The Brits’ growing penchant for doughnuts and cakes

By Gill Hyslop

- Last updated on GMT

A rising number of Brits are turning to sweet bakes for indulgence and nostalgia. Pic: GettyImages/lindavostrovska
A rising number of Brits are turning to sweet bakes for indulgence and nostalgia. Pic: GettyImages/lindavostrovska

Related tags Craft Bakers Association Sweet bakery Indulgence UK & Ireland

A new survey among Craft Bakers Association (CBA) members has revealed a growing demand for sweet bakery items.

Conducted last month, the survey found 34% of members questioned reported that sales of sweet bakery products had grown during the past year.

The most popular bakes are doughnuts (33%) and large cakes (15%), followed by cupcakes, pastries, eclairs/choux buns and tartlets (6%), and cookies (3%).

For 1 in 5 independent bakers, sweet bakery items today make up over 40% of total weekly sales. For 33% of CBA members, sweet bakes contributes 20-30% to weekly sales and by 30-40% of weekly sales for 24% of UK bakers.

As such, bakers are striving to ensure they have a large range of sweet bakes on offer. In fact, 96% said they offered over 10 sweet treats, while 58% have more than 25 options in their range to tempt those with a sweet tooth.

When it comes to the demand to reduce the sugar content, the survey found a divided opinion among CBA members with 26% saying they expect demand for these products to grow in the next year, but a similar number (32%) disagreeing with this.

The CBA has been the voice of the sector since 1887, representing around 500 bakery businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, from startups to established bakeries, which together support more than 3,000 retail outlets.

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