Bakery products, due to high nutrient value and affordability, are an item of huge consumption. With population rise, the rising foreign influence, emergence of female working population and the fluctuating eating habits of people, bakery products have gained popularity among people, contributing significantly to the growth trajectory of the bakery industry.
Bakery holds an important place in food processing industry and is a traditional activity. The bakery industry in India today has an important place in the industrial map of the country. If industry reports are to be believed, the bakery industry has achieved third position in generating revenue among the processed food sector. The Indian Bakery market is estimated to be worth Rs. 16,500 crore, growing at a healthy 7.5 per cent per annum. It is one of the largest food industries consisting various product categories. These bakery products are fast catching up with the popularity trend as lifestyle of Indians are rapidly changing.
The bakery segment in India can be classified into the three broad segments of bread, biscuits and cakes. Today, they are not restricted to bread, cakes and biscuits, but to other bakery products also. Here are a few trends that will specify the pastry industry in India:
Geographical Innovation: With advanced aspiration for increased socialisation, Indian consumers are forcing the demand for more hang-out options. The segment’s innovation has powered the rise of newer café formats like bakery cafés, which reverse the concept of cafés by extending existing bakeries and chocolate retailers to offer complementary beverage items. Thus, unlike a regular café, a bakery café is, at the core, a provider of baked food, with the beverage segment only a complement to the menu. A typical bakery café menu includes a wide selection of breads, encompassing such exotic variants as wheat, rye, five-grain, multigrain, cracked wheat, flute, baguettes and ciabatta, and other baked goodies like brioches, croissants, cookies, muffins, cakes, scones, strudels, brownies, pies and puffs.
The concept of bakeries and bakery cafés, although has gained traction in recent years, is not new to India. Earlier, bakeries were set up as a result of the British influence. Constant product innovation is a major challenge for a bakery café. Given that many of the food products offered at bakery cafés are best enjoyed absolutely fresh, efficient production and inventory management is a must-tackle challenge.
Experimentation with flavors: Experimentation has become a key driver in the pastry market and a way to spark interest with younger consumers in particular. One way in which everyone’s interest is quirked is by using unusual flavour combinations. Globally, such innovations are finding appeal with consumers who are demanding newer options. I myself experiment with combinations of cardamom and chocolate or orange and chocolate and even green tea with chocolate, for instance.
Healthy Options
For those who want to have their cake and diet too, calorie-controlled items fit the bill. Consumers will pay more if what they buy is good to eat. They understand that nutritious options come at premium. So preservative-free, cholesterol-free, soy-free, GMO-free, low-sodium and ‘suitable for diabetics’ are the product categories that will definitely be more popular. These satisfy your craving without adding to the calories & making you feel guilty after having them
Fusion Sweets
Culinary logic suggests that only similar flavours should be paired up but Indian food is an outstanding example of how radical flavours, when rubbed the right way could work together to create some delicious magic. Perhaps this is the reason why the alchemy that is Indian cooking lends itself to innovation and experimentation. All over the world, Indian cuisine is creating fans of good taste. In such a scenario, ‘fusion desserts’ are winning over hearts and stomachs. My baked rasgullas are extremely popular with patrons, as are the Banana and Hazelnut Laddoos.
Jar Cakes
Jar cakes have really caught the pastry lover’s fancy. They look pretty convenient to carry and are also a beautiful gifting idea. Where a regular cake becomes too fragile to carry, these jar cakes are easy to mobilize. They also allow you to have your cake, eat it and keep some in the fridge for tomorrow.