Market focus: Bakeware and baking

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The pandemic has spurned a nation of home bakers who have found solace and sustenance in the creation of fresh bread, cakes, and other baked goodies. As consumers extend their baking skills, PH finds out how suppliers are addressing demand for bakeware and accessories.

Form and function

During 2020 bakeware saw growth for a phenomenal 73% of independent cookshops and housewares stockists in PH’s Retail Barometer. According to BHETA’s Q1 2021 Home Enhancement Market Report (with category insights from GlobalData), bakeware is the only positive sub-category in spending terms within the cooking and baking sector –evidence that consumers are expanding their baking repertoire.

The Rayware Group was among those that recognised lockdown baking trends and got to work developing and improving products. For example, its Kilner Sourdough Starter Set recognises the huge boom in healthier homemade artisan bread and pizza bases. Meanwhile, along with re-imagined Perfect Pie Dishes, Mason Cash has introduced a Perfect Quiche Dish and Unglazed Terracotta Bread Form to its Innovative Kitchen Range. Brand manager Paul Donnelly explains why the latter provides a solution for home bakers: “The Form soaks in the liquid and draws moisture away from bread dough, allowing for a crispier crust, while the vented base and steep sides ensure optimal heat distribution throughout the baking process.”

Mindful of the whole baking story, Mason Cash has also added a rectangular loaf storage canister to its popular Innovation Kitchen Cake Tins range, launched earlier this year. Thoughtful features include bases which act as lids. “The bases are also raised so that cakes can be cut and served on them, while the lids are slightly sunken. This allows the smaller tins to sit on top of each other and helps to save space,” notes Paul.

Clever storage is also a selling point for Lifetime Brands’ MasterClass Smart Ceramic, which is now available as a set

Above: Eddingtons’ new Banneton Liners. Right: Midnight blue Zyliss Durable Bakeware from DKB Household is designed to withstand temperatures of up to 240 °C and is dishwasher safe. Below: MasterClass Smart Ceramic bakeware has an ultra-durable ceramic non-stick coating and diamond surface pattern.

made up of five bestselling shapes. “The bakeware boom is the new normal,” insists Claire Budgen, Lifetime Brands’ commercial and marketing director. She observes: “As consumers add multiple pieces of bakeware to their collections, easy storage is important. MasterClass Smart Ceramic bakeware has been designed to nest into the largest tin, meaning eight essential bakeware pieces take up the space of only one, for fuss free storage.” Highlighting Smart Ceramic’s lifetime guarantee, Claire also acknowledges demand for durable ‘buy once’ bakeware that is “more economical, and more sustainable.” The MasterClass brand is nurturing a growing community of bakers on social media with its recipes, tutorials and livestreamed cookalongs.

Showcasing at Exclusively in August, Zyliss’ new Durable Bakeware from DKB Household UK is another range that is designed to last, with a five-year guarantee. It has also been created with style and colour trends in mind, in dark metallic blue. “With Zyliss, Swiss quality of craftmanship and material are a given,” states Grant Race, DKB’s global marketing and NPD director. “All pieces are made using a heavy-duty carbon steel with a double layer non-stick Quantum II coating. The Zyliss Durable bakeware range gives consistently great results for even baking, no warping and no sticking, time after time”.

Another bakeware highlight at Exclusively will be Fackelmann Brands’ Zenker range with a coating that consists of around 5% carnauba wax, the current possible maximum for heat-resistance and easy removal of baked goods. Simon Rees, Fackelmann UK’s head of sales reports: “The wax comes from palm trees in Fairtradecertified plantations and has excellent nonstick properties. In addition, it is vegan, and is extracted in a resource-saving manner enabling the production of Fackelmann’s first climate-neutral baking moulds.”

Eddingtons is launching new breadmaking accessories at Exclusively, including “natural linen covers and liners that keep dough moist during proving, instead of perhaps using a wet tea towel,” says Tabitha Monkhouse, digital marketing executive. She adds: “The twopiece set can also be used to line Banneton

Baskets when serving warmed bread at the table.” Tabitha also reports on strong sales of Eddingtons’ Banneton Bread Proving Baskets this year, prompting the introduction of a new larger 2kg size. Like fellow suppliers of bakeware and baking accessories, Eddingtons recognises that the nation’s appetite for home baked bread is continuing to fuel demand for innovative bakeware solutions.

Below: Each piece of Emile Henry from Haus is crafted to create perfectly crispy loaves.

Crunch time

Reflecting the home baking boom, premium French brand Emile Henry from Haus has extended its breadmaking range to include a Mini Bread Roll or Baguette Maker and a Ciabatta Maker. “You really can achieve professional results at home, making deliciously crispy, golden crusts and soft, airy centres thanks to Emile Henry’s French baking expertise,” comments Paul Shelley, managing director of Haus. He explains: “each piece is made from innovative ceramic which helps to create the best environment, ensuring the correct level of humidity throughout.”

Fellow French company Peugeot Saveurs (from Burton McCall) has brought 200 years of expertise to the baking market with its Appolia range, a ceramic collection which is also designed and made in France. Chris Gee, managing director of Peugeot Saveurs UK reflects: “Negative press about the lack of nutrition in ready meals - which has created a desire to understand the provenance of ingredients - combined with the trend in home cookery shows and increased time during recent lockdowns has meant consumers are increasingly looking for products that help them achieve professional results when baking at home from scratch.”

In six colours, Appolia’s 13 shapes include a new fluted tart dish: “a nod to classic French cooking style,” notes Chris. He explains: “Peugeot’s Appolia ceramic range is made of durable, acid resistant, ultrasmooth, anti-abrasive stoneware, with excellent heat retention.” He also highlights the range’s unique “embossed side handles, enabling safe and easy transportation from stove to worktop or table,” and rounded corners and glazed finish, which make the range easy to clean.”

Creative with cast iron

In addition to Staub’s cast iron Bread and Cake Baker, the brand’s range provides plenty of baking opportunities, with a range of recipes to encourage creative baking, making the most of cast iron’s heat retentive qualities. These include Emma Spitzer’s recipe for a Giant Pan Cookie made in Staub’s cast iron Frypan, a summer berry crumble recipe for its rectangular Roasting Pan and pizza in its cast iron plancha. The brand also highlights the versatility of its Vertical Roaster, which is not only ideal for preparing whole chickens but can also be used to bake an artisan-style loaf.

Above : Staub’s Vertical Roaster recipes include a Plaited Loaf.

Bake for Britain

UK manufacturing is a selling point for Samuel Groves’ Mermaid brand,

Inset: Laura Squire says Tala Silver Anodised Bakeware has “exceeded expectations.”