C AT E G O R Y I N S I G H T: P A S T R Y
The pastry evolution BY LIZ GOO DWI N
Consumer trends may come and go, but the love of sweets is eternal. Whether the guilty pleasure is a warm chocolate croissant or an iced strawberry turnover, people pine for a dose of sugar. But as consumer trends collide with evergreen cravings, sweet goods and pastry producers are shifting their R&D and operation strategies. When it comes to satisfying their sweet tooth, consumers want it all — something that tastes great and is keto, gluten-free or plant-based. It’s challenging for bakeries to create pastries that deliver balance on taste and health factors, but this is a space with serious potential for growth. For Brian Owens, CEO of Phoenixbased Café Valley, it’s about embracing all things plant-based, especially as younger consumers gain increasing buying power.
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
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“People want something fantastic like an authentic pain au chocolate, or they want something plant-based or keto or at least with some connotation to it,” Owens said. “We get a lot of requests for those, and we’re dipping our toe into the plant-based market. Younger consumers are keen on plant-based, and they’re not going back to eating animal products. It has a lot of promise.” That promise can have a price tag, but if consumers believe it’s worth
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