Halloween has carried on its evil evolution from a single fright night into an ever-expanding season on the bakery calendar.
As such, brands are needing to concoct their magical product ranges in time for launch at the start of October or even earlier.
More than half of the members of the Craft Bakers Association (CBA) have reported an increase in revenue during Halloween, although these are still typically 20% less than Christmas sales and slightly less than at Easter.
The exponential growth of the UK’s Halloween opportunity in recent years is “undoubtedly driven by our love of American culture”, comments Karin Janssen, business development manager at ingredients supplier Henley Bridge. So just like the guys and gals across the pond, UK bakers can look to reap some grim rewards by going big on efforts to mark the spooky season.
A difference this year, however, could come with 31 October landing on a Thursday. Halloween celebrations are thus likely to bleed into the weekend, meaning bakery shops and retail aisles can stay stocked with gruesome goodies for a few days more.
So, what are the best ways to ensure a cauldron-load of sales this coming Halloween? And what are the latest flavour trends and innovative ideas for fillings and decorations?
Keeping it cheap and fearful
Ongoing inflation easing may be offering relief for manufacturers, but cost-of-living concerns still pervade among consumers this year. Mintel’s Halloween Report from January 2024 had 60% of survey respondents in the UK claiming their celebrations were subdued last year due to higher bills and other outgoings.
“In the current economic climate, one thing that consumers of all ages are also sure to want from brands and bakers for Halloween 2024 is value for their money,” states Hannah Kennedy, marketing manager for Renshaw By Bakels, the new brand identity of the icings and marzipan specialist following its rescue from administration last December.
“In light of this, come October we expect shoppers across the board will be looking for products that produce that all important ‘wow’ factor, without breaking the bank,” she adds.
Jacqui Passmore, marketing Lead West EU & AMEAP at bakery supplier Dawn Foods, echoes this sentiment, saying: “Consumers are looking for Halloween cakes to deliver visually but to be easy on the pocket, as something fun to share with family or as an office coffee time treat for example.”
To help create wallet-friendly items, Passmore recommends keeping it simple by putting a Halloween twist on existing bakes. “A plain cupcake can become an eye-catching Halloween themed cake with a swirl of orange frosting and ready to use chocolate decorations – simple but effective,” she suggests.
Familiarity with a terrifying twist
Simple but effective is an apt description of the cupcake format, with the traditional easy bake being the most popular baked product during Halloween, according to past surveys of CBA members with biscuits a close second.
The term ‘Halloween cupcakes’ caused spikes on Google Trends last year and they are “likely to be front of mind for consumers this time round too”, says Renshaw’s Kennedy. Cupcakes can also be arranged in towers to form a table centrepiece at Halloween parties, while mini cupcakes help offer smaller rewards and treats for kids.
“Nothing could provide more opportunity for experimentation than Halloween”
Gen Z consumers may well be the biggest spenders again this year. Research published by comparison website Finder.com found 87% of the age group surveyed had an average Halloween budget of £46 each in 2023. However, they demand more from the line-up of nostalgic formats like cookies, cakes, doughnuts, muffins, and brownies.
“Life for Gen Z is about exploring experiences – these consumers want to try fresh and disruptive food ingredients they have learnt about online and are ready for adventure. And nothing could provide more opportunity for experimentation than Halloween,” remarks Dawn’s Passmore.
Kennedy espouses the concept of “newstalgia”, which she says is all about building on the foundation of familiarity but giving it a new, modern twist with quality ingredients. “Bakers and bakery brands should consider taking some of their more traditional bakes and experiment combining them with different flavours, ingredients and colours, to produce a seasonal hybrid,” she asserts, citing Renshaw’s Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe as an example.
It’s not just sweet bakery that is getting the tricky treatment this year. The CBA reports that its members are innovating with Halloween-themed sausage rolls, while savoury pastry brand Ginsters has unveiled its limited-edition Spicy Sausage & Red Pepper Pasty.
Rolling out on supermarket shelves from 1 October, the pasty comprises 100% British sausage and smoked bacon with red peppers and onions, smothered in a rich smoky tomato sauce and seasoned with a kick of fiery chilli, all encased in a flaky and golden puff pastry. “We know consumers are looking for taste experiences and our Halloween pasty is set to give shoppers a spicy, spooky, tasty treat this season,” comments Ginsters marketing director Emma Stowers.
Show your boo colours
The go-to colour palette for Halloween transformations remains largely the same: black, orange, purple, green, and red. Starker shades of these continue their appeal among a younger audience and make it easy to “switch up familiar favourites by adding vibrant fillings and frostings,” observes Henley Bridge’s Janssen.
Kennedy confirms that black is the biggest seller around Halloween in Renshaw’s Just Roll With It range of ready-made fondant icing, which underwent a brand refresh a few months ago. “In 2023, our Tiger Orange fondant saw an uplift of 73% in the second half of the year (compared to the first), which signals to us that consumers were purchasing more ahead of seasonal holiday’s such as Halloween.”
Meanwhile, softer hues of classic autumnal colours including brown, green, and orange can help provide a “grown up aesthetic to capture a new audience”, believes Miriam Bernhart, director category bread & pastry solutions at CSM Ingredients.
Food colourings or tinted ingredients like carbon black cocoa powder can be used to bring colour to a cake batter. “Consumers love the element of surprise,” adds Janssen, and this can be achieved with a natural filling such as pistachio paste to have green oozing out of a doughnut or muffin.
Pistachio was previously proclaimed as one of the top flavour trends in bakery this year, along with nostalgic recipes that evoke memories of indulgent childhood treats. Autumnal favourites pumpkin and cinnamon will dominate flavours during the upcoming Halloween season, reckons Bernhart, pointing to The Food People’s 2023 trends report.
Pumpkin spice has become a cult classic notes Lawrence Watson, managing director of bakery ingredients specialist Kluman & Balter, adding that “spiced apple is an excellent alternative and works throughout the season too”.
Décor with gore galore
Bakers will need to get both colourful and creative as “consumers are looking for bakes which literally ‘scream’ Halloween”, says Janssen at Henley Bridge.
Suggestions for product designs form a creepy kaleidoscope ranging from green witches, purple monsters, white ghosts, and black bat characters to orange pumpkins, grey tombstones, and red bloodshot eyeballs.
3D cakes are said to be back in style, with intricately crafted fondant providing detail while Rice Krispies and pre-whipped marshmallow help bring texture and stability. Additionally, themed sugar or chocolate decorations from brands like Dobla, Hilbo, and Culpitt can be added to any product for a final ghoulish flourish.
A petrified platter showcasing five different sweet treat recipes for Halloween was revealed by the NPD team at ingredients supplier Zeelandia UK, including:
- Witches Hats – a drop of strawberry jam on a biscuit with green Mallow Russe piped on top in a cone shape, before dipping in baker’s chocolate and finished with green sugar sprinkles
- Slimy Blob Monsters – similar to the Witches Hats but topped with green apple jam instead of a chocolate dipping, plus a pair of edible sugar eyes
- Mummy Millionaires – a purple-coloured layer of caramel on shortbread, finished with a white chocolate layer and then strips, plus sugar eyes
- Brain Muffins – cupcakes with a raspberry fruit filling, topped with random swirls of mallow buttercream frosting and then covered with apple and raspberry jam
- Screaming Pies – red cherry shortcrust pie with holes for eyes and a mouth punched out using a piping nozzle.
There’s even scope for the experiential to heighten the frights.
“Bakeries can delight their customers by introducing an element of theatre, adding DIY injectable jam or fruit fillings into the centre of their bakes using syringes,” proposes Watson at Kluman & Balter. He also advocates for Burn Away cakes, which took social media by storm earlier this year with some posts amassing tens of millions of views. “We expect this sweet ‘magic trick’ cake to make a re-appearance, as it’s sure to be a showstopper,” he adds.
Monster marketing efforts
Social media has the power to play a key role in shaping consumers’ desire for seasonal bakery products, especially around Halloween, conveys Renshaw’s Kennedy.
“According to Mintel, 69% of people believe social media to be useful for Halloween inspiration, with influencers paving the way in inspiration and trends,” she says, recommending bakery businesses use hashtags, brand ambassadors, and paid for strategy to help drive traffic to their channels.
Bernhart at CSM Ingredients also endorses early efforts online to showcase Halloween ranges and encourage pre-orders, followed up by strong window displays at shops.
She also mentions add-ons such as boo baskets that were “huge last year” and set to continue in popularity this year. “The idea of gifting to friends and family will continue at pace and bakers can meet this demand by creating the right product range that can be included in them,” notes Bernhart.
With the wickedest recipes, hair-raising designs, and well executed promotions, bakers can guarantee that their savoury tricks and sweet treats will have consumers licking their fangs for more.
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