Speciality Food October 2024

JOYSPREAD CRUNCHY CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT This is a lusciously creamy spread, fi lled with crunchy wafers and pieces of hazelnut. A next level cake filling, or swirl for homemade brownies. joyspread.co.uk MON DESSERT PISTACHIOMACARON BAKING KIT Everything you need to recreate delicate Parisian macarons with a pistachio and white chocolate ganache filling. Step by step instructions ensure perfection every time. mondessert.co.uk THE YORKSHIRE KITCHEN HONEY & CINNAMON BUTTER Sold ambient, with a long shelf life, only Yorkshire butter and natural ingredients make it into the jar. Perfection in homemade cinnamon buns theyorkshirekitchen.com leisure activity with children, you can use store cupboard ingredients, and baking together can be fun as well as educational. “Our sales of home baking flours increased significantly during Covid – especially the first lockdown when there was a huge spike in demand, however sales have normalised now. The pandemic bought new people into baking – and many liked the sense of achievement about the bakes they could make and share with family/friends/neighbours. It also reminded people how calming and mindful the process of baking is, and they’ve maintained a regular bread making habit since then.” What’s to come for home baking Sophie predicts an increase in alternative ingredients entering the market, an evolution shaped by consumers’ ever-more informed demands. “Looking ahead, we anticipate continued innovation in this space and expect to see more emphasis on alternative and unusual ingredients, like ancient grains and plant-based options, as well as increased transparency in product sourcing. The market will likely continue to evolve with a focus on both environmental impact “It’s perfect for making pancakes or chocolate croissants; it can also be used to create a chocolatey crumble topping, blended with icing sugar to make decadent cake frosting, or even used to cook apples or plums for a luxurious topping on breakfast porridge or yoghurt. And let’s not forget, it’s a grown-up, luxurious way to spread on bread, though kids love it too!” Next-gen flours (with heritage) A winning combination of quality, innovation and versatility is the name of the game at Essex-based millers Marriages, too, and since launching their range of home baking flours in the 1950s the team has witnessed the evolution of the sector. “Since then, we’ve seen a much bigger choice of flours for home bakers,” says Hannah Marriage, director. “We have a wide range of 18 award- winning quality home baking flours and we also have a wide range of customers all baking for different reasons (trying a new recipe/baking for a special occasion etc). Our customers are looking for artisan ingredients and quality that shows in rise, flavour and texture of their bakes and they trust us because we also supply leading professionals and artisan bakers. When home bakers look to bake at home they ‘re looking for reliability and just as our trade customers, they want to know they will have consistency with every bake.” Advances in technology – for example, the advent of bread machines – and shared experiences such as recessions and the Covid-19 pandemic have played their part, too. “We saw home baking increase during the last recession,” explains Hannah. “In a time of cost-of-living pressures, baking is an affordable specialityfoodmagazine.com 37 STOCK CHECK S P E C I A L I T Y F O O D M A G A Z I N E * 2 0 2 4 * LITTLEPOD PURE CHOCOLATE EXTRACT An intense-flavoured extract, made using cocoa beans from the Ivory Coast. More intense than cocoa powder and with no added sugar. littlepod.co.uk NIELSEN-MASSEY PURE LEMON PASTE The thick consistency of this paste, made with the best quality lemon oil, brings a light, bright citrussy hit to a variety of recipes without the need to juice or zest. nielsenmassey.com TERRE EXOTIQUE SUCRE FOU T here is simply nothing else like this su gar, made on the island of Reunion . Its hints of vanilla, Madagascan p epper, cocoa and maple lend it to al l kinds of baking and desserts. souschef.co.uk HOW TO SELL: BAKING INGREDIENTS Dan Lepard, chef, shares his five top tips for boosting home baking sales 1 EXPERIMENT WITH SPICE MIXES Spice mixes made in-house are a great idea to add some personality to your home baking range. Mince pie spice, Christmas cake spice and stollen spice would be strong sellers during the festive season. Small jars can be bought cheaply in bulk, and these could be a good gifting option, too. 2 CUT EXPENSIVE INGREDIENTS WITH CHEAPER OPTIONS Customers don’t necessarily need to use 100% expensive ingredients in their cooking; it’s fine to cut them with cheaper options to keep costs down – it’s not going to affect the finished product that much. I like to use sunflower oil in my baking recipes. This means that retailers can sell variations of the same product at different price points, they just need to display clear signage to explain the concept. 3 CONNECT WITH CUSTOMERS I find that I’m not spoken to as much in speciality stores as I used to be. There’s a generational difference, with older staff more open to communicating with customers than younger staff, but this is an important part of getting people to buy what you’re selling. 4 ADD PERSONALISED TESTIMONIALS TO YOUR DISPLAYS By including a small card with a hand-written testimonial about the product from a member of staff, you’ll add personality and an element of trust to that product. They can explain how they used it and what they enjoyed about it, and customers could be persuaded by that connection with a real person. 5 PRODUCE RECIPE CARDS A simple recipe card could help to promote your baking ingredients. It doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive; just a photocopied A5 piece of paper with the creator’s name at the top to add personality and connection could inspire customers to try something new with your products. By including a small cardwith a hand-written testimonial about the product fromamember of staff, you’ll addpersonality and an element of trust to that product and meeting diverse dietary needs.” For Hannah, the future looks bright for healthier bakes with a homegrown story. “There seems to be a big focus on health, and we wonder if more people will start to bake more of their own cakes/ bread/sourdough at home. We don’t think the interest in local produce will go away and we’re proud to still say that after 200 years we’re working with local farming families, sourcing the majority of quality grade 1 wheats within 30 miles of our mill.” Marriages believes that the rise in home baking is far from a flash in the pan. Indeed, from a survey of 500 respondents that they conducted in 2023, they found that 61% of people are baking at least once a month and 38% bake weekly. Themarket will likely continue to evolvewith a focus on both environmental impact andmeeting diverse dietary need