Christmas Essentials
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60 CATEGORY FOCUS Home Baking
In the mix
Baking banana bread will forever be associated with the pandemic. People stuck in their homes took to baking like never before and sales of flour went to an all-time high. Fionnuala Carolan looks at where the market lies now that the dust has settled
T
he combination of traditional methods with modern thinking has led to significant growth in the home baking market. While we all enjoyed getting back to basics during lockdown and enthusiastically making breads and scones faster than anyone could consume them, being back in the rat race for many has meant less time for the simple pleasures in life like baking. Recognising this trend, some of the main players have found a happy medium by
introducing products that make baking from scratch just a little bit easier and a little less time consuming than before. For example, Siúcra’s Roll Out Icing Sugar is a timesaving baking essential and the perfect ingredient to ensure an elegant finish to a festive dessert or cake. For some, the task of baking at Christmas can be an intimidating one and this makes it a little bit easier to create something special, albeit still homemade. Another trend is fortified ingredients like
Traditional methods the modern way
are a number of new products planned for launch later this year. In July, the company introduced a range of pre-packed flours, including Plain, Self-Raising and Strong Baker’s, to attract new customers into the category. The natural extension for the brand will encourage the next generation of home bakers that emerged from the lockdown to keep up the good work. The Strong Baker’s Flour is the same flour that is used in the bakery every day and is perfect for baking sourdough breads, yeast breads, pizza bases, bagels and brioche at home. The quality of the flours has been benchmarked against what’s currently available in the market and the Fitzgerald family believe that they are best in class, and hope consumers will agree. The Plain and SelfRaising flours have an RRP of €1.99 for 1.5kg and the Strong Baker’s has an RRP of €2.25. They are already available to Londis, Mace, Eurospar and Costcutter stores nationwide and will be available to SuperValu and Centra stores in the coming weeks.
Fitzgeralds Family Bakery is Ireland’s fastest growing bakery and has been passed down through four generations of passionate bakers. It is now run by Simon, Suzanne and Garry Fitzgerald with a whole new generation of little tasters by their feet. The combination of traditional methods with modern thinking has led to significant growth in the Irish market over the last few years. The range can also be found in the UK market where it continues to be well received and performing better than forecast. It includes fresh bagged bagels and bagel slims, wraps, bake at home French and Italian breads, pittas, naan breads, and skinny Italian pizza bases and the company are market leaders in these categories. The team at Fitzgeralds continue to innovate and introduce new products to their range and have shown a passion for understanding the consumer and offering quality. Excitingly, there
In July, Fitgeralds introduced a range of pre-packed flours, including Plain, Self-Raising and Strong Baker’s, to attract new customers into the category
ShelfLife November 2021 | www.shelflife.ie
Odlums new Super Flour with added vitamin D, calcium and folic acid that contributes to the normal function of the immune system. When used in baking favourite recipes, it can add to an individual’s daily intake of these essential nutrients and is available in cream plain, self-raising and wholemeal. So while the home baking spike that the sector saw during the pandemic may be over, there is plenty of innovation in the market to keep novice bakers coming back for more.
Magical baking moments At Christmas, Siúcra recognises the importance of creating memories that last a lifetime. Whether it’s spending time in the kitchen with the kids or at the table with family, Siúcra has your customers covered for all their sentimental baking needs this festive season. Now that we can embrace our loved ones, it’s the perfect time for consumers to show off their creative baking and cooking skills for entertaining guests over the festive period. Your customers can gift their family and friends with homemade goodies or a festive centrepiece dessert using an iconic Irish household brand, like Siúcra. This year, Siúcra has created a suite of festive recipes guaranteed to inspire and help make beautifully sweet treats and traditions at home, using some of Siúcra’s key seasonal products. Siúcra Roll Out Icing Sugar, 454g, is a timesaving baking essential and the perfect ingredient to ensure a satin smooth and elegant finish to a show-stopping Christmas dessert or novelty sweet treats. Siúcra Icing Sugar, 500g completes any festive baker’s cupboard. Perfect for adding a final loving frost-like touch to Christmas desserts, it will look like the baker has sprinkled a dash of snow!
