Baking&Snack - October 2013 - 38

PAR-BAKED

with a more rustic look that allows in-store bakeries to
sell them at a more attractive price point. The company
recently rolled out a line of the loaves at a 600-store supermarket in the Northeast, according to Mr. Essenfeld.
Additionally, retailers are looking for seasonal and
limited-time offerings such as a roasted garlic, pumpkin, apple spice, super-seeded or even chocolate varieties to lure consumers into the in-store bakery. “For us,
baguettes and ciabatta are always the big drivers,” Mr.
Essenfeld said. “However, whole grain products have
become a higher percentage of our mix than they previously were, and that’s the way the new world is going.”
Take-and-bake breads have become increasingly
popular as well. “We bake them 80% to 90% and put the
products in individually bags, then freeze them,” Mr.
Essenfeld noted. “They’re put in the in-store bakery, sold
and baked at home.”
In a “call to action,” Bakery de France, Rockville, MD,
invited consumers to turn their home kitchens into
bakeries with its “Be the Baker” program, said Nadine
Salameh, executive vice-president. The program encourages consumers to bake-off the company’s all-natural,
95%-baked demi-baguettes and its signature Diamond
Artisan Rolls in Roasted Garlic, Cranberry Golden
Raisin and Black and Green Olive varieties.
Overall, Mr. Smiley contended, take-and-bake products also allow consumers to serve a potentially fresher

Why consumers shop in-store bakeries
Freshness remains the No. 1 reason why supermarket shoppers prefer in-store bakeries over the bread
aisle, according to Mintel Group data noted in the
recently released “What’s in Store, 2014” report by
the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association.
Superior taste, better selections, locally made products and better quality are also contributing factors,
according to the report.
Citing Nielsen Perishables Group FreshFacts data,
the report also pointed out that crusty, hot hearth
breads account for about 40% of bread sales in the
in-store bakery market while artisan breads comprise slightly more than 30%. Sandwich breads
account for 16% of sales followed by flatbreads at
around 7%. Other breads divvy up the remaining
share of in-store bakery bread sales.
Among buns and rolls, side dish and sandwich
hard rolls ring up more than half of sales, followed
by croissants, buns, bulk rolls, ethnic products and
specialty rolls, according to the report.
For more information on “What’s in Store 2014,
”
visit www.iddba.org.

/ Baking & Snack / October 2013

Although baguettes and ciabatta remain Tribeca Oven’s top-selling par-baked
items, demand for the bakery’s multigrain breads and rolls is rising quickly .
Tribeca Oven

product because this approach reduces the number of
times the product goes into the oven. “If an in-store bakery bakes par-baked bread on site, while bread is warm
at the store, it’s going to be cold by the time you get it
home,” he said. “Now, to reheat it at home, the consumer
is going to have to put it through a third bake to warm it
up. Think about it. Are you better slacking off the bread
and letting the consumer bake it off at home? Probably.
Besides, how many times can you bake a product?”

Invading the menu
Among restaurants, the growth for par-baked specialty
breads remains strong among upscale establishments.
Mr. Essenfeld acknowledged that sales of bread to
accompany the dine-in restaurant meal may not be as
robust as in the past, but he insisted the decline in bread
basket offerings is exaggerated. “Instead of putting a half
baguette on a table, they’re putting a third of one [into
a basket] and letting their customers ask their waiters
to replenish it if they want more,” he explained. “Or, instead of having seven varieties of bread and rolls in that
basket, they’ll have three varieties.”
Likewise, restaurateurs are incorporating a greater
variety of breads and rolls into their menus, according
to Mr. Andrews. “Chefs are always driving trends in the
food world, and they are continuing to enhance their
menus with quality bakery products,” he said.
Often, it’s as simple as offering a pretzel roll or enhancing the value of a sandwich with brioche, Mr.
Smiley noted, citing two of the hottest product trends in
the foodservice and in-store bakery arenas. “It’s amazing how many things are made with brioche,” he said.
“They’re using brioche to make French toast. They’re
using it to make Monte Cristo sandwiches. They’re even
using it as a base for desserts.”
Sandwiches continue to proliferate on menus, not
only at lunch but also at breakfast and dinner as part

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Baking&Snack - October 2013

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