A Parma Violet flavoured doughnut, chicken gyro, Italian tomato brioche bun, and pistachio pastel de nata are among seasonal innovations unveiled at coffee shops for summer.
Some tap into trends for ‘newstalgia’, global cuisines, and flavours of pistachio and matcha.
Check out our round-up of limited edition bakery NPD rolled out at Bakery 79, Costa, Gail’s, and Paul Bakery.
Bakery 79
The brand created by family-owned forecourt operator Park Garage Group has launched its new ‘Summer of 79’ seasonal range said to be dedicated to the surging ‘newstalgia’ trend, with 63% of Britons believing the country was a happier place in the mid-seventies [Ipsos report, November 2025].
Menu innovations at Bakery 79 include doughnuts in classic sweet flavours of Jelly Bean, Parma Violet, and Drumstick (rsp: from £2), as well as sandwiches filled with the likes of Ham & Heinz Sandwich Spread, Cheese & Pineapple, Coronation Chicken, and Chicken Kiev (£4.25 each).
There are also new drinks such as an alcohol-free Pina Colada, a Pineapple Lemonade, and a Watermelon Lemonade.
“Consumers are looking for flavours that feel familiar and comforting, but still offer something playful and visually engaging,” commented Hemant Tandon, co-founder of Bakery 79. “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.”
Costa
A trio of fresh and flavour-packed lunchtime bakery bites adorn Costa’s new summer menu.
These include the Chicken Gyros Style Flatbread (rsp: from £5.50) featuring tender gyros-style chicken, roasted onions and peppers, and a garlic-mint yoghurt sauce, all wrapped in a soft oregano flatbread. There’s the new Chicken Fajita Wrap (from £5.20), filled with roasted chicken, spiced tomato sauce, roasted vegetables, and mozzarella. And the Morello Cherry & Vanilla Cake (from £3.80) combines light vanilla sponge with layers of Morello cherry jam and vanilla frosting, finished with freeze-dried cherries.
There are also returning bakery favourites like the Chocolate & Pistachio Cookie Sandwich (from £3.25), Triple Chocolate Muffin (from £2.99), Fruited Teacake (from £2.40), and the Bubble Frappé Gingerbread Biscuit (from £2.20).
The coffee chain has also been inspired by McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes to unveil a new ready-to-drink frappé version (rsp: £2.09) featuring smooth chocolate and zesty orange flavours. This joins eight other drink innovations, among them the new Iced Oat Velvetino, Hazelnut Crème Latte, Iced Whipped Sweet Ube Latte, Apple & Kiwi Refresher, and Jasmine Hibiscus Iced Tea.
Gail’s
The bakery chain has rolled out a raft of savoury and sweet buns, as well as chocolate and fruity cakes, for summer.
The new Cheese, Tomato & Basil Savoury Bun (rsp: £4.80) comprises a soft brioche filled with sundried tomato paste, cheese curds from Quicke’s, Datterini tomatoes sourced from the volcanic slopes of Sicily (supplied by Natoora), all topped with fresh basil.
Another new bun is the Berry Brioche (£4.60), which is filled with vanilla crème pâtissière, fresh summer raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and finished with buttery shortbread crumble. Then there’s the new Passionfruit Filled Bun (£4.70), a soft and pillowy extra virgin olive oil and cashew brioche filled with a passion fruit custard laden with Madagascan vanilla seeds, topped with passion fruit and vanilla icing.
The new Chocolate & Raspberry Stout Cake (£4.50) has a chocolate and stout sponge topped with white chocolate & whiskey cream frosting and fresh raspberries. And the new Strawberry & Ricotta Cakes (£22.50, box of five) are made with polenta.
Gail’s has also brought back an old favourite in its Aubergine, Crunchy Slaw & Herbs sandwiches. These plant-based options include a smoky aubergine dip made with Nettle Foods Haverstock White (a spread made with fermented cashew and macadamia nuts), layered with crunchy summer slaw, za’atar-roasted globe aubergine steaks and fresh mint, parsley, rocket, and coriander.
Paul Bakery
French bakery brand Paul has given its pâtisserie line-up a summer glow-up with a trio of new sweet treats (rsp: from £2.50) including a Matcha & Strawberry Éclair, a Pistachio Pastel de Nata, and a Blueberry Millefeuille. There are also new celebration cakes (from £25) ranging from the floral Honey & Lavender Cake to the tropical Passionfruit & Coconut Cake and a rich Basque Cheesecake.
New seasonal sandwiches (from £6.35) offer something more elevated than the usual desk lunch with the likes of Chicken, Guacamole & Ham or Brie & Apple filling layered into Paul’s artisan bread. The company has also launched new salads and frappes in dessert flavours of Eton Mess and Banana Split, as well as its first-ever collection of refreshing summer coolers.
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