Bakery is a business that remains hugely popular with both entrepreneurs and consumers. So which bakery trends were gaining momentum as 2021 drew to a close?
Bakery fits the lifestyle of today's busy, convenience-loving consumers, and baked goods are increasingly eaten as a main meal or a snack between meals. Together with the growing number of coffee shops and cafés in Thailand, this has driven strong growth in the bakery market.
2020–2021 hit many operators hard, whether they bake as their main job or as a side business. Adapting, finding ways to make a shop stand out with a clear selling point, and creating new menu items have all been ways to cope.
Notable Bakery Trends for Late 2021
1. Healthy Bakery
Current circumstances have made consumers more health-conscious, both in exercise and in what they eat, so healthy food keeps attracting interest. Healthy bakery has become a modern favorite too: it is nutritious, lower in fat and cholesterol, and made with wholesome ingredients, such as natural ingredients, almond flour instead of wheat flour, or sweeteners instead of sugar (for diabetics or people avoiding sugar). Examples include:
- Keto cakes, made without flour or sugar. They use almond flour, coconut flour, wheat gluten, flaxseed meal or egg whites as the main ingredients instead of cake flour or bread flour, and healthy sugar substitutes in place of sugar to avoid triggering an insulin spike.
- Multigrain bread, a low-fat option that adds fiber to the diet and is good for health. Eating grains helps slow aging, supports weight control and helps reduce body fat.
- Vegan bakery, recipes that avoid all animal ingredients such as cow's milk, eggs and butter, using tofu, soybeans, red beans and dates as the main ingredients instead.
2. Oozing Lava Fillings
Lava-filled treats are still on trend and continue to drive sales. Customers love that molten, oozing center whatever it appears in, such as lava-filled kanom pia (Chinese-style flaky pastry), chocolate lava cake, lava steamed buns, bread with overflowing fillings and salted egg lava bread. Lava fillings have also become a gimmick that wows customers: when they receive their order, they often take photos and videos to post on social media, which adds a fresh experience for them as well.
3. Thai Fusion Desserts
Thai desserts with a fusion twist are another hot trend. People feel nostalgic for the sweets of the past but also want something new and eye-catching. Enjoying traditional Thai flavors blended with modern bakery styles is what today's consumers are looking for.
4. Creative, Concept-Driven Bakes
Today's consumers love photographing beautiful bakes and posting them on social media, so shops compete to create new menu items packed with ideas, whether that means new flavors from a variety of ingredients or eye-catching decorations that make people want to try them. Examples include cartoon-shaped bread, three-dimensional cakes, menus made with trending ingredients and lavish, stunning cake decorations that appeal to photo lovers, all of which attract plenty of attention.
