Caffè Nero, Costa, Pret and Starbucks have released their seasonal menus, with new sweet and savoury items rolled out for the run up to Christmas 2024.
An abundance of pigs in blankets have been nestled in toasties and sandwiches, while the classic combo of turkey and stuffing also make several appearances as shoppers look to get that festive feeling for several weeks before the main event.
Lashings of caramel, gingerbread, and chocolate are among the popular options for sweet treats.
What’s more, bakery items have been used as the inspiration for many of the festive hot drinks this year with the likes of tiramisu lattes and chocolate fudge brownie hot chocolates gracing menus.
Take a peek at what the coffee companies have in store here:
Caffè Nero
Premium coffee house brand Caffè Nero has taken inspiration from trending Italian flavours for its yuletide line-up, with tiramisu, pistachio, and focaccia among the items to appear.
Caffè Nero declares the new Italian Porchetta Focaccia as this year’s highlight. It has a light and fluffy focaccia made with extra virgin olive oil and rosemary, filled with festive porchetta, salsa verde, provolone cheese, and caramelised onions. The coffee house is also bringing back the Festive Feast Panini, Brie, Bacon & Cranberry Panini, and the all-time favourite Pigs Under Blankets Panini.
The much-loved Vegan Festive Feast Panini is also making a comeback but with a twist. This plant-based delight features a new pumpkin seed-topped panini that is generously filled with rosemary & thyme roasted carrot ribbons, creamy mozzarella, cheesy pesto, roasted leeks and baby spinach.
Dessert lovers can look forward to the Profiterole Cheesecake – a pairing of chocolate cheesecake and vanilla cream-filled profiteroles drizzled with dark chocolate on top of a buttery biscuit base. The Chouxnut has also been given a festive twist to create a Black Forest Chouxnut with a zesty cherry & vanilla mousse, topped with sour cherries and dark chocolate. There’s also the White Chocolate & Gingerbread Cake with layers of gingerbread sponge with white chocolate & ginger frosting, decorated with a caramel swirl and flakes of shimmery chocolate and a chocolate gingerbread.
On the theme of gingerbread, the brand is also launching a White Chocolate & Gingerbread Cookie. The Festive Gingerbread Santa is also returning.
On-trend flavours are the name of the game when it comes to Caffè Nero’s festive beverages, with a Caramelised Pistachio Latte and Tiramisu Latte hitting the menu alongside Pistachio Hot Chocolate and Millionaire’s Hot Chocolate.
Costa
Costa has gone all in on indulgence this year with chocolate, caramel, gingerbread, and more appearing on its festive menu for 2024.
Starting off sweet, the coffee behemoth has unveiled several new additions to its line-up including: Chocolate and Caramel Nutcracker Cake with layers of chocolate sponge, filled with caramel frosting, and topped with chocolate hazelnut frosting; a Berry Red Velvet Mini Loaf comprising a chocolate & vanilla-flavoured mini loaf, with a gooey raspberry sauce centre; and, a Billionaire’s Slice with a crispy base, topped with caramel, chocolate and golden edible decorations.
There’s also the plant-based Winter Berry Crumble which sees a raspberry and blackcurrant filling, within a crumbly shortbread base and finished with a cinnamon spiced crumble.
Costa is keeping things classic when it comes to savoury items, with the bulk of the menu returning ones. This includes the Pigs & Blankets Toastie, the Turkey & Trimmings Toastie, Turkey Feast Sandwich, Brie, Bacon & Chilli Jam Panini, and hearty Hog Roast Toastie.
Joining for the first time is the Brie & Cranberry Toastie which has oozing brie and tangy cranberry sauce on malted cranberry bread.
Costa has also bulked up its drinks menu with the addition of a Festive Spice Latte and Black Forest Frappe, Gingerbread & Cream Latte, and Terry’s Chocolate Orange Hot Chocolate.
Pret A Manger
Pret’s focus is firmly on the savoury side this festive season with a slew of sandwiches, toasties, and baguettes hitting shelves for the run up to Christmas.
Many of the items are returning favourites but there is innovation in the form of a Brie & Caramelised Onion Toastie. Available in select shops, the cheesy delight featuring French brie, mature Cheddar, and sweet caramelised onion chutney, all toasted to perfection on seeded bloomer bread. Another new addition is the Chicken Festive Feast Sandwich, described as a ‘fresh twist’ on Christmas classics. British chicken breast is paired with sage mayo, chargrilled carrots, pickled cabbage, and crispy onions, all served on malted bread
The Pigs in Blanket Hot Roll is returning with a new and improved recipe, alongside the Boxing Day Toastie made with mature Cheddar cheese, British turkey, pulled British ham, and our herby pork stuffing, finished with a dollop of caramelised onion chutney and sage mayo.
Also coming back to shelves is Pret’s Christmas Lunch Sandwich, described as capturing the joy of Christmas dinner in sandwich form while the Very Merry Sandwich offers a vegan alternative. Pret will continue the tradition of donating 50p to The Pret Foundation for every one of these two sandwiches sold during the festive period.
The food-to-go specialist is keeping things simple when it comes to sweet treats this Christmas, bringing back its Mince Pies, Melvin the Snowman Gingerbread, and Christmas Tiffin.
There is innovation in the drinks’ line-up though in the form of Kamilla’s Maple Pecan Latte, created by Pret’s Barista Champion of 2024, Kamilla. This festive latte combines organic espresso with steamed milk, maple syrup, and toasted pecan flavours. There’s also the Festive Orange Hot Chocolate and Caramelised Almond Latte.
Starbucks
Starbucks has taken a similar approach to Pret with two new festive sandwiches unveiled in the form of a Pigs Under Blanket Panini (from £5.50) and ‘Tis the Season Sandwich (from £4.45). The former has pork sausages served on a layer of caramelised onion and mustard, with smoky bacon and Cheddar in a rustic ciabatta. ‘Tis the Season, meanwhile, has sliced chicken breast, mayonnaise, cranberry chutney, smoked bacon, sage & onion stuffing, and spinach in soft malted bread.
It is also bringing back the Festive Feast Panini (from £5.70) which has sliced chicken breast, bacon, turkey gravy, pork, sage & onion stuffing, and cranberry chutney with Cheddar in a ciabatta.
On the sweet side, Starbucks has brought back many festive favourites including a Caramel Waffle Muffin (from £2.85) with a caramel filling and decorated with a mini caramel waffle, caramel crisp pearls, and a drizzle of white chocolate with caramel. There’s also the Red Velvet Marble Loaf Cake (from £2.95) with a white chocolate and cream cheese frosting, a Christmas Tree Brownie (from £2.70), and a Santa Starbucks Bearista Gingerbread Cookie (from £2.40).
New for this year is the Polar Bear Cake Pop (from £2.45) – a bitesize vanilla flavour cake, digestive biscuit crumb and frosting fully enrobed in a white chocolate flavoured compound with white chocolate ears, black icing eyes and a dark chocolate nose.
Sweet bakery items have also been used as the inspiration for many of the limited-edition festive hot and cold beverages at Starbucks, including a Caramel Waffle Cream Iced Latte, Gingerbread Latte, and Fudge Brownie Hot Chocolate which is topped with chocolate flavoured whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate chip crumb.
Christmas bakery ranges 2024
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