Sweet vegan

With cafés and co ee shops being associated with sweet treats in the minds of many, it’s vital that operators do not neglect the vegan and vegetarian potential of such fayre.

INCREASING DEMAND

The UK vegan market is predicted to be worth £1.1bn by 2023 (Mintel Research 2018), and according to the Vegan Society over half of Brits (56%) adopt vegan buying behaviour. Vegan proves to be more than a micro-movement within vegetarian, as it has been growing strongly both across the UK and on a global level, they observe.

The Vegan Society has also conducted research to discover how many vegans are currently living in the UK, nding that the number of vegans in Great Britain quadrupled between 2014 and 2019 (in 2019, it suggested that there were 600,000 vegans, or 1.16% of the population).

The vegetarian customer basically does not eat animals, whereas vegans don’t consume any animal products, so they leave dairy, eggs, cheese and honey out of their diet. Flexitarians consume mainly a plant-based diet with the occasional inclusion of meat, animal products or sh, and over the upcoming years, it will become increasingly important for operators to cater to these developing demands.

What to consider

“A record number of people are now swapping to, or trying, vegan food,” con rms Jacqui Passmore, marketing manager UK and Ireland at Dawn Foods (www.dawnfoods.com). “According to the Vegan Society, over half of Brits (56%) adopt vegan buying behaviour and that includes following a vegan, vegetarian or exitarian diet. The vegan trend has hit the bakery sector too, growing by over 30% year on year since 2013 according to Innova data, and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down. If you are thinking of introducing vegan products, or expending your vegan menu there are some key things to consider.”

Prioritise taste and texture

Choosing vegan shouldn’t mean a compromise on avour, feel Dawn. However, 40% of European consumers do believe that plant-based alternatives lack taste and 34% are concerned about the texture of plant-based food, they observe from Globaldata 2019. Overcome these barriers by using traditional avours, such as sugar or chocolate for donuts, and chocolate or blueberry for mu ns, they suggest; this will enable you to trigger interest and build credibility before evolving into more experimental avours.

Think outside the vegan box

Go beyond exclusively vegan mixes, propose Dawn (many bakery toppings and llings are naturally vegan like fruit llings, dark chocolate and glazes, providing exibility and ease when adapting your o er).

Get more from your mixes

“Opt for exible mixes that you can adapt to diversify your vegan o er. For example, a chocolate vegan mu n base can be combined with di erent fruits, nuts, seeds or toppings to e ortlessly transform and multiply your vegan o er and appeal to a wider pool of customers,” suggests Jacqui Passmore.

OFFER ENTICING VEGAN TREATS

Delight your customers with deliciously moist bakes that don’t compromise on taste.

Try our easy to use Vegan certified (V-label) Crème Cake, Muffin and Cookie mixes in Chocolate and Plain flavours, moreish Brownie mix and American Style Donut mix, suitable for various diets. • Amazing tastes, great textures, and hold inclusions well • Mixes do not contain Palm Oil and chocolate variants are made with UTZ certified cocoa • Team them with our vegan suitable fillings, toppings and other ingredients

If you are short on time and staff, try our Vegan certified thaw and serve range. Choose from three muffins in fruity and chocolate flavours, two cookies and a brownie.

For more details on our vegan suitable product ranges visit suitable product ranges visit dawnfoods.com/uk Sign up to our e-newsletters to stay informed! dawnfoods.com/uk 01386 760843

A VEGAN GOODY BAG!

Thinking of introducing some vegan WIN sweet bakery products to the menu? To celebrate the launch of its new easy to use vegan bakery mixes, Dawn Foods is giving away a pack of goodies to 10 Café Life readers, each pack containing a range of items to help kick start your vegan journey.

As well as a 1kg bag of Dawn® Balance Vegan Crème Cake Mix – Plain, there’s a copy of ‘Cooking with Maple, naturally’, a gorgeous hardback recipe book from Maple from Canada UK for inspiration, along with a limitededition recipe card for Banana & Maple Syrup Cupcakes. There’s plenty of POS material included too such as vegan branded mu n cases, cookie bags and cupcake/mu n ags to make your vegan bakes stand out on the shelf. A useful scraper from cleaning tool experts Hillbrush is included, as well as guidance on cleaning down between vegan and non-vegan bakes.

For a chance of winning this pack worth around £30, please email your name and contact details to UK.Events@dawnfoods.com by 31 March 2021.

Communicate consciously

Interestingly, 71% of consumers nd the term ‘plant-based’ appealing, whereas 39% nd the term ‘vegan’ appealing according to FMCG Guru data, observe Dawn. Thus, it might be advantageous to play around with ‘plant-based’ and ‘vegan’ in your communication to see which term resonates with your customers most, they suggest.

Consider the Impact of COVID-19

The break in routine and the time to think, read and re ect during lockdown has had an impact on food choices. As a result, we could see a post-COVID acceleration of the vegan trend, with 13% of European consumers claiming they will eat more plant-based as a result of COVID-19 according to FMCG Gurus, report Dawn.

Dawn Foods’ new vegan mixes only require the addition of water and oil or margarine, are ideal to use in a variety of desserts and cakes. The range includes vegan Crème Cake Mix in plain and chocolate, which makes delicious pound cakes and sheet cakes, while Dawn’s Vegan Mu n Mix, available also in plain and chocolate, makes authentic American-style mu ns for nishing with vegan-friendly toppings and llings.

Also new is a Vegan Brownie Mix, suitable for making either fudge or cake brownies – both are soft eating and hold inclusions well, say the company. With Dawn’s new Vegan Cookie Mix, bakers and caterers can also bake their own American-style Plain or Chocolate Cookies, ideal for co ee-time. The nished cookies have the authentic cracked appearance and soft eating centre that consumers love.

“New seasons bring fresh opportunities and a chance for operators to o er something a little di erent. It is also a great time to refresh menus to be more inclusive without compromising on the delicious taste. In order to keep up with evolving dietary requirements, vegan options are key to catering for those who choose to consume alternative diets,” says Anna Sentance, gourmet marketing manager, Callebaut UK and Ireland.

“Veganism remains an important consideration for caterers and continues to in uence consumer dining habits. According to our ndings (Callebaut Dessert Report, CGA, 2020), with more than two fths of consumers purchasing a dessert, cake or pastry when eating out, to maximise sales opportunities and satisfy consumers, dessert menus also need to include vegan options.”

A premium chocolate producer, Callebaut supplies 811 Callets which are suitable for vegans, say the company, enabling caterers to create indulgent vegan recipes with real Belgian chocolate. As part of Callebaut’s latest campaign - Everyday Inspiration - their Superfood Chocolate Bar recipe uses Callebaut 811 Dark chocolate callets and is suitable for vegan diets.

To inspire chefs, Callebaut also launched The Callebaut Recipe Collection in 2019, a recipe book that includes great tasting dessert, cake and pastry recipes that can be adapted to suit vegan and gluten free diets. Available to download, the collection includes Callebaut’s Rocky Road, Callebaut’s Cashew Chocolate Pots and Callebaut’s Chocolate & Orange Cake topped with crystallised orange (for more ideas, visit www. fortheloveofchoc.com).

A NATURAL SWEETENER

“Vegan eating and plant-based foods are growing in popularity, as more of us are making conscious decisions around what we eat, whether it’s for our health, to take care of the planet or to support the welfare of animals and food producers,” says David Colcombe, chef ambassador for Maple from Canada UK (www. maplefromcanada.co.uk), maple syrup being a good source of natural sweetness for co ee shop operators to use in a range of vegan dishes. “The growing importance of provenance and healthy eating has given rise to more people seeking natural sugars for their sweet treats too and for many, the sweetener needs to be vegan-suitable too. Pure Canadian maple syrup is 100% natural, and naturally vegan, with nothing added or removed, and provides a wonderful rich avour to elevate any recipe whether it’s sweet or savoury.

“A little goes a long way with maple syrup, so it’s a coste ective store cupboard ingredient with a good shelf life. The secret is to use it sparingly rather than opting for the cheaper maple syrup that’s usually available to caterers, which is often blended with sugar syrup and gives an inferior taste.

“With its earthy taste, maple syrup goes well with robust avours and spices in dishes such as Vegan Aubergine and Maple Hotpot or Vegan BBQ Jackfruit Pizza. A tablespoon or so of the lightest Golden, Delicate Taste maple syrup can lift a salad while the richer Dark, Robust Taste maple syrup can add a subtle sweetness to vegan desserts and bakes to add richness or to enhance fruity avours. Very dark syrup, with its strong taste, will add depth to the colour and aroma of breads and cakes and as a avour enhancer in chocolate or glazes.”

Cauli ower & Maple Tofu Korma.

SERVES 8

Superfood chocolate bars

Ingredients

• 500g Callebaut® 811 Dark Chocolate Callets • 30g Callebaut Dark Chocolate Crispearls • 25g cacao nibs • 25g goji berries • 25g pumpkin seeds • 15g coconut akes • 15g almond akes, toasted

Method

• Place the Callebaut® 811 Dark Chocolate Callets in a large heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water to create a bain-marie. Stir the chocolate until melted. • Pour the melted chocolate into an eight-bar silicone chocolate mould to ll each bar. Evenly divide the cacao nibs, goji berries, coconut akes, pumpkin seeds, toasted aked almonds and Callebaut Dark Chocolate Crispearls between the moulds. • Allow to cool and set before transferring to the fridge.

INCREDIBLE MAPLE

Great for breakfast, but more versatile than you can imagine

From the deep Canadian forests to kitchens around the world pure maple syrup is a 100% natural, unrefined and unprocessed sweetener with a high-quality taste and a versatile range of uses.

Always free from artificial additives or flavourings, pure Canadian maple syrup is ideal for brunches, baking, barbeques and beyond adding flavour and complexity to any dish.

For more inspiration, great recipes and to download the maple cookbook for free, visit:

maplefromcanada.co.uk

@maplecanadauk

ADVISORY, BUSINESS & CONSULTANCY SERVICES

Bespoke Software Platopus Systems Ltd. Business Systems Platopus Systems Ltd. Consultants The Wordbox E Commerce Platopus Systems Ltd. Factory Grote Company FSC Millitec Food Systems Ltd. Zafron Foods Ltd. Food Safety ALS Food & Pharmaceutical Retail FSC

BAKERY PRODUCTS

Doughnuts Moy Park Ltd. Morning Goods New York Bakery Co. Tortilla & Wraps Freshfayre Mission Foods

BREAD & ROLLS

Fresh Jacksons Bakery Speciality Jacksons Bakery Mission Foods New York Bakery Co. Bread Making Ingredients Caterers Choice Ltd. Harvey & Brockless

BUTTER & SPREADS

Butter Freshfayre Spreads Freshfayre The Cheese Cellar Spreads (olive) Freshfayre Leathams

CHEESE & DAIRY PRODUCTS

Cheese Freshfayre Futura Foods UK Ltd. Harvey & Brockless Leathams Norseland Ltd. Ornua Ingredients Europe Yoghurt Freshfayre Futura Foods UK Ltd Muller Milk & Ingredients Ornua Ingredients Europe Sour Cream Freshfayre

CLEANING MATERIALS

Bunzl Catering Supplies

CHUTNEYS & RELISHES

Chutneys Freshfayre Leathams Mizkan Euro Ltd. The Ingredients Factory Zafron Foods Ltd. Relishes Blenders Freshfayre Harvey & Brockless Leathams Mizkan Euro Ltd. The Ingredients Factory Zafron Foods Ltd. Pickles Freshfayre Geeta’s Foods Ltd. Leathams The Ingredients Factory Salsa Blenders Freshfayre Zafron Foods Ltd.

DRESSINGS, SAUCES AND MAYONNAISE

Dips Blenders Freshfayre Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods Pauwels UK The Ingredients Factory Zafron Foods Ltd. Dressings Blenders Pauwels UK Mayonnaise Blenders Caterers Choice Freshfayre Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods Harvey & Brockless Pauwels UK Piquant Zafron Foods Ltd. Mustards Blenders Pauwels UK Zafron Foods Ltd. Sauces & Ketchups Blenders Caterers Choice Freshfayre Pauwels UK Piquant The Ingredients Factory Zafron Foods Ltd. Spreads Blenders Pauwels UK

DRINKS

Chocolate Italian Beverage Company Marimba World Chocolate Coffee Rombouts Coffee GB Ltd. Cold Drinks & Mixers Italian Beverage Company Juices Caterers Choice Freshfayre Italian Beverage Company Leathams Smoothies Italian Beverage Company

EGGS & EGG PRODUCTS

Eggs (hard boiled) Freshfayre Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods Fridays Egg Products Freshfayre Fresh-Pak Chilled Foods Fridays Futura Foods UK Ltd. Leathams Zafron Foods Ltd.

EQUIPMENT & VEHICLES

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Crayfish Freshfayre Royal Greenland Ltd. Prawns CP Foods UK Ltd. H Smith Food Group PLC Royal Greenland Ltd. Freshfayre Zafron Foods Ltd. Salmon Caterers Choice Freshfayre Leathams Seafood/Shellfish H Smith Food Group PLC Royal Greenland Ltd. Tuna Caterers Choice Freshfayre H Smith Food Group plc Moy Park Ltd. Zafron Foods Ltd

FOOD WHOLESALERS

Country Choice Foods FRUIT Canned Fruit Caterers Choice Ltd. General The Ingredients Factory Guacamole Leathams Pineapple Caterers Choice Food Network Freshcut Foods Ltd

INSURANCE

Insurance Protector Group

LABELS

Bunzl Catering Supplies Nutritics Planglow Ltd. Tri-Star Packaging Supplies Ltd.

MEAT PRODUCTS

Bacon Dawn Farms UK Freshfayre H Smith Food Group plc Leathams Moy Park Ltd. Smithfield Foods Ltd. Beef Freshfayre Leathams Moy Park Ltd. Newsholme Food Group Canned Meat Freshfayre Moy Park Ltd. Princes Foods Ltd. Smithfield Foods Ltd. Chicken 2 Sisters Food Group Cargrill Protein Europe CP Foods UK Ltd. Dawn Farms UK Freshfayre H Smith Food Group plc Leathams Moy Park Ltd. Seara Meats BV Smithfield Foods Ltd. Continental Freshfayre Leathams Duck 2 Sisters Food Group CP Foods UK Ltd. Freshfayre H Smith Food Group PLC Ham Freshfayre Leathams Smithfield Foods Ltd. Lamb Freshfayre H Smith Foodgroup PLC Meatballs Snowbird foods Pork Dawn Farms UK Freshfayre H Smith Food Group plc Leathams Moy Park Ltd. Smithfield Foods Ltd. Sausages Freshfayre Leathams Moy Park Ltd. Smithfield Foods Ltd. Snowbird foods Turkey 2 Sisters Food Group Freshfayre H Smith Food Group plc Leathams Moy Park Ltd. Smithfield Foods Ltd.

MILK

Muller Milk & Ingredients

OILS

Freshfayre

ORGANIC PRODUCTS

Fridays Leathams Pauwels UK

PACKAGING

Cardboard Colpac Ltd. Coveris Flexibles UK Ltd. (St Neots) Rap Ltd.