Summer has well and truly come to sweet treats fixtures, with launches including tennis ball shortbread and strawberries & cream muffins.
Also shaping activity this month is World Chocolate Day, which has inspired Krispy Kreme to partner with Cadbury, and London venues Doughnation and Cocomelt to create a decadent dessert pizza.
See below for a delicious taste of what’s going on in the world of sweet bakery:
Beano photo cakes, Asda
Big Day Cakes, which operates cake personalisation kiosks in Asda stores, has launched photo cakes featuring characters from the Beano. Shoppers simply upload a photo, design a cake topper and select a plain cake from the shelf before waiting 15 minutes for their cake to be printed. Prices are £14.98 for a medium cake (22 servings) and £19.98 for a large cake (40 servings).
Looking ahead, Big Day Cakes says its app will enable photo cake design on the move, while the new Connect printer system will bring photo cakes to more retailers, bakeries and venues.
Waffles, cookie dough, and pancakes, Creams Café
Dessert chain Creams Café has launched a ‘Crave and Save’ menu that brings five new product ranges to the menu for less than £5. Sweet treats on offer include Waffle Wedges (£4.95), Thick Shake Sippers (£4.25), Cookie Doughettes (£4.75), Soft Swirl Sundaes (£3.75) and Stuffed Pancake Bites (£4.25).
The menu has launched at all Creams locations across the country and is available from Monday to Thursday until 5pm. “At Creams, we believe that everyone deserves a little sweetness in their day, and we know that right now, every penny counts for our customers,” said Creams Café CEO Everett Fieldgate.
Matcha cookies, Co-op
Co-op is embracing the burgeoning matcha trend with the launch of Irresistible Matcha Strawberry & White Chocolate Cookies (£2.25 for a four-pack). Available now in the bakery aisle, they are described as combining the distinctive flavour of matcha with sweet Belgian white chocolate chunks and freeze-dried strawberry pieces.
The retailer said searches for ‘matcha’ on Co-op’s website were up by 153% in the past six months as matcha-inspired drinks and treats grow in popularity across cafés and bakeries. “We wanted to bring that trend into our own range in a way that feels fun but still familiar with a fresh twist on the classic cookie,” said Co-op trends and seasonal product development manager Emily Haworth.
Chocolate pizza, Doughnation
This Tuesday (7 July) is World Chocolate Day, and pizza restaurant Doughnation is marking the occasion with a limited-edition chocolate slice. The Covent Garden-based business has teamed up with Soho chocolate café Cocomelt to launch the CocoNation Triple Choc Slice.
The £14 decadent dessert pizza features a Doughnation crusty base with a layer of mascarpone, drizzled with Cocomelt premium white, milk and dark Belgian chocolate and topped with meringue pieces and dried raspberries and mint.
Double chocolate doughnut, Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme is also celebrating World Chocolate Day, and has partnered with Cadbury to launch its first Double Chocolate Original Glazed doughnut (£2.99) that will be available from 7 to 12 July. Krispy Kreme is transforming its Oxford Street shop on 7 July, giving away 50 free Double Chocolate Original Glazed Doughnut dozens and giving customers the opportunity to win a variety of Cadbury prizes.
“When you think of the ultimate treat, it’s all about indulgence and that feeling of nostalgia,” said Krispy Kreme UK & IRE president Guy Meakin. “This collaboration captures that magic by marrying the airy lightness of our Original Glazed doughnut with the creamy smoothness of Cadbury Dairy Milk.”
Hello Kitty Celebration Cake, Finsbury Food Group
Finsbury has expanded its licensed celebration cake line-up with the launch of its first-ever Hello Kitty cake. Available exclusively in Tesco stores nationwide this month, the 890g cake features pink coloured vanilla sponge layered with jam and a smooth white filling, finished with piped frosting, sprinkles, and a Hello Kitty design.
“We’re always looking for ways to bring more creativity into the celebration cake category, and this launch felt like the perfect match,” said Finsbury brand manager Andrew Scott. “Hello Kitty is an iconic character, so we wanted to create a cake that was just as memorable as the brand itself.”
Strawberries & Cream Muffin, Greggs
Greggs is bringing the taste of centre court to consumers with a Strawberries & Cream Muffin (£1.60). The sweet treat is a strawberry and cream flavour muffin layered with berry pieces and a strawberry jam centre, finished with a cream cheese frosting and freeze-dried strawberry pieces.
The chain has also launched an Iced Blueberry Matcha made with matcha green tea, semi-skimmed milk and blueberry flavour syrup.
Shareable cinnamon buns, House of Cinn
Cinnamon bun company House of Cinn has rolled out a rebrand across its Sainsbury’s line-up. The business has reworked its two mini-pack into a more indulgent offering with larger, premium treat-size rolls. It has also introduced a new ‘Tear and Share’ cinnamon bun pack into Sainsbury’s Superstores to tap the evening-in and social sharing market.
Alongside this, a visual rebrand featuring modernised packaging has been designed to communicate the brand’s social enterprise mission. The House of Cinn team works with organisations across the UK focused on connection, belonging and practical support for people experiencing homelessness, domestic abuse, care leavers and older adults experiencing social isolation.
Dark chocolate & cherry cookie, M&S
Marks & Spencer has expanded its Chunked N’ Loaded line-up with a Dark Chocolate & Cherry Cookie (£2/105g). The rich, all‑butter cookie is described as being ‘packed with dark chocolate and generous chunks of dried sour cherries’ to create a moreish bite.
Shortbread rounds and hamper, Walker’s
Walker’s Shortbread, which is an Official Supporter of the HSBC Championships tennis tournament at Queen’s Club, has launched limited-edition Tennis Ball Shortbread Rounds that are available at Selfridges, World Duty Free and the Walker’s website. The rounds complement Sir Andy Murray’s new role as the brand’s no-nonsense ‘Spectator Coach’.
Murray stars in a tongue-in-cheek new campaign video offering advice for spectators on topics including cheering the correct player’s name at the appropriate time and ensuring any mid-match snacking is done at a suitable volume. Walkers has also launched a limited-edition Perfect Serve Tennis Hamper (£30) containing a selection of the brand’s sweet treats.
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