Samantha Winsor, Assistant Brand Manager at Lantmännen Unibake UK, offers advice on maximising the valuable opportunity for sales presented by the breakfast market.
Breakfast continues to see strong growth, accounting for 15.5% share of visits in the total eating out market last year1. However, there is still room for wholesalers and caterers to develop this category further. One way wholesalers can support outlets in making the most out of their breakfast and brunch offering is to promote the latest trends such as the Danish concept of ‘hygge’ (pronounced hoo-gah). This is the appreciation of cosiness and enjoying the nice things in life. Breakfast and brunch are key meal occasions to maximise on the hygge trend. Ensuring that breakfast and brunch offerings consist of premium and flavoursome products, outlets can create a hygge experience for their customers first thing in the morning. Wholesalers can stock key bakery lines to support menu offerings that tap into this trend. For example, All Butter Croissant served with a selection of jams, Eggs Benedict served with an Americana Brioche Bun or sausages, bacon and egg in an Americana Soft Floured Bap and can create a hygge moment. These are perfect choices to kick start the day in a hygge way!
On The Go
Work-based journeys are the top reason for a breakfast food to go visit with 16% of all food to go breakfast visits being due to a work journey, a higher share than in the total market, at 10%2. Wholesalers should advise their customers to capitalise on this trend by stocking handholdable bakery products for consumers looking for a quick breakfast option to enjoy either en route to work or at their desks. For example, the Schulstad Bakery Solutions All Butter Croissant, Pain Chocolat and Pain Raisin from Lantmännen Unibake UK are popular must-stock French pastry breakfast choices which perfectly partner a morning hot drink and are easy to eat on-the-go. Consumers have shown a willingness to spend more on food to go, with average breakfast spend rising last year3, and with this set to continue outlets can try serving pastries in ambient alongside grab bags to encourage busy consumers to purchase a premium pastry on their way to work.
Hand-holdable goods are also favoured by busy millennials who are largely responsible for growth in brunch. 18-24 year olds over-index for share of visits at brunch compared to breakfast, accounting for 14% and 10% of visits respectively4. Those who wish to target time-poor millennials at brunch to boost trading can offer options such as hand-holdable goods. Popular pastries include the Schulstad Bakery Solutions Almond Croissant, Cinnamon Swirl, Vanilla Crème Crown and Maple Pecan Plait from Lantmännen Unibake UK. Options such as the NEW Schulstad Bakery Solutions Cheese, Chive and Cherry Tomato Savoury Crown are an ideal lighter meal solution. They are supplied frozen and require just 15 minutes in the oven at 190°C, making them quick and easy to prepare with minimal wastage.
Continental Favourites
Reports have shown a decrease in the amount of bread consumed at breakfast time5. This demonstrates that alternative products can play a key part in breakfast occasions and particularly in bridging the gap between breakfast and brunch.
Lantmännen Unibake UK offers a number of solutions to outlets who want improve their breakfast and brunch offering. For example, a Schulstad Bakery Solutions All Butter Croissant can be complemented with on-trend fillings such as egg, bacon and spinach for an all-day breakfast option. Alternatively, for those looking for a savoury morning meal, an Americana Soft Floured Bap or Brioche Bun are great carriers for a British favourite, the breakfast bap.
Lantmännen Unibake UK recommend you advising your customers to offer a choice of classic or gourmet carriers for their breakfast bap offering.
Sweet bakery key drivers research
Lantmännen Unibake UK carried out consumer research6 via focus groups and identified the following sweet bakery key drivers:
• High quality, flaky and freshly baked pastry is something every product must deliver and consumers expect, and often enjoy, the flakiness of the product as this is a sign of a quality pastry.
• A good level of glaze is important to provide fresh cues to the consumer and ensures the product looks like it has been finished with care, inviting them to consume it.
• The bake colour must also be spot on, not too dark or too light, to demonstrate that the pastry is expertly baked to perfection.
• Finally, well finished icing on Danish pastries is critical to success. It helps to demonstrate the care that has gone into perfecting the product and shows an element of hand finishing. It also provides attractive sweet cues and adds a sweet texture to the product.
Positioning and POS
Conveniently placing freshly baked pastries at the front of store and alongside coffee machines can help entice passing trade, as customers are tempted by the smell of fresh baking as well as the visually enticing selection of bakery products. Wholesalers can give recommendations to their customers on how to maximise their pastry offering at breakfast time. Outlets can improve their execution of breakfast sales through strong point of sale material which is an effective way to promote the quality of their product range and also to communicate usage ideas such as ‘great with coffee’, ‘a breakfast treat’, ‘this week’s special’ or ‘freshly baked’.
1 MCA Food to go report 2017
2 MCA Food to go report 2017
3 MCA | Food to go report 2017
4 MCA | Breakfast/Brunch market analysis November 2016
5 Bread and Baked Goods UK – Oct 2015
6 Insight on Foods – (6 focus groups conducted in the south and midlands with representative demographics and all regular consumers of savoury ISB products
LANTMÄNNEN UNIBAKE UK
Tel: 01276 850500
Twitter: @LantmannenUK
Comments are closed.