New sweet bakery items hitting the shelves for summer 2023

Bakers continue to create new indulgences to satiate a sweet-toothed nation, from tarts and wraps to cookies and cream puffs.

While Sainsbury’s unveiled fruity creations in its summer range, and Morrisons came out with some American-style treats, a fresh batch of sweet bakery NPD includes a vegan version of a British classic, sweet wraps looking to tap into TikTok trends, and in-store baked cookies ignited by the chocolate orange boom.

We take a sugar rush ride through the recent highlights:

Vegan Cherry Bakewell Tart, We Love Cake

Cumbria-based manufacturer Bells of Lazonby’s has launched a vegan Cherry Bakewell tart, which is also gluten-free, via its flagship brand We Love Cake.

Individually wrapped and distributed exclusively by Central Foods, the new line will be stocked in cafes, independent stores, and chains throughout the UK, as well as available to frozen wholesale.

Head of marketing for Bells of Lazonby, Josh Boydell-Smith, said the new Cherry Bakewell tart was an “exciting innovation” not just for the We Love Cake brand but for the plant-based category. “It is the ultimate classic sweet treat, so it is fantastic to bring a vegan version to market. We are very proud of the product and can’t wait for people to try it,” he added, noting that they promise to taste-match traditionally made cherry Bakewells.

Sweet Wraps, Deli Kitchen

Deli Kitchen, owned by Signature Flatbreads, is further expanding its range of wraps and flatbreads with two new sweet variants.

Available in Morrisons, the Sweet Cinnamon Wraps and Sweet Vanilla Wraps are priced at £1.50 each.

Opportunity for creative NPD is growing, said Deli Kitchen, pointing to a 10.8% increase in value of the UK bread and baked goods market – up to £4.9bn according to Kantar data for the 52 w/e 19 February 2023. Viral Tiktok trends have encouraged consumers to be more creative with food including the ‘Wrap Hack’ in 2021, which saw an increase in wraps stuffed with sweet fillings.

@justataste TORTILLA WRAP HACK: S'MORES EDITION! 🍫🔥🏕️ Bring the s'mores indoors by tucking marshmallow fluff, crushed graham crackers, creamy Nutella and sliced strawberries inside a tortilla #tortillahack #summersnacks #smorescheck #smores #smorestortilla #viraltortilla #viralhack #tiktokhacks #viralrecipes ♬ Oogum Boogum Song - Brenton Wood

“Our Sweet Wraps offer something new and different, but in a format people know and love,” said Tim Wittekind, Deli Kitchen’s head of brand, NPD, and innovation. “The versatility of the new products, which can be used across the breakfast, snacking and dessert occasions, will ensure they appeal to families, especially as they also deliver on convenience, quality and taste.’’

Chocolate & Orange Cookies, Baker & Baker

Sweet baked goods manufacturer Baker & Baker has unveiled a new Dairy Milk Chocolate & Orange flavour for its Cadbury cookies range which is listed at Co-op stores nationwide.

Baked fresh in-store, they feature cookie dough infused with orange flavour and packed with Cadbury Dairy Milk chunks. They’re available in bags of four 45g cookie pucks.

Existing flavours Cadbury Dairy Milk and Dairy Milk Caramel have had their recipes updated with improved cookie dough to offer a softer texture, the firm added.

The new variant aims to tap into growing consumer affinity for chocolate and orange flavoured products, with confectionery sales rising by 134% against total chocolate confectionery growth of just 7% in 2020-21, according to the ‘Chocolate Orange Boom’ report from The Retail Data Partnership. Additionally, fresh cookies now represent a 24% share of the overall in-store bakery market, and are expected to grow even further.

Baker & Baker operates an exclusive fresh bakery licensing partnership with Mondelēz to manufacture and distribute fresh bakery products within key European markets, including the Milka, Oreo and Cadbury brands.

Baby Elephant’s Foot, Birds Bakery

Family-run firm Birds Bakery has adopted the popular nickname ‘Elephant’s Foot’, which customers have affectionately been giving to its signature cream puffs for years, while also creating a new miniature version.

Featuring a choux bun filled with cream and topped with chocolate, the Elephant’s Foot (£1.55 each) and Baby Elephant’s Foot (95p) are available at all 61 Birds Bakery stores across the East Midlands, as well as via Uber Eats and Just Eat.

“The new size is the perfect addition to any family picnic, especially in the warmer weather and we love that all generations enjoy our products so now there is a ‘foot’ for everyone,” said Birds COO Lesley Bird.