In 2017, the branded bakery market reached a value of £1.4bn in the UK, according to the latest research from MCA, and by the end of 2018 it is expected to have grown a further 16 per cent.

Why has the bakery sector become so popular? Well, thanks to hit baking television shows like Great British Bake Off (Channel 4) and Nailed it (Netflix) people have an increased appetite for baked goods, such as doughnuts, breads and cakes. Simply Business revealed that in 2017 baking television shows inspired a 20 per cent surge in consumers visiting independent UK bakeries.

Following last year’s series of the Great British Bake Off supermarket Morrisons appointed a ‘bake officer’ to monitor buying trends resulting from the hit shows, while supermarket Waitrose reported a 33 per cent rise in sales of salted caramel flavoured baked goods after some contestants used salted caramel in their bakes last year.

Another reason why the demand for baked goods is increasing is because bakeries are experimenting with ingredients to create unique offerings. According to blog website Bakery.com four bakery trends that are set to be extremely popular in Autumn 2018 are:

• Black is the new Black – A backlash to the rainbow-unicorn everything last year, black and darker hues are making a comeback in food.
• Pink Chocolate Creativity – As for new and exciting colours, ruby chocolate will show up in more bakery products, pastries, and desserts.
• Just Desserts and Drinks Too – “Bars” that specialize in pies or other desserts paired with alcoholic drinks, coffee, and/or tea beverages.
• Exotic and Classic Donuts – Funky donut shops with fun, exotic donut flavours have been a hit for a while now, and this trend is set to continue.

In London one bakery that is always keeping up to date with the latest baking trends is Anges de Sucres (North Acton). This award-winning cake maker and decorator offer a fabulous range of unbelievable cakes, doughnuts, biscuits, and cupcakes. To keep up to date with the latest trends they create a selection of limited edition cakes every month. This month they have a unicorn cake and an activated charcoal cake.

So what’s the best way to serve baked goods for on-the-go consumption? Well, it completely depends on what types of baked goods you are serving. Whether you are serving cupcakes or a slice of cake, at Bunzl Catering Supplies we have a wide variety of packaging options to suit your needs; from cake boxes and paper plates to foil containers and paper bags.

For catering and hospitality operators serving baked goods, such as cake and muffins, we recommend serving them in the kraft bakery packaging range from our supplier Colpac. The range includes a small cake box, a large piece cake box and a carry out muffin box.

For bread and pastries, we recommend the Hot ‘n’ Crispy bags from our supplier Smith Anderson. Hot ‘n’ Crispy bags are specially designed to keep food hot and crispy, a favourite for heated display cabinets (up to 220°C), and increasingly used for keeping food preserved for consumers on the go.

To find out more about our different types of food packaging visit our Food Packaging e-brochure.

If you would like any further information, please contact Bunzl Catering Supplies today.