Innovation was the name of the game in 2022 as bakery businesses looked to tap into consumer needs and trends, as well as keep up with legislative changes.
Reduced fat and sugar offerings, hearty sourdough, and indulgent sweet treats were among the new products rolled out.
Here, the British Baker team reveals some of its favourite new products to roll out in 2022:
Collection Sourdough, M&S
The M&S Collection Sourdough loaves represented a huge investment for its bakery partner, Jones Village Bakery, as the Wrexham business opened a £16m production line to produce the range.
Each loaf takes more than 30 hours to make and features stone-milled heritage wheat flour from family-owned producer Marriage’s. The resultant loaves are described as having a deep crunchy crust and soft centre. Its creation followed a virtual meeting in October 2020 when former M&S boss Steve Rowe challenged a group of bakery suppliers to produce ‘bread that tastes like bread’.
The loaves are placed front and centre in the retailer’s stores and bakeries with a paper label.
Lower Fat and Sugar Doughnuts, Baker & Baker
Nobody loves doughnuts like Homer Simpson, but his favourite sweet treat got a little bit healthier thanks to the boffins at Baker & Baker.
The business invested in patented sunfry technology at its Wirral site which sees the doughnuts fried as well as baked, resulting in a product that is lower in fat and calories. Baker & Baker said the pink (strawberry) and brown (cocoa) doughnuts contain 38% and 37% less sugar respectively compared to the average doughnut and are also 46% and 62% lower in fat. Calorie content has been reduced by 20% and 27%, respectively. Both variants come in just under 150 calories per doughnut.
Cookie Cakes, Tesco
Tesco embraced the hybrid trend, as well as affordable indulgence, with the launch of Cookie Cakes.
Priced at £1.75 and part of the retailer’s Finest range, the treats combine the ‘soft, chewy texture of a cookie, with the layers, fillings and visual appeal of a cupcake’. They’re available in three variants – Jammie Cookie Cake with vanilla buttercream and raspberry jam, S’mores Cookie Cake with chocolate buttercream and marshmallow, and Cookies ‘n’ Cream Cookie Cake with cookie crumb buttercream and milk chocolate sauce.
Galaxy Digestives, Mars Chocolate Drinks and Treats
The battle of the biscuits has commenced! Mars Drinks and Treats is going head-to-head with market leader McVitie’s as it unveils Galaxy chocolate digestive biscuits.
The duo of treats, available in milk chocolate and chocolate orange variants, is available exclusively in Asda for three months before rolling out to other stores and wholesalers.
Mars said there has been “very little challenge to the market leader in recent years” but research suggests “there is space for market challenger brand to occupy”. What’s more, it noted that a third of households eat chocolate digestives but 42% of regular purchasers would prefer Galaxy chocolate on their digestive versus their current choice.
‘When Life Gives You Lemons’ Lemon Tart, Bells of Lazonby
This vegan lemon tart, which is also free from gluten and wheat, stands up against its traditional counterparts. So much so that it was crowed New Bakery Product of the Year at the 2022 Baking Industry Awards where the judges praised its “zingy flavour with well-baked crisp pastry”.
The sweet pastry case, which has a reduced sugar recipe, is filled with a lemon-flavoured ganache and finished with a dusting of icing sugar. The tart is certified by The Vegan Society and Coeliac UK.
It was launched during Veganuary 2022 and quickly gained a major listing with the large wholesalers after showcasing a gap in the market, Bells of Lazonby said.
Burton & Browne, Burton’s Biscuit Co
The launch of Burton & Browne – an artisan-style brand created exclusively for foodservice – was described as an “important milestone” in Burton’s strategy to deliver growth in the channel.
The six-strong initial line-up featured ‘an authentic craft coffee shop look and feel’ with products including Chocolate Orange Florentines, Speculoos Mini Cookies and Ginger Snap Dunkers.
It followed the establishment of a dedicated foodservice division for the firm in 2021.
Spinach & Red Pepper Mini Vegan Muffins, Higgidy
Higgidy expanded its vegan and vegetarian line-up with several new products in 2022, with the Spinach & Red Pepper Mini Vegan Muffins among them.
The savoury bite-sized muffins are made with red peppers, spinach and basil, butternut squash puree and pine nuts as Higgidy looks to help consumers bolster their vegetable intake while satisfying their need for a savoury snack or picnic addition.
Home Bakes, Hovis
Hovis extended its premium Bakers Since 1886 range, which was launched in 2021, with a trio of part-baked bread in the form of rustic white and seeded rolls, and white baguettes.
The range, according to Hovis, was created to deliver a crisp crust and soft texture alongside the aroma and flavour that consumers associate with ‘bakery fresh’ bread straight from the oven.
With only 47% of shoppers currently buying bake at home bread Hovis believes there is a real gap in the market and significant opportunity for it to reach a wider audience and grow the segment.
Blissfuls, McVitie’s
Pladis upped the indulgence factor of the biscuit category with the launch of Blissfuls in January as it looked to broaden its reach at evening snacking occasions.
The indulgent NPD features a biscuit base encasing a Belgian milk chocolate cream centre, flavoured with either hazelnut or caramel, and topped with a biscuit lid. Pladis also rolled out a Belgian Milk Chocolate & Cream variant for Christmas 2022.
The manufacturer believed the launch would drive “huge incremental sales” for the category and supported this with a 360° marketing campaign.
Bloomers, Kingsmill
Kingsmill looked to stake its claim on the premium bread market with the launch of two bloomers – a Great White Bloomer with Sourdough and a Malted Bloomer.
The white bloomer is described as a twist on a traditional white loaf with a recipe which ‘includes a hint of sourdough for a little extra flavour’. The malted bloomer, meanwhile, brings what Kingsmill calls ‘a more malty flavour’ to the table.
They offer “something a little bit special”, according to the brand which hopes the NPD would encourage consumers looking for a more high-quality loaf to shop the Kingsmill range.
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