The weather might not show it, but summer has arrived. Come rain or shine, the nation’s bakers ensure there’s a veritable feast of seasonal baked goods ready and waiting for shoppers.
But which flavours, formats, and trends will be big this summer?
“Summer 2026 bakery trends are expected to balance familiarity with discovery and present lots of opportunities to include new flavour and seasonal ranges,” explains Ryan Gaskin, group leader traditional trade, from CSM Ingredients. “Combining nostalgic fruit flavours and comforting formats with globally inspired twists, vibrant presentation, and bolder flavour experimentation will meet the demand for insta worthy ranges and delicious summer bakes.”
Social-first sweet treats
Scourge of the earth or source of entertainment? Insipid waste of time or inspirational and informational? There’s no denying that opinions on and about social media differ, but it’s also hard to deny the power it has over consumers and their shopping habits.
According to M&S, 56% of shoppers said they bought a product from the M&S Foodhall after seeing it on social media first, and more than a quarter say indulgent flavours are the thing that is most likely to influence them to pick up a dessert or sweet treat from its in-store bakeries.
“Sweet treats like our stunning new Dunked N’ Loaded Doughnuts and Cookie Cups are great for Instagram, but they are also really delicious and expertly developed,” says Annette Peters, head of trends & innovation at M&S Food. “We have a brilliant combination of individual treats that you can pick up for some personal indulgence – think of it as ‘a treat for me’ – but they are also big enough that you can definitely share them too.”
Products performing well on social media and in-store are unlikely to be developed simply for the ‘Gram, instead tapping into other trends but with the added hype of being seasonal/limited edition. This could include on-trend flavours (see more below), textures, ingredients, visually interesting launches or over the top indulgence which combines several of these.
“Consumer desire for the latest, limited-edition products, and the FOMO cannot be underestimated so developing a summer bakery range that ticks these boxes, presents bakers with a tangible business opportunity,” says Jacqui Passmore, marketing lead West EU & AMEAP at Dawn Foods. She points to Mintel’s Cakes, Cake Bars and Sweet Baked Goods Report (May 2025) which shows that 50% of consumers in this market are encouraged to purchase products available for a limited time and among 16-24-year-olds, often the most influenced by social media, this rises to 74%.
M&S’ Pistachio Big Daddy Cookie Cup is one example. Building on the success of the Big Daddy chocolate bar, it pairs a chewy chocolate chip base with white chocolate cheesecake and pistachio crème filling, all finished with salted caramel sauce, milk chocolate chunks, and pistachio pieces. It’s hitting texture trends (smooth, chewy, crunchy) as well as continued desire for all things pistachio.
Lisa Kerr, senior marketing manager at Puratos UK points to its Taste Tomorrow research which found that 73% of those polled believe that food that looks good is tasty too, highlighting “bright berry tones, glossy glazes, and colourful citrus finishes” helping products stand out on socials.
“Consumers value shareable food moments and increasingly expect an experience that feels premium, artisanal and shareable, with 33% of UK consumers sharing food experiences online as a way to connect with likeminded people,” she adds.
Putting the new into newstalgia
Nostalgia is the trend that keeps on giving. Thankfully, it’s cyclical – as time presses on the things people can become nostalgic for changes as well. This year, it seems, classic biscuits are high on the agenda as are childhood sweets and even coronation chicken.
You’d be hard pressed not to feel the nostalgia emanating from Waitrose’ summer range, with Coronation Chicken Quiche, Coronation Chicken Pastries, and a Scotch Egg Sandwich (brought out to celebrate the launch of Rivals season two on Disney+) nestled among its range.
“This summer we’re seeing a big 80s vibe in bakery with nostalgic flavours being reinvented in different and surprising formats,” notes Karin Janssen, bakery expert and business development manager at ingredients supplier Henley Bridge. Look out for tiramisu brownies, Black Forest Gateau traybakes, and even baked Alaskas, she adds.
As nostalgic as shoppers are, they still want an element of newness, often with a premium, modern twist, hence the term ‘newstalgia’.
Bakery79, a bakery concept unveiled by Park Garage Group earlier this year, has also gone big on the retro vibes as it looks to create comforting throwback moments with its new Summer of 79 menu. It features a Parma Violet Doughnut, a Drumstick Planet Doughnut, and even a selection of filled baguettes including a chicken kiev one and a cheese & pineapple one, as well as a non-alcoholic pina colada-inspired beverage.
“Nostalgia is becoming an increasingly important influence across food and drink, particularly within bakery and sweet treats. Consumers are looking for flavours that feel familiar and comforting, but still offer something playful and visually engaging,” explains Bakery79 co-founder Hemant Tandon. “With the Summer of 79 menu, we wanted to bring together recognisable retro favourites and reinterpret them in a fresh, modern bakery format that appeals across different customer groups.”
From sweet shops to the biscuit aisles, another comforting flavour being utilised by retailers is custard creams. It can be seen heavily across the M&S range with a Dunked N’ Loaded Custard Cream Doughnut, Chunked N’ Loaded Custard Cream Cookie, Giant Outrageously Chocolatey Milk Chocolate Coated Custard Cream, and a Custard Cream Milkshake in its cafes.
“Consumers are really leaning into nostalgic biscuit flavours and texture-led products at the moment too, which is something we’re seeing continue to shape modern bakery trends,” says Ross Lowrey-Heywood, innovation development manager at Finsbury Food Group. That’s one of the reasons the firm developed the Custard Cream Cake for Asda comprising sponge cake and rich custard flavour frosting, covered in soft icing and perfectly decorated to look like a delicious biscuit tin classic.
Feeling hot, hot, hot
The weather isn’t the only thing heating up this summer as bakers and retailers alike turn the spice level up across their ranges.
Craft bakery business Cooplands brought in TV chef Ainsley Harriott to help spice up its summer range. Joining the bakery’s team in the product development kitchen, Harriott helped come up with a four-strong line-up of products: a Jerk Chicken Pizza, Mexican Chilli Pasty, New Yorker Sandwich, and even a Chilli Brownie – Cooplands’ classic brownie infused with chilli sauce and topped with fiery chilli & chocolate fudge.
The latter is a prime example of one of food & drink’s hottest trends right now, ‘swicy’ (that’s sweet and spicy for those not in the know). Swicy combinations, “such as hot honey, chilli lemon, gochujang and harissa are moving from foodservice into retail bakery” notes Samantha Winsor, marketing manager at Lantmännen Unibake.
This can be seen in abundance in the food-to-go aisles with sandwiches from Co-op’s Korean Chicken Sando with Gochujang Aioli to its Beef Burrito Wrap with Birria Dip, as well as Bacon & Chilli Jam Crowns from M&S, Hot Honey & Halloumi Rolls and Red Pepper & Maple Syrup Pork Pies at Morrisons, and ’Nduja & Parmesan Sausage Rolls from Sainsbury’s.
There’s also greater scope for sweet & salty and sweet & sour combinations to come through as well, notes Dan Jones, marketing manager at British Bakels.
“These types of pairings are gaining traction in wider summer food and drink innovation because they help create more memorable flavour experiences. In bakery, this could translate into hot honey glazes, chilli-chocolate doughnuts, salted pistachio fillings, yuzu caramel, or fruit & spice combinations that deliver a more layered eating experience,” he explains.
Sun’s out, buns out
The moment the sun shines, the barbecue becomes the cooking method of choice for the nation with burgers and hotdogs familiar favourites for charring on the outdoor grill. But what these meaty mainstays are served in is evolving.
“Shoppers are increasingly looking beyond standard burger buns and hot dog rolls in favour of more premium bakery options that deliver on quality, flavour and versatility, helping to elevate simple at-home barbeques into more memorable dining experiences,” explains Jason Geary, master baker at Jason’s Sourdough. “This presents a significant opportunity to expand bread roll offerings to cater to a wider range of summer dining formats.”
Aiming to bring the out of home dining experience to consumers’ homes, Tesco recently unveiled Potato Burger Rolls. Inspired by the potato rolls used in cult London burger spots like Shake Shack and Supernova, they’re made with mashed potatoes rather than potato flakes to create a ‘soft pillowy crumb’ which delivers a ‘natural sweetness without the richness of brioche’.
They were rolled out as part of a 22-strong range of Tesco Finest NPD, including Sub Rolls with Hot Honey which tap into demand for the spicy yet sweet condiment, as well as Sub Rolls with Everything Seasoning, and even flatbreads in the form of Chilli and Plain Pinsa.
“Flavour-led bakery will continue to play an important role in helping shoppers elevate everyday meal occasions, particularly as barbecue season gets underway,” explains Rachel Wells, commercial director at St Pierre Groupe.
“Sweet and savoury combinations are gaining traction, with consumers looking for products that feel familiar enough to be accessible, but different enough to add excitement.”
Flavoured buns (coupled with an interesting condiment) are the perfect playground for this, adding a twist to the classic burger or hotdog while not venturing too far out of comfort zones.
St Pierre, for example, rolled out limited edition Caramelised Onion Brioche Buns for the 2026 barbecue season, pairing the brand’s “signature soft, golden brioche with a rich, gently sweet caramelised onion flavour” which adds depths to burgers, sandwiches, and summer dining.
Waitrose, meanwhile, has embraced spicier flavours and delivered them through the likes of its new Corn & Jalapeno Flatbuns and Gunpowder Spiced Flatbreads.
Keep your eye on the ball
Whether or not ‘it’s coming home’, there’s no denying that the FIFA World Cup will have an impact on consumer behaviour throughout June and July.
Hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the USA, it’s a “clear opportunity for operators to tap into these trends through limited-edition and occasion-led products that suit relaxed, social dining” notes to Helen Bowyer, commercial director at Compleat Foodservice, home of Wrights.
Expect “bold, American-inspired recipes and flavours to take centre stage”, says Bowyer, pointing to Wrights limited-edition launches as examples. There’s the Philly Cheese Steak Pie which combines melt-in-the-mouth steak and peppers with a creamy cheese sauce and subtle chilli heat, wrapped in a savoury oregano & cheese shortcrust pastry. Alongside it, the Buffalo Chicken Slice delivers chicken and peppers in a buffalo-style sauce, encased in light, flaky pastry.
“These are well-loved American dishes brought to life in the pastry formats diners already know and trust, making them feel both familiar and fresh,” she adds, noting their versatility for casual dining, hot hold in bakeries for on-the-go consumption, and pub settings.
While football and pubs seem like a match made in heaven, according to M&S, almost half of consumers say they’re going to have people over to watch or go to someone else’s to do so.
Indeed, there are several savoury delights nestled in M&S’ summer range for the occasion, some more subtle than others. The Lion’s Share Football Roll is clear about its target audience of footie fans and features a football shaped pretzel roll packed with British chicken, mustard mayo, pickled carrot and spinach, and was created in partnership with the FA. The deep-dish Detroit-style pizzas are more versatile. Available in Hot Pepp’ Pie and Cool Marg’ Pie, they have a thick fluffy base loaded with mozzarella and extra mature Cheddar, and extra toppings.
Away from savoury items, there are opportunities for sweet treats to tap into football fever – although with all football-themed products make sure you don’t fall foul of licensing rules as FIFA brand assets such as logos, words, titles, symbols and other identifiers are protected and can only be used under licence. Finsbury was sure to abide by teaming up with the Scottish Football Association and the English Football Association to create cupcakes for the occasion. The England cupcakes bring their iconic colours to life with bold swirls of red and white frosting, finished with edible England crests. The Scotland cupcakes capture the spirit of the Saltire with vibrant blue and white frosting, also complete with edible Scotland logos and packaging featuring the Rampant Lion.
Even M&S’ beloved Colin the Caterpillar has got in on the action with a Five-A-Side variant of the mini chocolate rolls available, complete with chocolate football caps on each of them.
Low hanging fruit
Fresh fruit and summer go together like a bucket and spade, but thanks to increasing interest in authentic global flavours (and supply chains to support this) the roster of fruit available is expanding.
“Summer 2026 bakery innovation will centre around fruit flavour profiles, adventurous mash ups, globally inspired formats, and visually vibrant products that deliver both indulgence and social-media appeal,” believes Ryan Gaskin, group leader traditional trade, from CSM Ingredients.
Hitting the vibrancy and adventurous mash-up cues is Delice de France’s Peach & Turmeric Traycake – a golden hued turmeric sponge layered with peach slices, topped with a smooth peach and custard cream cheese frosting, and finished with vibrant yellow and orange marigold petals.
Tropical and floral pairings will be “hugely popular” according to Gaskin, with combinations such as passionfruit with orange blossom, pineapple with coconut and melon-led flavour blends helping bakers to “create premium seasonal ranges, influenced by summer holidays and escapism” which are “perfect for the summer months”.
Melon is perhaps an unusual flavour for the bakery market but Liam Stringfellow, brand marketing manager at Finsbury Food Group says, “we’re also seeing melon profiles emerging more strongly in Asian markets, which the UK continues to take strong influence from”.
Nevertheless, summer berries “remain front and centre”, according to Lisa Kerr, senior marketing manager at Puratos UK, particularly British strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blackcurrants.
Recent launches include a Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Cake from London-based bakery Cutter & Squidge, the Ultimate Raspberry Ripple Cake from Patisserie Valerie, and Morello Cherry & Vanilla Cake from Costa Coffee.
Building on the sweet sandwich hype from last summer, there’s even a Strawberry Sandwich from Le Café by Nicolas Rouzaud which sees toasted brioche filled with vanilla mascarpone, layered with strawberry compote, and crowned with fresh strawberries.
“These traditional and comforting flavours that have a nostalgic appeal are evolving as consumers are looking for more layered flavour experiences, with 54% of UK consumers wanting to try a combination of new tastes, which are unusual at first. Bold pairings such as blackcurrant with vanilla or citrus, raspberry with lemon and strawberry with coconut are all gaining momentum as they deliver both familiarity and vibrancy,” she adds.
Rhubarb is another one to watch as it is “being reinvented through more contemporary patisserie applications” moving beyond the classic rhubarb & custard combo to the likes of rhubarb ripple cheesecakes, roasted rhubarb pastries, and rhubarb & almond frangipane tarts. Serving up one example, she points to plant-based restaurant Mallow London which recently created a rhubarb crumble French toast with a cream and elderflower custard anglaise.
From one mallow to another, rhubarb can also be seen in M&S’ summer line-up which features Rhubarb Gooey Middle Teacakes with a vanilla-flavoured biscuit base, fully coated in smooth, creamy milk chocolate with a soft rhubarb curd and fluffy mallow in the middle.
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