While there was a time when the bread basket was avoided at the dining table – because carbohydrates! – With the emergence of health and wellness trends and increasing intolerance, retailers and suppliers are taking up the challenge and bringing back bread and bakery.
While there is still a market for traditional bread and bakery offerings – white bread, for example – as the Australian lifestyle changes and consumers become more and more health conscious, Neil Burns, branch manager at Preston Street IGA in the Perth suburb of Como, responds to the demand The result of this development is the offer of new products and new flavors.
"Traditional lines like the old favorites – donuts, muffins, croissants, cinnamon buns and vanilla slices – are still our bestsellers," he said, "but then there are new products like gluten-free and savory muffins.
“The growth in gluten-free bread is currently the largest (influencing) new product range. There are some really good options for people with gluten intolerance: lots of different grains and flavors. That will continue to grow this year. "
Against the grain
According to Lyn Roberts, Bill's bakery manager, consumers are looking for healthier bread options.
Products that she says perform particularly well in Bill's bakery include "products made from old grains (e.g. spelled and khorasan)". She attributes this to increasing health problems like asthma and intolerance.
"I think some people have an intolerance to normal wheat … and people want to be healthier too," she said.
Bill's bakery is constantly trying out different products, especially when new superfoods come onto the market, says Ms. Roberts, adding: "We may be doing research and development on gluten-free cereals and sorghum."
Care for the environment
Christian Coenen, owner and director of Herman Brot, says that one of the most important challenges for food supply in the industry is the environmental impact of food production.
Cattle produce more CO2 than cars, which, along with questionable farming practices for poultry and pork, has led to increased demand for more plant foods, he adds.
"The problem consumers face with plant foods is getting enough protein," he said, suggesting that Herman bread products come into play here.
"All Herman Brot products are loaded with pure vegetable protein," said Coenen. "We have a complete product suite that fulfills the protein box and offers healthy protein alternatives for vegans / vegetarians and anyone trying out herbal diets."
Future predictions
Mr. Coenen predicts that the bread and baked goods category will continue to grow, but the organization of supermarkets will also change.
"I expect there will be new sections over the next 20 years – low carb, high protein, high fiber, low fiber," he said.
"These sections are not on the same shelf as the white bread. Supermarkets are organized according to diet rather than product groups, with (sections for) vegans, vegetarians, gluten-free, low-carbohydrates, etc."
Food for thought, that's for sure.
Click here to read the full article in the April issue of Retail World magazine.
