Food Trends: Munich Bakery

IBA, the International Bakery Exhibition was established in 1949 and has since been held every three years, with the exception of during the pandemic. The exhibition came back stronger after three years of absence. It is considered to be one of the world’s leading trade fairs and exhibitions for the baking and confectionery industry.

The 2023 show took place across ten halls, with 1,073 exhibitors from forty-six countries. 57,000 people visited the halls from one hundred and fifty countries across the five days. The show exhibited ingredient manufacturers, process technologies, packaging, logistics, hygiene and emerging technologies. Some of the key themes of IBA 2023 were food trends, artisan bakery, health, sustainability, digitisation, quality management and emerging startups.

Food Trend One: Colour

A key food trend at the show was the use of vibrant colours in baked products. Traditionally baked goods are made of brown, beige and dark colours, with the most popular flavours used being chocolates and vanillas, leading to similar looking products in bakery cabinets. Bright, bold shades deliver visually appealing products that stand out on shelves. With bakery products a staple at social celebrations and gatherings, vibrant bakery goods that look exciting and tasty play a key role.

Food Trend Two: Multi-Sensorial

The colourful and multi-sensorial trends went hand in hand at the IBA, with many exhibitors showcasing both vibrant coloured bakery with different sensorial experiences. Two-toned (and in some cases three-toned) pastry and viennoiserie products continue to be a popular bakery trend. The addition of fillings, toppings, as well as crispy, soft, creamy or crunchy decorations are a must to enhance the consumer experience.

Food Trend Three: Flavours

Dark fruits and botanical flavours were front and centre, with ingredient and bakery companies keen to showcase the new, exciting flavour combinations. Plum purée and carob, which has a roasted chocolate flavour were used in a cake with walnuts, bringing these innovative, complex flavours together. Botanicals such as hibiscus were prevalent in confectionery products such as a hibiscus choux bun. The use of dried, edible flowers was a common feature at the IBA, with many bakers using colourful flowers as decorations, leaning into the botanical trend.

The increasing consumer demand for Asian treats is extending outside of restaurants into the retail space, with bakery and snack brands utilising Asian flavours such as ube, spicy mango, matcha, as well as textures like those used in Mochi ice cream and bubble teas. Ingredient company Texture Maker used the show to launch their new ingredient, Chewco. A bakery blend with a chewy texture, it is made from tapioca starches and used to make boba pearls in bubble tea. Through the introduction of this chewy texture into waffles and donuts, Chewco allows bakers to tap into this texture trend with the introduction of new and exciting textures in familiar products.

Asian flavours in sweet products have been growing considerably with consumers seeking out fermented foods to deliver interesting fusion flavours of sweet, vinegary, tangy, sour and umami tastes. Matcha remains a popular ingredient, with the vibrant green colour being used in cakes delivering both colour and a sweet nutty, slightly umami flavour.

Flavours like sweet chilli, hot honey and maple tabasco are becoming increasingly popular in a food industry constantly looking for the next trend. A particularly popular pastry product at the IBA was a mango and chilli pastry with two toned lamination, a vibrant red chilli flavoured pastry with a mango and chilli jam filling, topped with edible flowers.

Food Trend Four: Crazy Croissants

The various croissant trends, which have become synonymous with TikTok, were on full display at the IBA. Bakers have been innovating the pastry category, ever since Dominique Ansel invented the cronut in 2013, looking for the next croissant hybrid, (croffle (croissant and waffle) or cruffin (croissant and muffin)). Innovations like the filled croissant, cube croissant, giant croissant, cruffin, daisy croissant and the New York croissant roll were stars at the show, with bakery and ingredients suppliers focusing on extravagant decorations and innovative flavours. The New York croissant roll was even used as a sandwich carrier to create an eggs benedict style sandwich, with eggs, spinach, pickled red onion and hollandaise sauce.

A key trend at IBA was hyper indulgence and premiumisation, with consumers seeking more elevated and indulgent treats from their bakery products. Multisensorial croissants and viennoiserie products using decorations, inclusions and fillings, creating layers of flavour combinations and textures (creamy, crispy, crunchy, moist, soft, etc.) are allowing bakers to play with this trend.

As mentioned earlier, colour and multi-sensory experiences are quintessential to driving visual appeal for consumers, who, as we know, eat with their eyes. A stunning viennoiserie product offering layers of textures and flavours elevating the overall experience. The benefits of instagrammable products, which are shared online, is that they help to drive innovation and sales in businesses. Social media is a very powerful tool that bakers can use to drive footfall to their businesses, through these hybrid, hyper indulgent, vibrant and multisensorial products. With luxury and indulgence a high priority for consumers, the IBA demonstrated to bakers how they can elevate their products to meet this demand.

Food Trend Five: Tradition with a Twist

An important bakery trend has been familiar favourites but in exciting new formats. The cost-of-living crisis has had a direct impact on bakery, with many consumers seeking to stick to familiar products and flavours, rather than experimenting with new. The nostalgia trend, going back to formats, flavours and experiences which consumers remember, reminiscent of better times, also entices younger consumers seeking the novelty of trying retro products.

At the IBA, this trend allowed bakers to see how they can reinvent a classic with an innovative twist, creating a sense of excitement for younger consumers and wistfulness for the older generation. Lime and mixed berry meringue pies, blueberry turnover replacing the apple filling and topping with a purple yoghurt drizzle. The swiss roll also got a twist, with a chocolate flavoured sponge, filled with a cherry jam and rolled in a pistachio coating.