Tesco has undertaken a major reset of its premium own-label bakery range with 22 new products rolled out and several recipes reformulated.
Among the new products are Potato Burger Buns made with real mashed potato, Chocolate Sourdough Crumpets, and Sub Rolls with Everything Seasoning. Several loaves have also been added including a Tiger Bloomer, Ancient Grains Bloomer, and Fruited Sourdough (see full list below).
Jack Alderson, Tesco product development manager for bakery, told British Baker that bakery is “one of the most important categories in food retail” which means that “expectations around quality, value and innovation are always high”.
“The range reset was designed to broaden choice across different meal occasions while introducing products that bring something new to the category. It is also part of a wider effort to support Tesco’s overall growth by responding to customer preferences as they evolve,” he added.
Here’s the full list of the new Tesco Finest bakery products:
- Tesco Finest 4 Potato Burger Rolls
- Tesco Finest 4 Sub Rolls with Everything Seasoning
- Tesco Finest 4 Sub Rolls with Hot Honey
- Tesco Finest Brioche French Toast Sliced Loaf
- Tesco Finest 2 White Chocolate and Blueberry Scones
- Tesco Finest 4 Millionaires Pancakes
- Tesco Finest Fruited Sourdough
- Tesco Finest White Bloomer
- Tesco Finest Tiger Bloomer
- Tesco Finest Ancient Grains Bloomer
- Tesco Finest 4 Seeded Rolls with Sourdough
- Tesco Finest 4 White Rolls with Sourdough
- Tesco Finest Fruit Loaf
- Tesco Finest 4 Seeded Sourdough Crumpets
- Tesco Finest 4 Chocolate Sourdough Crumpets
- Tesco Finest 4 Real Sourdough Crumpets
- Tesco Finest 5 Seeded Sourdough Bagels
- Tesco Finest 5 Sourdough Bagels
- Tesco Finest Pitta Breads
- Tesco Finest Pinsa
- Tesco Finest Chilli Pinsa
- Tesco Finest Piadina
Alongside the NPD, the retailer has improved the recipes of more than 30 products including its core bread and speciality loaves as it looks to reduce or remove additives.
One of the most significant changes, according to Alderson, has been the removal of emulsifiers from all Tesco’s plant bakery bread loaves which he says makes it “the first UK retailer to achieve this across the entire range”. “The move reflects growing customer interest in simpler ingredient lists and demonstrates that recipe simplification can be achieved without compromising the quality, taste or texture customers expect,” he added.
The product development manager noted that reformulating products at scale while maintaining consistency, quality and availability is “inherently complex”, requiring close collaboration across suppliers, product development, technical teams and commercial functions both internally and externally. However, he said the changes have had no impact on shelf life.
A further change comes in the form of new packaging designed to provide a “cleaner, more contemporary look that improves shelf stand-out while creating a more premium feel”. The new look places greater emphasis on the products, making it easier for shoppers to navigate the range.
Tesco isn’t the only one to reformulate its bread range of late. St Pierre Groupe-owned Baker Street recently rolled out updated recipes for its burger buns and hot dog rolls having removed the emulsifiers, acidity regulator, and flour treatment agent from four recipes resulting in a ‘much shorter and simpler ingredients list’. Gluten-free specialist Genius Foods also rolled out a range of breads last year which is free from artificial preservatives, flavourings, and emulsifiers. Fellow retailer M&S, meanwhile, launched its ‘Only… Ingredients’ range of products, including several bakery lines, which all have fewer than six ingredients.
No comments yet