Today’s pastry consumer is seeking out simple, clean pastry offerings according to Madinat Jumeirah’s exec pastry chef Paul Hayward.
Top trends
Clean Label: Consumers are no longer interested in products with a label bursting with ingredients they have never heard of. “Clean label” is the latest buzzword in the food sector and the pastry industry is no exception.
“Clean label products with less fat and fewer calories are considered the latest trend in the pastry world,” explains Mazen Marakebji of Baqer Mohebi. “Consumers want to have a nice cupcake with no sugar in it, zero trans-fats and saturated fats.”
In line with the clean label trend, La Marquise introduced pastry and bakery mixes from Palais du Chef a year and a half ago, that are free from gluten, lactose, egg, GMO, palm oil and artificial colour.
“One of the best things about Palais du Chef is that all their products are delicious. Consumers no longer need to sacrifice on taste while choosing healthier food options,” says Olga Cassidy, marketing manager for La Marquise.
Back to Basics: There appears to be greater trust for products that look “simpler” too, according to Madinat Jumeirah resort executive pastry chef Paul Hayward. He says consumers are seeking out back-to-basic classic dishes and desserts that look like real fruit such as lemon, cherries and peaches.
“More home-style desserts, less mousse, even less chocolate, lighter desserts and balanced with sugar content such as fresh fruit Pavlova, something that tastes amazing with super fresh ingredients over something that just looks great,” says Hayward. “People like more rustic things or comfort food items; tall cakes and fresh doughnuts in brown paper bags.”
Laurent Damiens, director of communication of Centre National Interprofessionnel de l’Economie Laitière (CNIEL), the French dairy board, agrees and adds “simplicity” is a worldwide trend. In Paris, he says, there is “a rising wave” of those seeking simple but perfect pastries made from scratch, despite the availability of sophisticated new creations.
“All the shops that are opening will sell a chocolate éclair and a mille-feuille, as that’s what people now want.”
Savoury over Sweet: The popularity of savoury sweet dishes continues to rise. While the traditional super sweet dishes — particularly in the Arab world with the likes of baklava and umm ali — remain firm favourites, tastes such as salted caramel are now being indulged in too.
“This year has been a springboard for the savoury, spicy and sweet flavour category. These mash-up flavour combinations are very popular,” asserts EMF Emirates general manager Pierre Feghali.
Manufacturers have quickly been responding to this trend. La Marquise launched Wondermuffin Savoury by Irca to aid in the production of savoury muffins. Some of the options it presented at Gulfood were muffins with shrimp, salmon, mushroom, zucchini and cheese.
“Savoury muffins will be ideal for breakfasts, snack-times, brunches, receptions and aperitifs together with other salty snacks,” says Cassidy.
Traceability: The emergence of the millennial consumer has meant outlets have been challenged to know exactly what ingredients have gone into their creations and where those ingredients have come from.
“Foodies are increasingly interested in the origins of ingredients and their organic credentials,” explains Damiens of the French dairy board. “We are seeing the ingredients and the suppliers being mentioned in menus and on social media, as a key indicator for quality.”
For Marakebji of Baqer Mohebi, it is essential the pastry industry responds to these demands from the “influential generation which is the millennial”. He adds: “If top contenders within the industry plan to stay on top, it’s essential that they begin to cater to millennials because they have the power to make or break entire establishments.”
However, it is not enough to simply state where the ingredients are sourced from. Today’s consumer is demanding a lot of what he/she eats is sustainably sourced, fair trade, and in some cases organic.
EMF Emirates has been working closely with Barry Callebaut on the chocolate producer’s sustainable chocolate incentive. “We believe in providing complete transparency to the client, regarding the source of our ingredients,” says Feghali. “The ingredients of Barry Callebaut chocolates are totally traceable, up to the cocoa beans’ farming source.”
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