Commercial Baking: Artisan baking trends

Capitalizing on the at-home baking movement for center-store growth

2020 was the year of baking bread. When COVID-19 put the world on lockdown, panicked consumers stocked up on flour and yeast and started kneading. As a result, baking staples saw exponential growth, with sales of baking yeast up 457%, baking powder up 178% and flour up 155%, over the previous year ending March 28, 2019, according to Nielsen data.

+Print sales for bread cookbooks in the United States also grew 145% for the 9 months ending September 2020. And according to Kristen McLean, NPD book industry analyst, the at-home bread baking movement could have staying power. “Baking offered a comforting escape and yeast suddenly became more difficult to find than toilet paper. Sales of bread cookbooks are still well above 2019 levels, and given that the pandemic is still with us, the trend could be sticking around for a while.”

Even if the popularity of at-home baking bread continues in a post-COVID world, signs indicate the increased interest in the bread category – particularly artisan and craft-style – could provide opportunities on grocery store shelves as well.

In a December 2020 episode of the American Bakers Association’s ‘Bake to the Future’ podcast, Robb MacKie, ABA president and CEO, interviewed Fred Penny, president, Bimbo Bakeries USA. The discussion recapped 2020 and looked forward to 2021, and the conversation suggested that this is the year to build on consumers’ renewed appreciation for baked goods.

Penny pointed to the change in consumer behavior as one reason for the lift in a category that was previously struggling to grow. “The big shift to food consumed at home – as opposed to away from home – clearly has driven the category significantly. And one of the big questions we’re asking ourselves is, ‘How much of that shift is going to be sustainable?’”

But the growth in the bread category as a whole – coupled with other trends like the demand for clean labels and greater ethical and environmental transparency in foods and ingredients – indicate that consumer interest for artisan products in the grocery store could be an area for growth and innovation.

“Transparency throughout the supply chain will dominate in 2021, with consumers searching for brands that can build trust, provide authentic and credible products and create shopper confidence in the current and post-COVID climate,” said Lu Ann Williams, director of insights and innovation at Innova Market Insights. The International Dairy Deli Bakery Association’s What’s in Store 2020 supported that, indicating 75% of shoppers are more likely to switch to a brand that provides in-depth product information, while 59% believe transparency means a ‘plain English’ description of ingredients.

In a September 2020 study commissioned by Ingredient Communications, most respondents expressed a preference for natural ingredients as well as a distaste for artificial additives. 81% said they find a label that states it is ‘made with natural ingredients’ very appealing or quite appealing, while 78% said they find a label that states it is ‘free from artificial ingredients’ very appealing or quite appealing.

© Chabaso Bakery, New Haven, CT

Transparency has long been a hallmark for Los Angeles-based La Brea Bakery, which has been selling its artisan breads nationwide since 1998. “We know that consumers want to identify every ingredient on the label, and we deliver on that,” said Chris Prociv, VP of marketing and innovation, La Brea Bakery.

The company saw an uptick in sales in 2020, particularly in its Take & Bake portfolio.

And Nielsen data shows that the artisan bread take-and-bake category is up almost 40% against a year ago, as compared to pre-COVID when the category was growing at a rate of 7%. “Consumers are realizing that take and bake is the next best thing to homemade,” Prociv said. “When they want bread, they want that sensory experience, even if they don’t have the time to make it themselves.”

In October 2020, Rustik Oven expanded its artisan bread line nationwide. The bread — available in Sourdough, Artisan White, and Hearty Grains & Seeds — is made using a traditional European baking process and is Non-GMO Project verified and made without artificial colors or flavors.

Other large commercial baking companies have expanded into the artisan space.

“For so long, we heard our consumers’ feedback over the struggle of choosing between the superior quality of bread from their favorite local bakery and the longer shelf life and convenience of bread from a grocery store,” said Jessica Grane, marketing director, premium and artisan breads at Bimbo Bakeries USA. “Thanks to our signature baking process, we’re proud to bring this unique offering to the artisan bread category and offer our fans the taste that they love in a more convenient way.”

Trend reports suggesting an increased demand for products that promote immunity – no doubt sparked by the pandemic – and overall health could be another factor driving consumers to purchase artisan.

According to Innova’s Top Ten Trends for 2021, six in 10 global consumers are increasingly looking for food and beverage products that support their immune health. And an October 2020 study by FMCG Gurus showed that 64% of consumers are more interested in ingredients or food and drink products that provide protective or preventative health benefits.

Studies have shown that the slow-fermented bread could be easier to digest and contribute positively to the microbiome and overall gut health. “I think there’s an opportunity, especially with sourdough, to lean into the nutritional advantages that artisan bread can provide,” Prociv said.

A simple, clean ingredient list could also be reframed and communicated more clearly to consumers. “At the end of the day, bread is flour, water, yeast and salt,” said Charles Negaro, Jr., CEO of New Haven, Connecticut-based Chabaso Bakery, a family-owned commercial bakery that has been selling ciabattas and other artisan breads for more than 30 years. “I see an opportunity for increased storytelling in the bakery aisle and for better educating consumers on what they’re eating and how it contributes to their overall health.”

When promoting the benefits of commercially produced bread, Penny suggested that it’s important to craft the message holistically, rather than honing-in on just one small piece.

“I think it’s confirming the messaging about a balanced diet and emphasizing the messaging about the fact that the products we provide can fit into a healthy lifestyle,” he told MacKie on the podcast. “I think that’s part of it. I’m not so sure specific claims necessarily are going to be the end-all answer. I also don’t think we can forget about the fact that consumers are still interested in sustainability, food waste, etc., and as an industry we need to be all over that. We’ve got to continue to work on all elements of the areas of responsibility that we have as an industry. Nutrition is certainly one of them, but it’s not the only one.”

Regardless of the trend factors and supporting data that suggest now is the time to dip into artisan, there are certainly inherent production challenges – namely, time, resources and cost – to baking this style on a commercial scale.

For Negaro, one thing is universally true when it comes to true artisan bread baking: There are no shortcuts. “Flavor and texture take time. At Chabaso, our bread fermentation process takes 20 hours or more. We have equipment that allows us to form the dough on a large scale, but we still do much of the work by hand. We never want to lose that quality of a neighborhood bakery.”

The same is true for La Brea Bakery, in that quality is never sacrificed for the sake of cost savings. “The craft of artisan is inherently a long process, and it’s a labor of love that’s baked into every loaf,” Prociv said. “But we’ve never wavered in ensuring we take the time to produce a premium product. We always want to deliver the best, and you can’t skimp on the details if you want that rustic golden crust and moist, chewy interior.”

And taste reigns in terms of consumer buying behaviors. According to a 2020 Kearney food trends study, 80% of consumers reported that taste was the top factor in deciding whether to try a new food trend, followed by price (61%) and health (55%). “I believe we’re going to have a demand for things that just taste better,” Negaro said. “We have people who have tried better-tasting bread in the last 12 months, and they don’t want to go back. But they want that high-quality product in a way that’s easily accessible.”

Whether those consumers who picked up quarantine bread baking will abandon their sourdough starters altogether is yet to be determined. But in an October 2020 ABA webinar, Todd Hale, principal, Todd Hale, LLC emphasized the staying power of the home-baking trend and encouraged companies to find new ways to reach consumers, suggesting these new home-based behaviors will continue. “The at-home demand is still there,” he said. “I urge you to think about how to keep it going as away-from-home still struggles.”

That said, more consumers may venture back out in the coming months as vaccines proliferate and quarantines lift. Then baking companies can seize new opportunities to capitalize on the awareness of and demand for artisan breads as they take the spotlight in the center aisle. +++

Author

Maggie Glisan covers consumer trends and emerging markets for the Commercial Baking media group. She spent the bulk of her 15-year career as the senior food editor at Better Homes and Gardens, where she was responsible for producing, writing and editing stories and developing recipes for the monthly magazine and special interest publications. Prior to that she worked as graphic designer and assistant art director in the Food Group at Better Homes and Gardens, where she took on an increasing role in content creation and editorial development.

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