10 years ago

My bakery trend blog for 2013 certainly missed the Cronut (half croissant, half donut), so I had to include it as a prelude for this year! Here’s my list of trends that are hot in the bakery world for 2014: 

Pairings – Be on the lookout for new, fun pairings. I’ve seen cookie-pies, cup-pies, pretzel croissants, crookies (croissant cookies)… I can’t even imagine what’s going to pop up as the next “pairing” trend!

Local is still hot – And will likely continue to be through local ingredients, local packaging and local products. Supporting the local farmers, orchards, chocolatiers and bakers is really the smartest way to do business. Everything is fresh and you know exactly who made it.

Online shopping – As our online shopping growth continues, it’s fair to say that bakery will have a greater presence in that arena. Everyone is getting accustomed to having what they want, when they want it with a click of a mouse or tap on their smartphone. Fresh cookies or a pie at your fingertips delivered to your front door!

Caffeinated products – Going the way of the large caffeinated drink category, companies are now adding caffeine in foods to get that same burst of energy. Pumping your morning muffin with 30 mg of caffeine so you can skip your morning coffee? I’m not sure about this trend; maybe I’m not in the correct generation that it’s being marketed to.

Nut butter – We’ve seen an insurgence of nut butters in the market. Not just peanut butter anymore, but cashew butters, almond butters, and other butters added with ingredients to take them over the top – chocolate or fruit. We’ll take the first step with this trend and add peanut butter to some of our Danish items this spring. Add a little chocolate drizzle and yum!

Flavor combinations – You’ll still find fun and different flavors in the bakery! Do you have a favorite combination that’s hard to find? Coconut passion fruit? Maple cinnamon? Blueberry pancake? Black currant? Ask one of our decorators or pastry chefs and they can help you out!

Grain breads – Sprouted grain breads, whole grain breads and even breads with added ancient grains are back and will be prominently displayed in bakeries this year. Keep an eye out! Take a sample and give it a try – better for you and with so much more flavor. You’ll be amazed.

Have a happy and healthy 2014!

Amy Fouks, bakery category manager