Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - September 2008 - (Page 39)

Market Trends Divine Indulgence In addition to portion control, consumers and restaurant operators are searching for products that make them feel like they died and went to heaven. Some of the most novel ideas, McGillivray says, center around dark and gourmet chocolates, but they also target the comfort food trend with retro desserts. “Consumer tastes are becoming more sophisticated with increased emphasis on quality and value,” she says. “Our sales remain strong for our highest quality products that look and taste homemade without the fuss of preparation.” In fact, Americans still prefer good ol’ apple, blueberry, cherry and peach pies, especially after the hot summer months when they can turn the oven on again. “On our traditional pie products, about 40% of our sales are fruit pies with the rest comprising of cream, custard, meringue and silk pies,” McGillivray says. Mrs. Smith’s desserts boast descriptions such as rich, creamy, sweet and delicate, and mainly consist of crunchy cookies, graham cracker crusts and milk chocolate. Sara Lee Foodservice also is targeting the movement toward comfort foods by delivering pie and cake options that resurrect childhood memories. If consumers are feeling down and out or just plain bored, the company recommends turning to varieties such as Taffy Apple Hi Pie, Cookie Dough Cream Pie, Rocky Road Cream Pie, Seven Layer Pie and Hershey’s Chocolate Layer Cake. The products come in either 10-in. pies or 9-in. round cake sizes. “Nostalgia is still king as consumers look for comfort foods with a twist,” Katzman notes. “Sara Lee Foodservice desserts offer consumers superior indulgences and bring added ease, efficiency and value to operators.” For its part, Eli’s introduced “crossover” cheesecakes, which are hybrids of products that are traditionally associated with one dessert category but can now be applied to another. New items such as White Chocolate Latté, Bananas Foster and Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake provide a fusion of flavors into one. In August, Eli’s also pioneered its Cheesecake Couture line, which comes in Blackberry Crème Fraîche, Wildflower Honey, Lime Coconut Passion and Dark Chocolate Banana varieties. “Consumers are more willing to try non-traditional flavors of their favorite dessert types,” Marchok says. “Indulgence is what desserts are all about.” There’s no need for consumers to scream anymore, unless they’re shouting for joy. SF&WB SFWB0908WB.indd 1 8/18/08 1:18:14 PM SEPTEMBER 2008 - Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery 39 http://www.wirebelt.com/compactgrid.htm http://www.wirebelt.com http://www.wirebelt.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - September 2008

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - September 2008 Contents Editor’s Note For Goodness Sakes Better Than the Rest Unconventional Thinking Easy Does It New Products In the Comfort Zone Engineering Management The ASB Column Printer Keeps Production Running Equipment Briefs Better Than the Rest The Final Word

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - September 2008

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