Glenbervie-based food ingredients manufacturer Macphie has released a report on what it predicts will be the flavour trends in bakery next year.

The report, researched and compiled by Macphie’s bakers, has identified five key flavours for 2017.

Alan Leith, head of applications at Macphie, told British Baker: “The applications team at Macphie is committed to innovation and is always looking at ways we can enhance our product offering. Industry trends, popular ingredients, new concepts and exciting flavour combinations are top of the list for inspiration.

“Our bakers visited London recently to check out some of the city’s hottest bakeries, coffee shops and patisseries in search of this year’s sought-after trends and flavours.”

The flavours highlighted by Macphie are:

  • Passion fruit: “We’ve seen an increase in exotic flavours since the Rio Olympics took over our TV screens this summer, and passion fruit is the perfect addition for cheesecakes, jellies and other desserts.”
  • Matcha: “One of this year’s superfood sensations has been matcha green tea, and this Japanese natural energy booster is appearing in everything from doughnuts to macarons.”
  • Peanut butter: “Made popular by celebrity health experts naming it a ‘healthy fat’, peanut butter is all the rage. More specifically, peanut butter and jam continue to be an inseparable pairing with their moreish sweet and savoury combination.”
  • Pistachio: “Pistachios are adding texture and colour to cakes, brownies, doughnuts, salads and sandwiches. Recognisable by their green colour, pistachios are a great way to brighten up dishes without using artificial colours.”
  • Coconut: “Packed into loaf cakes and canelés, coconut remains a popular ingredient that provides a smooth, sweet taste when combined with the right flavours, including passion fruit and pineapple.”

In September, Macphie pledged to cut out 30% of sugar in its latest range of cakes and frostings. This is to comply with the government’s target for food and drink manufacturers to reduce sugar content in products by 20% before 2020.