Whole grain breads are emerging in many flavorful directions.

New from Bimbo Bakehouse, Cheesecake Factory at Home Our Famous “Brown Bread” Bakery Buns boast a delicious taste and hardy texture. The Brown Bread Bakery Buns will inspire creativity at the grill or in your kitchen.

Further, new Goldminer Bakery Sourdough Pretzel Rolls deliver a delicious, slow-crafted flavor. Consumers can experience the best of both worlds – a savory roll combining classic pretzel taste with a delicate sourdough tang.

“Coming from the category leader in instore bakery, we have tons of insights understanding our consumers. We understand that they are looking for more than food and products. They are looking for experiences,” said Brandi Unchester, marketing director, ISB at Bimbo Bakehouse.

Consumers love eating at The Cheesecake Factory restaurants. But when they are not able to get to The Cheesecake Factory, they can have that “fantastical food experience at home with our Brown Bread Bakery Bun,” she added. “It’s a versatile product you can have with hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, casual get-togethers, barbecue with friends, or you can have it for a delightful dinner at home.”

This is one example of bringing that restaurant experience to home with a quick easy meal solution just from a few things you pick up when you run into the store, Unchester said.

In addition, Bimbo Bakehouse introduces Goldminer Sourdough Pretzel Rolls.

“We know that sourdough is on fire, A lot of consumers discovered sourdough during Covid and tried to make sourdough bread at home. Now they can have that slow-crafted process, that 24-hour starter, made the authentic way that they want, without taking the time to do it themselves,” Unchester said. “They can give their family a meal that they feel good about – that crafted quality product.

“Goldminer Sourdough Pretzel Rolls, in particular, take the delicate sourdough tang of Goldminer and combine it like a mashup with pretzels. We know that sourdough is growing 50%. and pretzels are growing almost 200%. Then you put them together So, it’s two great trends in one.”

Also from Bimbo Bakehouse, Wholesome Harvest mornings are delicious artisan-style loaves combined with real fruits, grains, and nutritious seeds – available in two varieties: Super Fruit & Super Seed and Blueberry Oat. These are small loaves intended for breakfast.

“You are getting the nutritious benefits of fruit in delicious tastes. You will see all the inclusions. You can have it as toast, top it with fig and jam.”

Perfect pairings

La Brea Bakery is invigorating delis and ISBs with simple, perfect pairing inspirations to help bring everyday excitement to the store perimeter. A recent study found retailers need to differentiate and enhance experiences to increase foot traffic, especially when targeting younger shoppers who are demanding more from the ISB. With 93% of consumers engaging the ISB for special occasions, the brand is bringing solutions to target consumers for everyday, routine purchases.

Instore bakeries can enhance their bakery’s offerings with La Brea Bakery’s artisan breads, crafted to complement a wide array of fine wines and ingredients. Take the guesswork out of hosting for your customers by recommending these perfect pairings that will wow their guests and make your bakery memorable.

These are the Perfect Pairing inspirations:

• European Roots: A harmonious fusion of flavors that embodies European sophistication.
• Ultimate Picnic: A tantalizing blend of flavors that transports you to a Spanish countryside picnic.
• Bold: A rich and savory fusion of flavors that pushes culinary boundaries.
• Unexpected: A decadent combination that delivers an unexpected taste experience.

“We have a variety of pairings here, including Boursin garlic and herb cheese, some cantaloupe and prosciutto,” said culinary innovation leader Jonathan Davis at Aspire Bakeries.

Perfect Pairings feature French Baguette, Italian Round, Three Cheese Semolina, and Pecan Raisin breads. In addition, La Brea Bakery just introduced a new rye.

Brie Buenning, director of marketing and La Brea Bakery brand manager, points out Perfect Pairings offer a lot of secondary placement ideas for instores – in the deli, in the wine section, and near rotisserie chicken warmers where people are buying meals.

“We are identifying the right portfolio for each occasion, what is the optimal assortment – the Must list,” Buenning said. “Everyone says they want delicious smells in the bakery. We used our breads to develop Perfect Pairings.

Fortified breads

Breads featuring EQUII’s Complete Protein Blend are now available to Bridor’s broad spectrum of tens of thousands of foodservice industry clients across North America, who include hotel groups, restaurants, bars, c-stores, in-store bakeries, retailers, coffee shops, airlines, cruise lines, retirement homes, hospitals, army base, schools and more. The initial launch focused on three key products that Bridor will develop and bake using EQUII’s blend: artisanal dinner rolls, ciabatta sandwich carriers, and bread loaves.

The EQUII partnership with Bridor stands out as a pioneering initiative in the commercial bakery space, reshaping perceptions of what bread and baked products can offer in terms of health and sustainability. This industry-first exploration involves crafting nutritional bakery items with higher protein and dietary fiber content, 30% to 40% reduced net carbs (*Than other leading brands (based on 50 grams) and aligned with the growing demand for healthier and more transparent food options.

“We are proud to dive into this new collaboration, which merges the best of three worlds: nutrition science, traditional bakery, and industrial excellence. And we believe that innovation is a true mix of passion and vision that Sebastien Canonne and Baljit Ghotra together with Equii and Bridor teams made possible,” said Eric de Saint Lager, chief executive officer of Bridor North America.

Buckwheat trending

Whole Foods Market, Austin, Texas, listed buckwheat among its top 10 trends for 2024. It contains protein, carbohydrates and fiber — but no gluten — and may be used in applications ranging from plant-based milk alternatives to crackers and granola, according to Whole Foods Market. Soba noodles may contain buckwheat, too.

A survey this year from the Whole Grains Council, Boston, found 27% of respondents said they had eaten buckwheat, which was up from 23% in a 2021 survey. More than 60% said they had heard of buckwheat, which compared with oats at over 80% and quinoa at over 70%.

Formulators know to choose ingredients that provide the desired texture and flavor in gluten-free products. They also may consider ingredients consumers know about and view favorably.

Consumers are familiar with oats and quinoa, both gluten-free grains, along with chickpeas (pulses), providing reasons to promote those ingredients on packaging, points out Matthew Schueller, director of marketing insights and analytics at Ardent Mills, Denver.

“According to Ardent Mills’ proprietary research, oat ranks highest with 97% of consumers stating that they are familiar with it while 94% state they are familiar with chickpeas and 84% claim to be familiar with quinoa. However, if we look at the impact that the ingredient has on consumer purchasing intent, we can also include buckwheat amongst gluten-free grains rising in popularity.”

This article is an excerpt from the July 2024 issue of Supermarket Perimeter. You can read the entire Whole Grains feature and more in the digital edition here.