New Bakery Product of the Year 2024 finalists unveiled

Exciting savoury flavour combinations, healthier crackers, a naan bread reimagined, and some delightful sweet treats comprise the finalists for New Bakery Product of the Year 2024.

The Baking Industry Awards category, sponsored by Baker & Baker, looks to celebrate innovative products that are either brand new to market or offer a twist on the flavour or format of an existing line.

Here are the outstanding items selected as finalists this year:

Extra Special Naan Inspired Bloomer, Asda

This 400g artisanal-style loaf contains yoghurt for an authentic creamy naan bread texture with a mix of chilli, onion, and spices affording a ‘warm breadth of flavour’. A 25-year-old levain was also used to add a ‘subtle piquancy’ to the bloomer.

The retailer admitted it was challenging to make sure the bread was packed with flavour whilst complementing, and not overpowering, a meal. Consumers can use it as an accompaniment to a traditional Indian curry, as sandwich carrier for lunch, or even as a centrepiece for summer barbecues, suggested Asda.

The versatility was praised by the judges who also liked the nigella seeds on top and praised the good bake with an “inviting crust” as well as the “excellent flavour” with a hint of spice.

Garlic-Roasted Broccoli & Vintage Cheddar Quiche with Emmental Crumb, Higgidy

This vibrant veggie sharing-sized quiche features a combo of vintage Somerset Cheddar, tangy Red Leicester, and nutty Emmental baked inside spelt shortcrust pastry.

Higgidy said its team focussed on incorporating a variety of cheeses and enhancing the broccoli’s flavour by tossing it with a blend of garlic, oil and salt and placing it on top of the quiche instead of inside. The slight char of the vegetables helped infuse a smoky flavour on the dish, added the savoury pastry specialist based in Shoreham-by-Sea. In addition, the quiche has been launched in support of the British Hen Welfare Trust and will help a million ex-commercial laying hens enjoy a free-range retirement.

Judges relished the generosity of the broccoli and other strong flavours, while appreciating the “health cues”, noting that thought and care that has gone into the product.

Kimchi & Smoked Cheese Bear Claw, M’s Bakery

Looking to double up on its sweet cube success in the category last year, the Bournemouth-based business has now used its laminated croissant dough in a savoury offering that fuses Eastern and Western cuisines.

Inspiration actually came from a cheese & sauerkraut pastry enjoyed during a trip to Budapest. M’s Bakery notes its sweet flaky pastry, made via a three-day process, is well balanced with the smokiness of the Monterey Jack cheese and acidity of the homemade kimchi. Black and white sesame seeds are sprinkled on top, with the shape and size of the bear claw presenting an excellent form to eat while walking.

Judges found all three components of the recipe to be “really well executed”, describing the texture of the kimchi as “amazing” and noting that the pastry quality demonstrated good baking skills.

Northern Bliss-cuits, Lovingly Artisan

Lovingly Artisan – the two-time topper of the Bakers’ Dozen list of best artisan bakeries in the UK – created these guilt-free savoury biscuits to tap into demand for healthy on-the-go snacks from its Lake District customer base.

Made from a mix of organic barley, oats, bran, honey, and butter, they are gently baked to a soft amber tone in the wood-fired oven and sold in resealable packaging, allowing the biscuits to keep their bite for that little bit longer.

Judges described them as “versatile” and “moreish” and said they “delivered the bliss”, while loving the idea that they had been made while working around the constraints of production schedules.

Passion Fruit Pavlova Longboy, Longboys

The combination of classic Pavlova dessert with a brioche-style finger doughnut results in a ‘delightful and unexpected treat that is sure to captivate customers’ taste buds’, asserts London-based artisanal doughnut brand Longboys.

The filling includes tropical crémeux; pineapple, vanilla and anise compote; and Italian meringue finished with roasted coconut.

Judges commented that every element was “beautiful and delicious”, with the doughnut well fried but not greasy or overdone. They also admired the skills and technical ability that shone through.

Roasted Hazelnut Chocolatine, M&S

This product was among a range of four premium pastries developed by bakery supplier Délifrance in collaboration with the M&S in-store bakery team.

It features flaky all-butter pastry filled with Belgian chocolate and hazelnut praline paste plus some crunchy chopped hazelnuts. The ‘striking bi-colour scarified visual’, made from layers of classic and cocoa-flavoured dough delicately scored by hand, is said to give the chocolatine a ‘highly Instagrammable appearance’.

A “good butter aroma” and “nice chocolate taste” was noted by the judges, who also said it “visually stands out” in ISB at M&S stores.

Join us for a night of celebration

The winners will be revealed at a black-tie ceremony on Thursday 24 October at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. The ceremony, hosted by a yet-to-be-revealed celebrity, will also feature a presentation for the Outstanding Contribution to the Baking Industry, sponsored by Délifrance.

Tickets for the awards are available now via the Baking Industry Awards website. Individual tickets cost £330+VAT and a table of 10 costs £3,300+VAT.

The event includes a dazzling drinks reception, a three-course dinner with wine and coffee, and an afterparty complete with snacks and entertainment to help you celebrate into the early morning.

Get your tickets here: https://bakeryawards.co.uk/live/en/page/attend