As the weather gets colder, bakery brands across the nation are gearing up for Christmas.

In this latest round-up, we reveal what popular bakery brands have planned for the yuletide season, from festive revamps of classic treats to fun-filled NPD.

Many retailers and brands have already unwrapped their Christmas goodies, including Aldi and Booths as well as Asda, Tesco and Ocado, tapping into a number of trends in the process.

British Baker subscribers can also find out how the nation’s retailers are hoping their show-stopping creations will steal the spotlight in our latest feature, ‘Let festive bakes take centre stage this year’.

Aryzta

Aryzta Food Solutions says it is helping retailers to unlock extra profits this Christmas with a nine-strong range of sweet and savoury seasonal goods, including four new products.

Among those making their first appearance in its line-up are a Turkey & Chardonnay Slice, comprising pastry filled with turkey and vegetables in a creamy white wine sauce, and a Christmas Cracker Roll (right), which has all the Christmas dinner favourites wrapped in pastry with a sage crumb topping.

A vegetarian Cheese & Cranberry Sausage Roll, containing a Cornish Cheddar, potato and onion filling with cranberries and a plum sauce, is also joining Aryzta’s range, as is a Vegan Mince Pie Tart (left), topped with a nutty crumble.

A Gingerbread Muffin, Chocolate & Orange Flowerpot Muffin and Santa Triple Choc Muffin (centre) are among the items returning for 2019.

Burton’s Biscuits

To celebrate the festive season, Burton’s Biscuits has unveiled limited-edition designs of Jammie Dodgers. The traditional embossed ‘splat’ is making way for three seasonal designs – a stocking, a star and a Christmas tree – all encased in a festive-themed pack.

Burton’s is also sprucing up its Maryland and Cathedral City Baked Bites brands. Maryland is being rebranded as Merryland on 230g packs of cookies and the Merryland Mini Cookies Sharebox, while a festive design will feature on the Cathedral City Baked Bites Share Box.

Fatherson Bakery

Warwickshire-based Fatherson Bakery is adding to its Christmas range this year with a new Christmas Tree Cupcake Platter (rsp: 6.50), comprising a dozen chocolate- or vanilla-flavoured cakes, with flavoured frosted icing and an edible festive decoration, such as a wreath or Santa.

They will join Fatherson Bakery’s range of returning festive favourites, including Traditional Mince Pies (rsp: £2.99 for six), Luxury Mince Pies (rsp: £3.45 for four, above left), which feature orange-flavoured pastry and a mincemeat with brandy filling, and a Luxury Christmas Loaf (from £4.39), which is described as a lemon-based brandy-soaked fruit cake with mixed peel and decorated with white icing. Port & Cranberry Pies (rsp: £3.45 for four, above right) and Mincemeat Bakewell Tarts (£2.75 for four) are also available.

Fatherson said all loaf cakes and mince pies now have an extended shelf life of 90 days to enable retailers to generate sales earlier in the season.

The range is available from September and will be in stores across the UK, including Co-op, Budgens, Londis, Dobbies, Morrisons and thousands of independent retailers.

Figgy’s

Figgy’s has launched a handmade single-serve version of its Traditional Christmas Pudding for the foodservice sector. The 130g puddings feature 10-year-old Somerset Cider Brandy from the Somerset Distillery, Port Stout from Devon-based Hanlons Brewery and breadcrumbs made using bread from a local bakery.

Designed for use in restaurants, pubs, cafés, hotels and other catering establishments, Figgy’s puddings are supplied in small basins with lids, and can be heated by steaming in advance or microwaving to order.

McVitie’s

McVitie’s is blurring the lines between biscuits and home baking this festive season as it rolls out a Mini Gingerbread Men Decorating Kit (rsp: £2.00, above left), which features five packs of gingerbread men and two icing pens, allowing shoppers to get creative with their food.

Also new for 2019 is the McVitie’s Luxury Chocolate Biscuit Selection (above right), described as the brand’s “most premium Christmas product yet”. It comes with 24 fully-coated chocolate biscuits – with milk, dark and white chocolate options – priced at £10.00.

McVitie’s Victoria biscuit selection, featuring a selection of chocolate-coated and uncoated indulgent biscuits, is returning in four different sizes. Everyday biscuit selection box Family Circle is also being given a festive makeover while the Jaffa Cakes Christmas Pole,filled with 40 treats, will also being making a comeback(rsp: £6.00).

Oggs

Vegan bakery brand Oggs is launching a range of “entirely ethical” Mince Pies in Sainsbury’s this September (rsp: £2.75 for four). The mince pies are egg- and dairy-free and are made with wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oil (in place of butter) and are filled with sultanas, currants, raisins, Bramley apple puree, vegetable suet, mixed spices and brandy. Oggs adds that the packaging used is sustainably sourced with 100% recycled plastic, which is fully recyclable and will completely biodegrade if it ends up in landfill.

Here’s what others have planned for Christmas 2019:

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