The current economic climate in the United Kingdom has seen utility bills rise exponentially and the cost of eating out increase by 15% over the last year. This means that consumers and foodservice outlets are looking for greater value when it comes to choosing baked goods and desserts, which has driven sales of premium frozen options.
“In February 2023, Which? captured the prices of own-brand fresh and frozen products across eight popular food categories from Aldi, Asda, Iceland, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Ocado and Waitrose,” said Rupert Ashby, chief executive of the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF). “The items compared included desserts and pastries such as pain au chocolat. The comparative prices showed that consumers can achieve savings of up to 66% when buying frozen desserts and pastries over fresh.”
Nostalgia
Trends in the baked goods and desserts segment have seen traditional products like teacakes becoming increasingly popular. Quality is the key purchasing driver of Teacakes for 45% of consumers. So says Opeepl on behalf of Schulstad Bakery Solutions – June 2023.
“The Fruited Teacake presents a real hidden opportunity for outlets to explore,” according to Samantha Winsor, marketing manager at Schulstad Bakery Solutions. “It is considered nostalgic by consumers, which we know is a key feature within most top selling sweet bakery products.”
During the current uncertain financial times there has been greater demand for retro desserts, such as apple pie and custard, trifle, and sponge cake. In fact, according to research from Foodhub, apple pie is Britain’s most popular sweet pie.
“Our Menuserve Deep Dish Apple Pie continues to be a firm favorite with our foodservice customers,” stated Gordon Lauder, managing director of frozen food distributor Central Foods. “Pre-sliced into 12 portions, it’s an ideal menu addition for venues like pubs, restaurants and hotels, as well as garden centers and care homes.”
Perfect Balance
The health trend is continuing to gain momentum as consumers focus on what they put into their bodies and how this impacts the environment. They now have increased awareness of food and manufacturing processes and are therefore attracted to products made with quality ingredients.
“The foodie passion for regional specialities and artisanal bakery produce is also prevalent and trends in innovative bakery items embracing alternative flours, and ancient grains can help meet the needs of those consumers following specific diets,” said Charlotte Perkins, trade marketing manager at Pan’Artisan.
Although customers are focussing more on health, when it comes to desserts they still want to indulge. Desserts are usually seen as unhealthy due to the amount of sugar and calories they contain, but, when eating out of home, consumers are willing to splash out on a dessert.
“Consumers want their desserts to be indulgent and worth the calories,” said Lauder. “Caterers can reduce the calorie content of desserts by serving smaller portions, rather than compromise on the quality and/or quantity of ingredients. This ensures that the ‘indulgence’ element is still delivered – giving customers what they are looking for.”
Free From
Increasing numbers of consumers are now also adopting a more flexitarian approach to eating, with many choosing vegetarian and vegan options even if they don’t follow this diet all the time.
“According to statistics from YouGov, as of 12th July 2023, vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians account for 21% of the British public,” said Ashby. “With the growing interest in this type of diet has come a diverse range of frozen desserts and baked goods that cater to all tastes and requirements. We have seen Pret A Manger release their frozen Vegan Croissants, as well as many own label innovations such as ASDA’s Extra Special Vegan Chocolate Torte.”
There has been significant development in the free-from frozen desserts sector, which means that tasty pre-prepared frozen desserts are now available for the most common special dietary requirements, such as gluten-free and vegan.
“Some are suitable for both, and this is really helpful for caterers in the foodservice sector as it helps to reduce menu proliferation, as well as workload in the kitchen and is a bonus if storage is tight,” pointed out Lauder. “It’s particularly useful if venues are struggling with staff shortages or if dedicated free-from kitchen prep areas are an issue.
“Customers with allergies are the ones who normally dictate where a group goes to eat, so by catering for them operators can pick up the business from the rest of the group at the same time. It’s a great way for venues to entice customers to visit their place instead of a competitor.”
Product Development
There has been a lot of product development in the frozen desserts segment, with several brands introducing new items to their ranges. As the holiday season approaches, there has been a shift toward premium options.
“We are seeing more premium frozen desserts and baked goods appearing in the frozen aisle,” said BFFF’s Ashby. “For example, Iceland has exclusively launched TGI Fridays’ new Caramelised Biscuit Blondie, which brings the taste and texture of restaurant quality desserts to consumers without breaking the bank.”
With budgets being stretched to the max, frozen products that can be used to make a variety of baked items will help make money go further. Pan’Artisan’s multipurpose dough balls, for example, provide a means to create a range of unique bakery items.
“Most commonly known for producing exceptional pizza bases, the versatility of these dough balls extends to anything from dinner rolls, sweet cinnamon swirls, dessert pizzas, sandwich carriers, bread loaves or flatbreads,” said Perkins. “They offer a great staple to have at hand and as they are supplied frozen, so product waste is easy to control.”
Pan’Artisan’s extensive variety of frozen, premium dough-based products includes gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options, and all products are made from quality ingredients, with no artificial preservatives, flavors or GM inputs.
Central Foods’ latest dessert products include the Strawberry and Prosecco Menuserve Meringue Roulade, which joins a range of meringue roulades that are suitable for gluten-free diners. Additionally, there’s the Menuserve Raspberry Pavlova, which is also suitable for coeliacs, and the Menuserve Chocolate and Cherry dessert, which will appear to both gluten-free and vegan diners.
Ashby concluded: “Contract caterers and consumers can enjoy all the benefits of buying frozen desserts and baked goods, including their longer shelf-life, nutritional profile and sustainability, all whilst saving money.”
