JUST DESSERTS

The heat is on! So, look out for visually stunning sweet treats to take your breath away.

Ready For Business

With the summer months, the ice cream and dessert sectors take on extra importance. In 2022, ice cream enjoyed 6% value growth in market size UK to £1.7 billion [Mintel], with this forecast to grow to £1.8bn in 2027. In the tubs and blocks segment, Ben & Jerry’s lead the way, while Calippo, Twister and Solero are the big handheld players. And while increasing operational and raw material costs are an obvious challenge, there are still huge opportunities for 2023.

But with the likes of Unilever shrinking the number of Magnums in multipacks, from four to three, it’s important to remember that the customer shouldn’t be taken for granted. It follows the second downsizing for the brand in less than a year, with the ice cream sticks reduced to 100ml from 110ml in July 2022. However, the passion for this product is likely to remain undimmed.

“As a nation of dessert lovers, there’s no doubt that classic favourite puddings are popular,” said Tom Styman-Heighton, development chef at Funnybones Foodservice. “However, recent trends have emerged around polarising products. Extra indulgence or health-kick friendly sweets, classic nostalgia or bold concepts.

“In particular, combinations that include refreshing, bright tastes. These can take many forms, but go down best when putting a modern twist on a staple favourite. Just take Funnybones’ Mexican Lime Cheesecake. This utilises creamy avocado, enabling less full-fat cream cheese, while adding a rich depth. Perfect for appeasing health-conscious diners. It is then spiked with zingy, zesty lime,” said Styman-Heighton.

Crosta & Mollica have enjoyed success with their premium frozen desserts, seeing strong growth for the gelato range, which launched in June 2022.

“We use the traditional gelateria slowwhipping process called mantecato, to achieve the smooth texture that artisan Italian gelato is known for,” said Dean Lavender, head of brand at Crosta & Mollica.

“We finish the gelato with a ‘swirl’, reminiscent of that spotted in gelaterias across Italy. To ensure the highest quality, it is made in small batches by a second-generation family producer. Our best-selling Gelato SKU is the Amarena Cherry & Mascarpone, with the Limoncello Gelato coming into its own as consumers reach for refreshing flavours in summer.

“Our pistachio & almond gelato Tartufi truffles are also unique. It was our first product in the frozen dessert space, and we launched three different

SKUs of that traditional style of dessert. They combine two gelato flavours, meticulously hand-rolled and coated in a layer of light dusting to create a generous truffle,” concluded Lavender. Karin Janssen is a bakery expert and business development manager at ingredients supplier, Henley Bridge. “Large birthday and celebration cakes are often enrobed in chocolate or readyto-use ganache, such as Belcolade Crysto-fil. This is a manufacturers’ easy-to-use favourite, applied to create the illusion of a flowing chocolate appearance around the side, known as ‘drip cakes’.”

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Digital Connection

The social media aspect also cannot be ignored. “The focus is on quality ingredients, interesting flavours and creating ‘Instagrammable’ or TikTokworthy content, with innovative toppings and colour,” said Joe Yates, development chef at Carpigiani UK.

“We’re seeing waffles, cones and pancakes with decadent toppings or unusual flavour combos that give customers the choice to create their own dessert. Add to this the massive growth in the shakes market, where anything from a classic to a thick or freak shake can now be created in seconds and incorporate wellknown flavours, as brands collaborate to leverage sales –with chocolate bars, biscuits, etc.

“Putting soft serve or shakes on a menu is easy, with compact, countertop, plug & play machines allowing an operator to deliver this high-profit option. The 161K is our ingenious shake machine. It works off a 13amp single phase plug, enabling an operator to add shakes to their menu quickly. Leading the market with built-in self-pasteurisation, this equipment only needs cleaning every 42 days, creating savings in both labour and mix wastage,” continued Yates.

“If adding soft serve to desserts, or even for takeaway, is more your thing, our compact Carpigiani 161T GSP is ideal. Offering state-of-the-art technology with features usually reserved for larger, floor-standing machines, it has a footprint of just 300mm x 630mm x 850 mm (w/d/h), plus a contemporary stainless-steel countertop, complete with multifunctional display.”

The menu for healthier desserts is becoming more varied – and it needs to. “Operators should consider everincreasing dietary restrictions, to ensure their menu is as inclusive as possible,” continued Styman-Heighton.

“Offering at least one vegan-friendly dessert has the added benefit of being suitable for people with animal by-product intolerances, such as lactose intolerance. Funnybones’ new Caramelised Biscuit Cheesecake has been developed with this in mind. It arrives in traybake format, so operators have maximum creativity and flexibility of portion shapes and sizes.”

“Specialist bakeries such as Just Love Food Company and Bells of Lazonby are manufacturing cakes free from allergens such as eggs, milk proteins, gluten, peanuts and soya,” said Janssen. “They are offering supreme quality to sectors of the population who previously had to accept mediocre goods.”