BREAKFAST
Breakfast
READY A RETURN TO GROWTH? Out of the home, breakfast was the fastest growing of all mealtimes in 2019 according to MCA Insight data, and although coronavirus restrictions clearly had an impact on sales last year, it remains a strong opportunity for cafés, claim sector supplier, St Pierre (www.stpierrebakery.co.uk). In many cases, breakfast has taken on a new significance for cafés as a result of coronavirus challenges, feel the company, caterers having been forced to pivot by developing new takeaway offers which enable them to cross-sell high margin products such as breakfast buns and other ‘on the go’ options alongside hot drinks. And in the search for added-value bread carriers which look good, taste great and are robust enough to hold breakfast fillings, the brioche is in demand, they report. Despite its continental roots in the cafés of Paris, brioche is a booming global trend. Tapping into rising Americana interest, this premium bread category has seen more than 250% menu growth in the last decade in the US and the trend has extended to retail too, where sales of brioche grew 71% in the 52 weeks leading up to September 1, 2020, according to Nielsen, ACN Report, August 2020 AOC data. 12 CAFÉ LIFE | APRIL 2021
As the sector makes moves to reignite itself, the all-day, portable nature of a good breakfast menu will play an important role in reestablishing routines and revenues.
In fact, the growth of this niche sector has been driven since 2014 by market leader St Pierre, who are now the number one brioche brand in America according to Nielsen, ACN Report, February 2018 AOC data. This appeal is certainly not restricted to the US, however. Brioche continues to prove popular in the UK, fuelled by the growth of street food markets and premium burger options and meeting recent trends such as premiumisation, food to go and global flavours, by combining the distinctive shiny glaze and rich, buttery taste to deliver an added value bread carrier for a wide range of breakfast items (such as classic breakfast baps, smoked salmon, French Toast and Eggs Benedict). Cafés shouldn’t underestimate the importance of bread carriers, particularly in the current takeaway boom, advise St Pierre. A bun is more than just a functional item to hold the product, it is the first thing a customer sees and also serves as the carrier too, which can result in cost-savings on packaging. And in the age of social media, where aesthetic appeal matters almost as much as the taste, a good-looking bun can also be marketing tool. The St Pierre range features brioche burger buns, brioche
