Baking & Snack - May 2023 - 29

TRENDS
Buns & Rolls
growth, Ms. Olsen explained. Ball Park Buns, a brand
of Bimbo Bakeries USA, Horsham, Pa., and King's
Hawaiian, Torrance, Calif., have used their Instagram
pages to showcase new recipes, including Ball Park's
recipe for a breakfast sandwich on its Everything
Hamburger Buns and King's Hawaiian's recipes for mini
chicken and waffles using Original Hawaiian Sweet
Rolls.
Retail growth is also being driven by the fact that
these breads are a more approachable and versatile option
than a loaf of bread, Ms. Buenning said. Consumers
purchase the products initially to use with a specific
meal, but she said they continue to use the leftover bread
in other ways from sandwiches to salad croutons.
" The pre-pandemic trend of adding value and differentiation
to the bun is back, and we have seen the
expansion in the offerings of indulgent brioche-type
products but also sprouted and organic offerings, " said
JP Frossard, consumer foods analyst with Rabobank. " It
has brought along substantial investments in production
capacity for premium buns and recent merger and acquisition
activity in the segment. "
Mr. Frossard noted this includes Grupo Bimbo's acquisition
of St Pierre Group, the UK-based maker of
brioche buns, bagels and rolls, and Easton, Pa.-based
Bakerly's plans for a new facility in San Antonio.
US retail sales across multiple outlets and convenience
stores for center-store buns and rolls were up
10.8% and reached $5 billion during the 52 weeks ended
Feb. 26, according to Circana OmniMarket Integrated
Fresh. At the same time, dollar sales of perimeter buns
and rolls were up 14.9% to $992.7 million. Additionally,
sales of center-store croissants rose 7.5% to reach $223.5
million while perimeter croissants were up 22% to
$643.6 million.
Still, this dollar sales growth was driven by price increases
as unit sales were down in the center of the store
and flat in the perimeter, said Melissa Altobelli, principal
of client insights, bakery vertical, Circana. Yet briochestyle
buns and rolls saw notable dollar and unit growth
in 2022, outpacing the category with the top new products
in the last year including Sara Lee Artesano Brioche
Buns and Canyon Bakehouse Brioche-Style Sweet Rolls.
New on the shelf
Convenience, elevated dining at home and doing more
with less are all trends driving new product introductions
in the retail market, said Heather Davis, senior manager
of customer insights at Bimbo Bakehouse, Horsham, Pa.
Premium buns and rolls continue to make their mark
with a wide variety of options and marketing education
to show consumers how they can use them in new ways.
Datassential reported that brioche buns have grown
CLEAN LABEL PERSISTS
FOR BUNS AND ROLLS
As consumers are looking for products
with a clean ingredient list, bakers are
carefully evaluating the ingredients in their
buns and rolls and incorporating enzymes
in products.
Crown Bakeries is using enzymes to help
replace ingredients including DATEM, ADA,
mono- and diglycerides, and sodium stearoyl
lactylate, said Kory Mickelson, chief
commercial officer, Crown Bakeries.
" Simple, real, recognizable - a lot of
innovation is actually a return to the basics
of wholesome baking, " he said.
Natural enzymes also support better
moisture retention and ensure ideal
texture, said Brie Buenning, director of
marketing for La Brea Bakery. She also said
La Brea Bakery works to avoid all preservatives
and dough conditioners and focuses
on using Non-GMO Project verified and
vegan-certified ingredients in products.
Enzymes may help stabilize costs in
some formulations of buns and rolls and
be beneficial amid supply chain disruptions
and inflation, said Jimmy Walker, director
of sales for Genesis Baking Co. He said it is
important to have secondary suppliers to
maintain inventory levels and ensure supply
for customers.
While it can be difficult to use different
ingredients to create products that taste
and look the same as traditional offerings,
Mr. Walker said most of the challenge
comes from helping customers understand
the potential of new ingredients.
" People are looking for innovative ways
to extend shelf life in the marketplace, " he
said. " It's difficult to get that shelf life and
make it soft with no difference in taste, but
there is innovation out there to do that. "
He said the company values its partnership
with customers and suppliers alike.
Ms. Buenning said it can also be challenging
to find enzymes that meet clean
ingredient requirements, and supply chain
challenges forced the company to look at
how else they could achieve longer shelf
life with vinegars and other ingredients.
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