With 100 years’ experience supplying bakery ingredients to bakeries, cafes, garden centres, manufacturers and a range of foodservice operators, we are in the know of what’s trending, AND, how to take your cakes and bakes to the next level.
If you’re looking for inspiration for ways to boost your Afternoon Tea offerings, read on for what we predict will help your menu stand out.
Scones with a Twist
Scones will always remain fashionable for a classic afternoon tea, but there’s plenty of opportunity to experiment. Fruit scones can be given a twist, for example, by adding cherries instead of sultanas or raisins. Fruity flavours also remain a key theme for baked goods. Blueberry, rose and lemon will continue to be popular, so try swapping out your classic jam flavours for something with a twist. Lemon curd would be a great pairing with classic scones!
Bites- Size Treats
Tapping into the demand for ‘treats’, miniatures of classic favourites will continue to be a key theme for afternoon teas – whether you’re a café, bakery or garden centre! This doesn’t have to be limited to sweet treats. Traditional British classics like Scotch Eggs and even Sausage rolls are finding themselves on menus more often and offer a point of difference and value from sandwiches.
Afternoon Tea for Everyone
With a growing number of consumers on alternative diets, it’s important to have a range offerings, suitable for everyone – especially gluten-free and vegan choices across afternoon tea menus, developed to allow consumers of all dietary needs to join in the fun and celebrations.
Beautiful Colours
We fully believe Afternoon Tea is about delighting customers with bold colours and flavours. Tap into popular flavour trends by introducing pistachio, it’s not only delicious, but beautiful in colour too. Why not bring the WOW-factor to your bakes, with tropical flavours like Pineapple, Mango and Passion Fruit or go bold with blue-green Spirulina?
From Paddington to Bridgerton – Get inspired by what’s popular
With the experiential dining trend expected to grow, consumers aged between 18-34 and groups in particular, will continue to look for more innovative experiences that justify spend*. There’s never been a better time to offer limited-time only and themed teas to tap into social trends and drive conversation on social media! Big cities offer a sight-seeing tea themed with popular film characters, like Paddington Bear! From the summer of sport, to popular television series’, bakeries have been creative in ways to attract consumers to their doors – from Wimbledon to Bridgerton!
Explore our range of bakery ingredients to find the solution to your Afternoon Tea needs and order with our sales team today!
* Lumina Intelligence, Eating & Drinking Out Panel, 52WE 29/10/2023