MORNING GOODS AND PASTRIES


The rise of the hybrid The croissant has become one of the industry’s most flexible canvases. The crookie is perhaps the most obvious example, but the wider movement encompasses filled croissants, cube- shaped products, laminated buns and pastries combining contrasting textures. Dawn Foods’ 2026 European and AMEAP trend report identifies “Elevated Indulgence” as one of four major movements shaping sweet bakery. Its research points towards richer textures, layered flavours, premium ingredients and hybrid pastries, but importantly frames these trends in terms of commercial scalability rather than simply novelty. Sarah Browner, Market Research & Insights Manager EU & AMEAP at Dawn Foods, describes the shift as “a fundamental change in how consumers discover, experience, and connect with bakery products.” The morning bakery used to be dominated by products whose familiarity was part of their value. Now familiarity can provide the platform for something visually or texturally new. The basic croissant remains recognisable, but its presentation, filling, topping or shape can be changed. Waitrose’s May 2026 patisserie relaunch offers a useful retail snapshot of that development. The retailer introduced 16 new products, including Raspberry and White Chocolate Crookies, Pistachio and Raspberry Croissant Cubes, loaded cookies and a Matcha & Raspberry Cake. It reported patisserie sales up 10% year-on-year, with Pain au Chocolat sales increasing by 21%.


Elizabeth Greenman, Bakery Product


Developer at Waitrose, described the strategy as bringing “artisanal quality” into the supermarket environment, while highlighting “next-level indulgence” and the visual appeal of new formats. The significance for manufacturers is that


the trend is about creating a viral product but also making novelty reproducible. A cube-shaped croissant, for example, demands control over dough development, lamination, shaping, proofing and baking. A filled pastry has to manage the behaviour of its filling through processing and oven temperatures. A loaded product introduces additional depositing, finishing and handling considerations.


Ingredients become engineering tools The ingredient brief for modern morning


goods is increasingly contradictory. Manufacturers want cleaner labels, reduced sugar or improved nutritional profiles, but they cannot sacrifice the softness, volume, colour, moisture or shelf life that consumers expect. Puratos’ June 2026 analysis of


industrial patisserie describes this as a central challenge. Sugar, for example, does considerably more than provide sweetness. It contributes to volume, colour and moisture retention, meaning that reducing it is a technical problem as much as a nutritional one. Similarly, removing dairy or eggs from a


pastry recipe can alter structure, aeration, mouthfeel and processing behaviour. This is why the next stage of ingredient innovation is less about a single “hero ingredient” and more about functional systems that allow manufacturers to manipulate the finished product without losing its character. Puratos describes the modern


industrial patisserie proposition as something of a paradox: delivering artisanal quality at industrial cost and scale, while also extending freshness and maintaining consistency through complex supply chains. Its approach includes enzyme technologies,


plant-based alternatives and solutions designed to preserve texture through freezing, thawing and distribution. Puratos’ 2026 research argues that a product can fail even when its flavour is right if the expected texture is not delivered. That makes texture a formulation target, rather than simply an outcome.


Preserving the morning Shelf life is another area where ingredient


26 • KENNEDY’S BAKERY PRODUCTION • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2026


Image courtesy of kaak - sheeting


Image courtesy of Lesaffre


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