffee break or at teatime," she says. "In contrast, in the US, donuts are considered a morning item or snack with a more bread-like structure."

Independent producers are also driving innovation, she says. "We are seeing some fantastic creations from artisan bakeries and pop-up cafés. These operators are breaking traditional boundaries, with new donut flavours, textures and formats. Donuts provide a superb blank canvas to go to town creatively, with hybrid dessert-cake combinations right on trend. Recent flavour combinations include a lemon meringue donut with lemon curd filling, jaffa chocolate orange donut and an apple crumble donut, among many others."

If these offerings seem a bit more indulgent than an iced finger, that's just a sign of the times. According to Callebaut UK and Ireland 2021 Dessert Report, indulgence is the top reason why consumers order a sweet treat – so, according to Anna Sentance, marketing manager, it's a great way for bakeries to boost sales. She suggests Callebaut's chocolate brownie fingers, drizzled in Callebaut white and ruby chocolate. "With the option to serve with a rich chocolate dipping sauce, these are a modern twist on a consumer favourite," she says.

Callebaut's latest range of chocolate fillings, Cremas, has been created with Callebaut chocolate and roasted nuts and remains creamy at room temperature: "Decadent, easy-to-use chocolate fillings, perfect for spreading, piping, injecting, flavouring, filling and decorating, helping operators easily meet the consumer demand for indulgence," adds Sentance.

Great Danes

Scandinavian pastries are enjoying a surge in popularity, with Swedish cardamom buns almost as popular as their Danish cinnamon cousins. Vegan options, too, are on the rise: Belgian bakers La Lorraine's Panesco brand has put the two together, offering a range of plant-based Danish pastries.

The ready-to-bake selection includes a Danish crown custard: "A fabulously creamy classic Danish treat," according to Rebecca Dunning, trade marketing manager. Made with San Francisco-inspired sourdough, it has a caramelised soft filling made from brown sugar and is sprinkled with chopped hazelnuts.

There's also a Danish crown apple buckthorn: "This product bursts with flavour – [it's] richly filled with the sweetness of apples along with the tangy, slightly sour flavour of buckthorn. It's the ideal product to sweeten up breakfast, brunch or any on the go snack at any foodservice establishment," says Dunning.

Others are eschewing excess sugar, and with some success. Brioche baker St Pierre is up 80% on last year, according to the company's Scott Oakes, a rise that demonstrates the popularity of brioche. Nielsen data from last year shows brioche loaves were growing by 11% in 2021 and, says Oakes, that trend is continuing.

St Pierre's brioche range includes plain and seeded burger buns, hot dog rolls, baguettes, sliced loaves and now bagels. "The rich and buttery flavour of brioche products complements a wide range of flavours, with a signature glaze finish for added visual appeal," says Oakes. "They offer full flexibility across the menu too, suitable for everything from afternoon tea and French toast, to premium sandwiches and continental-inspired bagels."

Cheesecake is similarly tried-and-trusted. Josh Laurier, operations director at English Cheesecake Company, advises operators to choose his company's frozen cheesecakes for a variety of reasons. They could lead to less waste, less work, longer shelf-life and higher margins, he insists.

"No bakery counter is complete without the timeless addition of a cheesecake, and with customers looking for luxury desserts that are made with quality ingredients and exciting flavour profiles, our cheesecakes are the perfect addition," he adds. "However, we understand that many busy foodservice professionals simply don't have the time or resources to make desserts from scratch that deliver both quality and on-trend innovation, which is why buying in luxury frozen desserts is the ideal solution."

All hail Gail's

One of the undoubted success stories of modern baking is Gail's, which opened eight new bakeries during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. A key part of the company's success is down to the fact that each new bakery in the Gail's estate is equipped with a Unox Bakertop Mind Maps Plus combi oven, combining "cooking performance, innovative features and aesthetic appeal".

"While some brands took away their in-store baking, Gail's places it at the heart of our customer experience," Brett Parker, property director for Gail's, says. "In fact, the first thing anybody sees when they come in is the kitchen. As a customer, you can walk up to the counter of the bakery and see it all happen. You can see the sausage rolls, the croissants, the cinnamon buns being cooked and the bread rolls rising, then you can watch it come out of that oven, onto a tray and get carried onto the counter. There's nothing better than seeing something cooked in front of you and handed to you still hot from the oven. This is one of our USPs."

On-site baking is a comforting taste of the past. The same could be said of some of the bakes offered by Macphie, whose marketing manager Kirsty Matthews says nostalgia is on the rise in these uncertain times. Sixty per cent of consumers are interested in buying from brands associated with their childhood, she adds.

"Flavours that remind us of our childhood – comforting desserts like lemon meringue, chocolate brownie, sticky toffee and cherry Bakewell – provide a sense of reassurance and take us back to moments where we felt safe and happy. They can spark a strong sense of nostalgia and with the recent Platinum Jubilee celebrations, we're seeing a renewed sense of pride in traditional British bakes.

"Big brands are adding their own twist to conventional recipes, giving bakers the opportunity to reinvent the classics. Retro sweet shop flavours lend themselves well to icings, frostings and fillings, while classic dessert flavours like sticky toffee, lemon, cherry Bakewell and poached pear are playing out in celebration cakes, muffins and tarts."

Classic British bake the Chelsea bun, if not quite on the endangered list, is in desperate need of a revival. Of course, if you're really keen you could head for south Wales – although as Justin Coles says, they're a mixed blessing for him even if they do fly off the shelves. "They're hard to make!" he laughs. "They take too long, but it's worth it."

Suppliers

Coles Bakery www.facebook.com/thecolesbakery

The Welsh Pantry www.welshpantry.com

BFP www.bfp-xpress.co.uk

Henley Bridge hbingredients.co.uk

Horlicks www.horlicks.co.uk

Dawn Foods dawnfoods.com

Callebaut UK www.callebaut.com

La Lorraine www.llbg.com

St Pierre stpierrebakery.com

English Cheesecake Company englishcheesecake.com

Unox www.unox.com

Macphie www.macphie.com

TagsBakery
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