News and Trends

Defra has stated that bread using white flour should not be marketed with the word wholemeal. The Real Bread Campaign believes the Defra statement means companies will have to relabel or reformulate some wholemeal and ‘50/50’ loaves - but industry chiefs have yet to state their position. The Federation of Bakers told  British Baker  it has been working with the Food & Drink Federation, UK Flour Millers and the British Retail Consortium to draft an industry position statement. “This is in the process of being finalised and will be shared in due course,” said Federation of Bakers chief executive Andrew Pyne. It is not yet known when the industry position statement will be published. Bread and Flour Regulations The situation follows complaints made by the Real Bread Campaign over some branded and own-label loaves that it claims contravene The Bread and Flour Regulations. These include ‘50/50’ loaves and loaves described as wholemeal that contain small amounts of white fl...

Source: The Hummingbird Bakery New bakery shops in iconic London addresses have been unveiled by a trio of enterprising businesses. These include the likes of an American-style sweet bakery chain, a renowned restaurant group, and a street market café brand. Adding to the three new outlets highlighted in our  most recent ‘Opening Doors’ round-up , we find out more about the latest arrival to the capital’s craft bakery scene:   Chai Guys Bakehouse, Notting Hill Global flavours are to be showcased in the sweet and savoury artisanal products of this new bakery concept, opening on 23 November along the dynamic Portobello Road. It forms the latest expansion from the guys behind two Indian chai cafes at street markets in Covent Garden and Shoreditch. Menu items draw inspiration from culinary traditions in France, Scandinavia, Japan, and India, with signature bakes including Cardamom-Infused Chai Spice Milk Bread, Chocolate Chai Cookies (pictured), Miso Mushroom Garlic Swirls, an...

 Namnews,  26th October 2023 Latest figures from Asda’s Income Tracker reveal that Northern Ireland, Wales and the West Midlands experienced growth in disposable income during September for the first time in two years as financial pressures facing families started to ease. Disposable income for the average family in Northern Ireland increased by £5 per week to £103, making it the UK’s third strongest growing region in the third quarter. Families in Wales and the West Midlands also saw a year-on-year increase in their disposable income in the quarter, rising from £169 to £179 and £173 to £174 respectively. Household disposable incomes grew in all UK regions except the South West, driven by a robust job market and growth in earnings throughout the quarter, which is predicted to outstrip inflation in the near future. Across the UK, the amount households had to spend on themselves, after paying taxes and essential bills, grew by 5.2% during the third quarter to an average of £221 ...

 Namnew,  30th October 2023 Sainsbury’s is set to post its interim results on Thursday, with City analysts looking to the UK’s second-largest supermarket to shed more light on how consumer spending is holding up ahead of the all-important Christmas trading period. Whilst people’s budgets have come under pressure over the past year from soaring household bills and rocketing food inflation, recent data has shown an easing in food and drink price rises in recent months. In a first-quarter update in July, Sainsbury’s Chief Executive Simon Roberts said inflation was “starting to fall”. The retailer is expected to confirm that this downward trajectory has continued in recent months, with investors hoping to see a material impact from this on its operating costs. Sainsbury’s has previously stated that its underlying pre-tax profits for its current financial year will come in lower than the £690m it posted for the previous year. The retailer has invested heavily to improve its competi...

The cake market is a veritable buffet of innovation and inspiration, with punchy flavours, over-the-top creations, and TikTok-worthy designs. “Younger consumers and the influence of social media have helped to fuel current demand for premium, visually stunning cakes, often with global flavour influences and, ideally, a functional or health benefit too. These are trends that are big news in bakery and are only set to continue into 2024,” according to Jacqui Passmore, marketing manager UK and Ireland at Dawn Foods. “Much of this exciting innovation in cake format and flavours is being driven by small artisanal bakeries across the UK who have the flexibility to be able to introduce new limited-edition seasonal lines and quickly respond to the next big ‘cake craze’ on social.” So, what are the next big cake crazes? And how can bakers of all sizes tap into them? Source: Getty Images Take a trip down memory lane Bakery fans refuse to take off their rose-tinted glasses when it comes to sweet ...

What's cooking this Halloween? Check out our flavour trends for this season. Pic: GettyImages Naveen Pessani, Technical Category Manager for Chocolate & Confectionery, ofi says: “ As Halloween grows in popularity around the globe, we’re seeing product development teams moving beyond traditional confectionery and candy to bring consumers more exciting and personalized creations. From bringing a fun seasonal twist to better-for-you product lines to adding new variations to family favorite treats, Halloween is an opportunity to experiment with new flavours and switch up existing formats to surprise and delight customers ​.” Autumnal flavour pairings  We’re seeing more and more Halloween-themed chocolates incorporating autumnal flavours like pumpkin spice, apple cider, caramel apple and cinnamon. We’re also seeing chili emerging as a flavour trend in European confectionery, as identified in ofi’s recent research. Manufacturers can tap into this trend and give consumers a warming se...

Our latest data shows that take-home grocery sales in Ireland increased by 8.5% in the four weeks to 1 October 2023. During the month of October shoppers visited stores more often, up 5.9% and making an average of 20.5 trips. As consumers look for ways to manage household budgets, volumes per trip continued to decline compared to last year, down 7.3% with shoppers picking up on average one pack less per month.  Grocery price inflation, which stands at 10.5% in the 12 weeks to 1 October, is the main driving factor behind the rise in value sales rather than increased purchasing. Over the latest 12 weeks average prices rise by 8.7% year-on-year. It’s more welcome news for shoppers that inflation has fallen for the fifth month in a row – from last month’s 11.3%. Although there is promise in the current trajectory and this marks the lowest level of inflation we have seen since September 2022, the fact is that inflation still remains high. There is currently a drop in the level of sales ...

Namnews,   24th October 2023 Total retail spending over the six weeks leading up to Christmas is forecast to rise 3.3% to £84.9bn, boosted by higher prices after a year of soaring inflation. However, VoucherCodes’s  Shopping for Christmas Report 2023  predicts that sales volumes will decline by 4.1% as consumers impacted by the cost of living crisis make cutbacks. Sales of gifts and decorations are predicted to be worst hit, with gift spending forecast to fall 3% to £11.25bn and decorations spend set to slide 19.6% to £0.66bn. However, food and drink retailers are set for a boost, with sales increasing 5.5% to £7.68bn. The report suggests that in-store sales are likely to continue to recover from their pandemic low, with almost two-thirds of purchases to be made in-store this Christmas (64%). As a result, total offline sales are forecast to reach £54.01bn (+3.5% YoY), whereas online sales figures are more modest at £30.91bn (+3% YoY). Michael Brandy, Senior Commercia...

nkedIn Partager 25 Oct 2023 ---  Innova Market Insights  is revealing its Top Ten Food & Drink Trends for 2024, with “Taking the spotlight” coming out on top. Certain ingredients are expected to rise to prominence next year as sentimental factors, social media and health claims drive purchasing decisions.  “Nurturing nature” is identified as the number two trend, followed by “Prioritizing prevention,” “Plant-based: The rise of applied offerings” and “Local goes global.” New research shows that, while the effects of high food price inflation and the need to cut back are still affecting consumer markets worldwide, eye-catching or well-loved ingredients, nature-friendly claims, as well as health benefits, will increasingly inspire higher spending into 2024. “There is always an overlap across trends and regional or local differences and differences between genders and even income groups. But trends help to see where things are moving in broader terms and uncover opportuni...