A viral trend in Japanese-style milk buns has seen it take on brioche as a premium burger bun of choice this summer, according to Waitrose.
The retailer revealed that sales of its four-pack of milk buns (rsp: £1.60) have shot up by 27% over the past month.
In addition, it noted searches on its website for ‘Japanese milk buns’ had risen more than six-fold (+617%) in the last month, while ‘milk bun recipes’ was up by 114% and ‘milk buns’ by 102%.
Emilie Wolfman, world foods product developer at Waitrose, described the recent obsession with milk buns and shokupan (milk bread) as “one of the most exciting food trends we’ve seen cross over from social media into mainstream kitchens”.
She highlighted how London’s cult burger restaurants and East Asian bakeries had helped drive the craze via social media. “People have completely fallen in love with that signature, fluffy ‘bounce-back’ texture,” she added. “Our food lovers want to bring that premium, restaurant-quality experience home, and milk buns deliver that instant upgrade – they give you all the luxury of brioche without being too heavy.”
Japanese milk bread and buns are a masterclass in texture, commented Waitrose senior chef Paul Gamble. “They lock in incredible moisture, creating a cloud-like, pillowy crumb that stays impossibly soft,” he said. “It brings a gentle, subtle sweetness that elevates whatever you put inside it.”
One of Gamble’s favourite uses of milk buns is for a beef smash burger. “I load two crispy-edged beef patties with melted American cheese, tangy pickle juice mayo, and a dash of hot honey. The softness of the milk bun absorbs all those savoury juices without getting soggy – it’s pure, indulgent comfort on a plate,” said the chef.
Examples Waitrose gave of milk buns featuring on menus of food outlets are London chain Black Bear Burgers, which employs them for its smash burgers and crispy chicken burgers; Chinatown’s Bun House, which stuffs them with the likes of Cantonese-style pork or sweet custard; and restaurant brand Taro, which frequently uses them for crispy pork and chicken katsu sandos.
Additionally, Arôme Bakery in London makes its signature Honey Butter Toast with milk bread covered in honey, butter and brown sugar that is then caramelised in the oven. Beyond the capital, bakery are also finding success with shokupan creations. Gooey in Manchester fills toasted milk bread with egg and kewpie mayo, and the aptly named Shokupan in Liverpool has its own version of Honey Butter Toast. All three of these companies recently opened new stores, as featured in our Opening Doors round-up.
Back in May, Co-op unveiled new lunchtime meal deal options including the Irresistible Korean Chicken Sando with Gochujang Aioli, which is served on milk bread. Notably, last year’s viral sweet sandwich filled with strawberries and cream from M&S is based on the Japanese ‘furutso sando’ but is made with sweetened bread instead of traditional shokupan.
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