News & Analysis on the Bakery and Snacks Industries
From Bakewell Tarts and football cupcakes to pie pop-ups and potato buns, brands are serving up a distinctly British mix of nostalgia, innovation and indulgence this season.
Labour shortages, seasonal celebrations and social media trends are turning frozen cakes into one of bakery’s fastest-growing opportunities
Santa Nata’s 10 millionth sale shows how the pastel de nata has evolved from a Lisbon monastery pastry into one of bakery’s fastest-growing global opportunities
Coffee’s not just a pick-me-up anymore. It’s helping bakeries pull ahead in a slowing market
As wellness claims flood the kids’ snacks aisle, some brands warn parents are becoming more sceptical of ‘better-for-you’ marketing and more focused on what products actually contain
From Dubai chocolate and pistachio ice cream to peanut butter chilli crisp, nuts are powering some of 2026’s biggest food trends
From snack cafés to immersive retail and branded restaurants, food and drink companies are turning physical experiences into a new form of marketing.
Younger consumers aren’t just swapping meals for snacks – they’re tearing apart the traditional rules that have shaped food retail, product development and brand strategy for decades
From nostalgic glazes to loaded dessert mashups, doughnuts are having a serious moment in 2026
The proposed deal would unite two of the food and beverage industry’s largest ingredients makers
Mars bets on smart manufacturing, using £190m UK factory upgrade to boost output and strengthen grip on global confectionery and snacking market
The Bel Group acquisition of Brainiac highlights a fast-growing category where nutrition science, parental anxiety and marketing ambition are converging
Calbee’s decision to strip colour from its packaging amid naphtha shortages is an early warning that the Iran conflict is beginning to fracture the petrochemical supply chains underpinning the global food industry
Brands are reformulating everyday foods with more protein, fibre and functional ingredients as consumers look to support strength, digestion and long-term wellbeing through daily eating habits
Food companies are becoming some of the clearest observers of the economic fallout from the Iran conflict as fuel volatility, inflation fears and changing spending habits begin reshaping behaviour across the supermarket aisle
From sell-out chocolates to viral condiments and nostalgic collabs, cult favourites are scaling up and forcing the industry to rethink how loyalty is built
The 103-year-old magazine’s latest picks highlight companies on the move, but some of the forces genuinely reshaping food in 2026 sit beyond that shortlist
The low-sugar stroopwafel brand is using price parity and portion control to win over health-conscious consumers
From fibre-packed grains to protein-loaded snacks and low-sugar treats, ‘better-for-you’ is getting more targeted and far less boring
Beef for breakfast, ketchup in a smoothie, crisps that taste like a battery – brands have spent the past year testing how far they can push consumers, and in some cases, finding they’ll go further than expected
They’re protected, traditional and have barely changed in a century, but Anzac biscuits still hold their ground in a highly competitive market that’s shifting fast around them
From daily habits to social rituals, new data shows Gen Z is driving a more frequent, more emotional – and more connected – sweet snacking culture.
Hot honey, smoky barbecue, dips, chips and fermentation are turning the spring picnic into a more flavour-led, shareable occasion
From tartan parades and WWE rings to cookie boards and cricket stadiums, April’s launches show how partnerships are doing the heavy lifting for NPD
New tools promise sharper answers on ultra-processed foods as regulation struggles to keep up
From protein boosts to pie aisle heat, these new product launches are bringing sportier energy to snacking this season
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
What separates startups that move forward from the ones that stall?
Premium bakery is booming as indulgent formats, viral brands and shifting consumer habits push prices and expectations higher
Sales are steady and margins remain under pressure, but attention has shifted firmly to a potential tie-up with Unilever.
Up the food chain
As protein, satiety and indulgence converge, Clio CEO John McGuckin explains how the refrigerated bar brand went from ‘bleeding cash’ to chasing $120m – and why the real prize is building a whole new snacking category
Easter shopping is shifting towards premium, playful and last-minute purchases
The CMA has provisionally cleared Associated British Foods’ merger with Hovis in Great Britain, while flagging competition concerns in Northern Ireland, underlining pressure on traditional bread models
As cocoa volatility, fat replacement and GLP-1 trends reshape demand, startups are becoming critical partners in ingredient innovation
Danone is fast-expanding into meal replacements. What does its Huel deal mean for the category?
From buffalo pastry pockets and protein scone bites to sprouted nuts, snack mixes and football-fuelled crisps, brands are pushing harder on flavour, format and occasion
Oobli’s CEO is betting on protein-based sweetness to cut sugar at scale, but the shift raises uncomfortable questions for regulators, manufacturers and the supply chain
From GLP-1 drugs and AI to fast-shifting shopper preferences, founders and experts urge snack brands to double down on focus, purpose and agility
Unilever’s latest shake‑up could transform the future of food and drink. Here’s what the potential sell‑off means for the CPG giant, and the wider industry
From Mondelēz and Barry Callebaut to Lindt, the future of chocolate is being defined by bold flavour innovation, smarter formulations and a refusal to compromise on indulgence
As appetite-suppressing drugs take hold, the real shift in snacking may not be how much people eat but how deliberately they choose to indulge
From Nutella pastries and Marvel cookies to Barbie smoothies and Irish oats, brands are rolling out limited-time products designed to turn everyday eating occasions into something special
PepsiCo’s Lay’s restaurant in Madrid highlights a growing strategy among snack giants to extend blockbuster brands beyond the supermarket shelf and into cafés, retail attractions and immersive consumer experiences
From cacao cells grown in bioreactors to fermentation-built chocolate flavours, scientists and startups are experimenting with ways to produce cocoa ingredients without growing cacao trees
From tropical frozen desserts to stadium-style pretzel bites, brands are leaning into brighter flavours, playful formats and seasonal moments.
Up the food chain
Ahead of International Women’s Day, the manufacturing leader behind millions of Jammie Dodgers reflects on sexism on the factory floor and why emotional intelligence matters more than bravado
From Oreo’s $4bn global machine to Uncrustables’ rapid ascent, the snack aisle’s biggest names are banking billions and still investing like challengers
Smaller households, impulse occasions and better-for-you cues are driving a new wave of baking innovation
Bakery’s next growth phase won’t be driven by a single mega-trend, but by flavour authority, fibre credibility and formats that make everyday indulgence feel justified
Backed by a new manufacturing plant and rapid sales growth, the brand behind the “Stick to Real” campaign positions for $500M in sales as it scales meat stick production
The world’s biggest chocolate makers are working together to futureproof cocoa and support growers