According to Alison Daniels, Macphie’s (Glenbervie, Scotland) category marketing manager, US-style products have a huge influence on UK buying behaviour.

But nearly 60% of British consumers surveyed by Mintel reported that US products are over-sized and that Americans “eat too much”. Following on from this, Macphie is adapting its products to better suit home-grown tastes.

The company’s US range includes American Crème Cake mixes and concentrates, in both plain and chocolate flavours for a versatile base for a range of cakes. The resultant cake has a creamy vanilla flavour and is extremely moist, it says. The mixes are available in 12.5kg or 25kg bags.

Also available are American Cake Muffin mixes and concentrates and Mississippi Muffin/Cake mixes and concentrates, in plain, chocolate and toffee flavours. Alison Daniels comments: “With muffins already a staple in the US breakfast market, there is a huge opportunity for bakers to develop similar demand in the UK through innovative flavours and ‘coffee and a muffin meal deals’ offered from early morning.” The mixes can also be used for traybakes and loaf cakes.

Meanwhile, American Cake Donut mixes require the addition of water to produce donuts with minimal fat absorption.