SWEET AND SAVOURY SNACKING INNOVATIONS


With a projected 1,000 bakery cafés in the United States by 2030, Paris


Baguette is on a mission to reestablish the neighborhood bakery café as the heart of the community.


Renaissance BAKERY’S SNACKING


As consumers snack more emotionally, visually and intentionally than ever before, bakery brands are using sweet and savoury innovation to transform familiar formats into culturally resonant, modern-day rituals. Kiran Grewal reports.


I


n a snacking category defined by restless consumers and cultural cross-pollination, recent times have emerged as a watershed year for


bakery-led innovation. Across global markets, the humble bakery treat, once lauded primarily for comfort and tradition, is now a frontline arena for bold flavour experimentation, texture reinvention, and sensory novelty. According to recent consumer and


market research, flavour remains the primary driver of purchase decisions in


bakery and snack products, with more than 60 % of global shoppers prioritising distinctive taste experiences over familiarity. Hybrid creations that blur sweet and savoury boundaries — from cruffins and cronuts to sweet-heat “swicy” combinations — do not simply act as niche curiosities but are now increasingly central to product development strategies. This shift mirrors a broader appetite for cross- category mashups and limited-edition offerings that tap into cultural narratives while delivering on indulgence and novelty.


Permissible indulgence Yet innovation in bakery isn’t just about adventurous flavour profiles. Consumers are snacking more frequently than ever, with nearly half of U.S. adults now report consuming three or more snacks per day — and increasingly seek products that balance ‘permissible indulgence’ with functional benefits such as higher fibre, natural


ingredients, or cleaner


labels. As legacy snack markets contend with regulatory headwinds over ultra- processed foods and nutrition policy


28 • KENNEDY’S BAKERY PRODUCTION • DECEMBER/JANUARY 2025/26


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40