Co-op presents new bakery offerings for Christmas 2024

A turkey feast quiche, a steak wrap with gravy pot, a spiced gingerbread crown, and blood orange-flavoured mince pies are among the standout new bakery items of Co-op’s Christmas range this year.

The retailer has doubled its premium party food range for 2024, and added air fryer guidance, which it said catered to the rise in smaller festive parties and allowed busy hosts to impress with ease.

“We know shoppers are likely to lean towards smaller and more frequent gatherings again this year whilst reaching for premium own label products to make festive dining at home feel even more special,” commented Nicole Tallant, head of Co-op brand.

“This is why we’ve focused on delivering innovation and increasing the breadth of the range, with a strong emphasis that you don’t have to compromise on quality when shopping in convenience stores this Christmas,” she added.

Check out the highlights of the range below:

Shareable Savouries

A festive introduction to Co-op’s premium tier is the Irresistible Garlic Doughball Wreath with Camembert (rsp: £5, 465g) – see image above. Formed around a French Camembert, the tear & share wreath is topped with garlic and parsley spread.

The Irresistible Turkey Feast Quiche (rsp: £4.20, 400g), meanwhile, is made from shortcrust pastry deep-filled with a layer of cranberry chutney, before being topped with British turkey, bacon, and Somerset vintage Cheddar.

Getting the snack party started are Mini Toad in the Holes (rsp: £3.50, 150g), which comprise miniature British pork sausages baked in a crisp Yorkshire batter.

Described as a star addition to Co-op’s Irresistible pizza lineup, the Irresistible Hog Roast Pizza (rsp: £5.95, 488g) is a wood-fired pizza topped with an Italian Roma tomato sauce, mozzarella, pulled pork, pork, sage & onion stuffing crumb, apple sauce and sage.

It’s not actually the first time we’ve seen such a pizza variety this year, with foodservice supplier Country Choice coming out with its own version of Hog Roast Pizza under the Flatstone Pizza Co. brand a few months back to coincide with 2024 European football tournament watching.

Sandwiches & Wraps

This year, Co-op is donating £50k from sales of its Christmas sandwich range towards children’s charity Barnardo’s, which supports positive futures for young people across the UK. Its five festive sandwiches from 2023 are set to return, while new quality sandwiches and wrap have been unveiled this time around.

Newcomers include the Irresistible Peppercorn Steak Wrap with Rosemary Gravy Dip (rsp: £3.95), which Co-op claims to be first to market in the food-to-go category. It features British steak strips, black peppercorn and stuffing mayo, braised red cabbage, and crisp spinach in a tortilla wrap, sold with a dipping pot of beef & rosemary gravy.

There’s also the Irresistible Turkey, Truffle & Brie Sandwich (rsp: £3.95) containing butter-basted British turkey breast, Brie, cranberry sauce and a truffle mayo with crisp spinach on malted bread. Truffle is one of the key festive flavour trends identified for this year, Co-op noted.

Lastly, the Festive Feast Sub Roll (rsp: £3.25) is crammed with British roast chicken breast, sweetcure smoked bacon, and stuffing, with rosemary gravy mayo and cranberry sauce in a sub roll.

All food-to-go items can be enjoyed as part of the standard or premium lunchtime meal deals, priced at £3.50 or £5, respectively, for members.

Desserts

A trio of showstopper dessert options include the new Irresistible Spiced Gingerbread Crown (rsp: £8, 600g) made with an all-butter, lightly-spiced date sponge served with caramel sauce and caramel fudge pieces.

For a showstopper, the Irresistible Chocolate Centrepiece Cake (rsp: £7, 724g) presents a chocolate sponge filled with chocolate frosting, finished with dark chocolate shavings, dark chocolate spikes, and milk chocolate malt balls.

The Irresistible Billionaires Cheesecake (rsp: £5.25, 526g) is a toffee cheesecake on a biscuit crumb base with caramel sauce, dark chocolate glaze, and dark chocolate decorations.

Sweet treats

Putting a spin on tradition are Irresistible Chocolate & Blood Orange Frangipane Mince Pies (rsp: £2.75, four-pack), which sees blood orange mincemeat topped with chocolate frangipane and nibbed almonds.

Continuing the ultra-rich theme but in a snackable format, Irresistible Enrobed Billionaire Brownies (rsp: £3, four-pack) involve chocolate brownie and a layer of caramel, covered in milk chocolate and topped with biscuit pieces.

A classic British hot dessert has also been converted into bakery treats, with the Irresistible Apple Crumble & Custard Blondie Cups (rsp: £3, four-pack) comprising blondie cups with an apple filling, custard frosting, golden crumb pieces, and a caramel drizzle.

Fans of a certain festive sweet tipple can rejoice in the Irish Cream Mini Loaf Cakes (£3, four-pack). These are chocolate mini loaf cakes with Irish cream frosting topped with an Irish cream chocolate drizzle, golden sugar pieces, and chocolate.

The Free-from Orange & Almond Mincemeat Slices (rsp: £2.25, four-pack) are suitable for vegans and Coeliacs alike, as they are produced with gluten-free and milk-free pastry along with mincemeat, frangipane, toasted almonds, and a dusting of sugar.

Rounding off the yuletide highlights at Co-op are the Elf’s Candy Crunch Cookies (rsp: £1.25, five-pack), which are packed with chocolate candy beans, milk chocolate chips, and colourful sprinkles.