William and Kate’s wedding cake maker joins Oreo, Hello Kitty and St Pierre in latest bakery launches
Character licensing, premium formats, bakery-inspired flavours and purpose-led innovation dominate the latest launches
Artisan/craft market
Sourdough, Seoul and social media: The new rules of global bakery
Global flavours, artisan credentials and algorithm-driven demand are colliding in the bakery aisle, creating new opportunities – and new pressures – for bakers around the world
Protein crisps, cereal milk ice cream and matcha cookies: Meet snacking’s new shape-shifters
From pizza-flavoured protein bars in the US to matcha cookies in the UK, brands are blurring the boundaries between indulgence, functionality and convenience
Australia’s baking boom is masking a growing skills crisis, warns industry leader
The Australian baking industry is finding growth through premium products and innovation, but a shrinking pipeline of skilled workers is becoming an increasingly urgent concern
Britain’s biggest bakery honours are back
As the Baking Industry Awards (BIA) return for their 39th year, a new leadership category offers fresh insight into what excellence looks like in a bakery industry facing unprecedented change.
Bake less, sell more: How bakers can capitalise on frozen bakery growth
Labour shortages, seasonal celebrations and social media trends are turning frozen cakes into one of bakery’s fastest-growing opportunities
Nine doughnut trends shaping 2026
From nostalgic glazes to loaded dessert mashups, doughnuts are having a serious moment in 2026
Up the food chain
If industrial bread looks artisanal, what happens next? Lesaffre baking director weighs in
As industrial processes close the quality gap, Edouard Gestat warns baking is entering a new phase – one where price and perception may matter as much as provenance
The ‘cookie economy’ in 7 bites
Premium bakery is booming as indulgent formats, viral brands and shifting consumer habits push prices and expectations higher
Easter shopping trends in 2026: Darker, smaller, last minute
Easter shopping is shifting towards premium, playful and last-minute purchases
Sourdough is rewriting fibre functionality
New research suggests sourdough fermentation does far more than build flavour. It’s actively reshaping wheat fibre in ways that could influence texture, digestibility and product development
Dole Whip, Lucky Charms, Cookie Pop and SuperPretzel kick off March’s spring snack surge
From tropical frozen desserts to stadium-style pretzel bites, brands are leaning into brighter flavours, playful formats and seasonal moments.
Acid whey in sourdough: Fixing a commercial pain point or provoking the purists?
New research suggests Greek yoghurt’s most problematic byproduct could boost loaf volume, extend shelf life and cut additives, but does swapping in acid whey cross a line for sourdough traditionalists?
Postcard from Aruba: Where the bread rises with the breeze
From pasteles to pan de coco, Aruba’s bakeries are mixing island pride with digital savvy and the world’s finally paying attention
Postcard from Tokyo: Where precision meets pastry drama
From mochi buns to croissant cubes, Tokyo’s bakeries are turning tradition on its head and the world is watching
Winter Fancy Faire
3 trends revitalizing the sleepy nut butter and seed spread category
From swicy flavors to squeezable pouches, emerging brands at the Specialty Food Association’s Winter Fancy Faire are pushing a mature category into its next growth phase
A bakery & snacks survival guide for 2026
Top 10 TikTok trends shaping bakery and snacks in 2026
From pistachio-packed fillings to products engineered to break, pull and ooze on camera, TikTok is reshaping what indulgence and value look like in 2026
From Snickers Ice Cream Minis to Oreo’s Marvel: Situational snacking takes shape
Big brands are rethinking formats, flavors and channels as snacks are redesigned for specific moments, tighter rules and more intentional eating
From kings’ cake to crunchy corn: Comfort snacks get a smarter glow-up for 2026
Indulgent treats aren’t being replaced – they’re being refined. This latest wave of NPD upgrades familiar formats with cleaner labels, global flavor cues and subtle functional gains
From mithai to mochi: The rise of the fusion-forward bakery trend
Heritage meets hustle as bakers turn cultural mashups into mainstream must-haves
Africa’s new appetite: Inside the rapid rise of convenience snacking
Africa’s booming youth population is transforming the bakery and snacks landscape, creating opportunities for brands rooted in local culture and convenience
Festive, fabulous and gone in a flash: The LTOs everyone should be chasing
This year’s festive one-offs range from a cult trifle to resurrected ‘80s snacks and a Christmas sandwich that thinks it’s royalty
The big December drop: Snack season starts now
From gingerbread nostalgia to chocolate trolleys and limited edition winter snacks, here’s what’s new this festive season
Postcard from Sydney: Lamingtons, loaves & legends
Sydney’s bakeries aren’t just baking – they’re performing. From sky-high lamingtons to cult sourdough, this city’s pastry scene blends precision, play and viral energy in every bite
NPD: Feel-good snacking gets serious as brands go big on nostalgia, kindness & chaos
From colorless chips to collectible crisps and gooey skillet cookies, this season’s launches show how playful storytelling is reshaping what shoppers expect from a simple snack
Why Brits are ditching Christmas cake for panettone and stollen
The Great British fruitcake is losing its crown. Lighter, glossier European bakes are stealing the show – and the nation’s tastebuds – this Christmas
Christmas 2025: Sugar, spice & all things iced
From boozy puddings to glitter-dusted brownies, bakers are dialing up nostalgia, sparkle and flavor innovation to make this festive season the sweetest yet
Protein, please: NPD with real muscle
Protein’s still flexing hard, but it’s left the gym and hit the grocery aisle
Halloween: The White House gets spooky, Pringles begins to glow and McVitie’s brings back Jaffaween
From the White House lawn to your local supermarket, brands are pulling out all the tricks this Halloween with glowing crisps, monster bakes and desserts to die for
Postcard from Las Vegas: Bakeries are playing to win
In the city of jackpots and neon, the newest high rollers are made of butter, sugar and vanilla not poker chips
Rebel Baker named Scotland’s Start Up Loans Ambassador
Allergen-free bakery The Rebel Baker, based in Ayr, has been named Scotland’s Start Up Loans Ambassador.
NPD report: Bread innovation goes big on protein, purpose and planet
A new study is changing what bakers know about sourdough, while a wave of launches from Thomas’ to Sara Lee is proving bread can be nutritious, inventive and purposeful all at once
Diwali’s billion-dollar mithai boom goes global
Once an Indian household tradition, mithai (traditional confections) is now a global indulgence and brands like Haldiram’s are cashing in on Diwali’s sweet glow-up
GLP-1-friendly snacks: protein-packed NPD
Weightloss drugs are changing the way people snack and brands are answering with protein-packed launches designed to keep cravings at bay while delivering serious flavor.
From donuts to data: Dawn shows how to bake trends into growth
At IBIE 2025, Dawn Foods used a combination of donuts, data and demos to show operators how to turn consumer buzz into real-world results
Christmas is shaping up to be a real cracker
It may be only September, but it’s never too soon to talk about Christmas. In 2025, festive innovation is set to deliver indulgence, hybrids and playful nostalgia.
Why bakers should take a cue from Michelin-starred chefs
From Parker House rolls to ancient-grain sourdoughs, fine dining chefs are transforming bread into a course of its own. Bakers have a golden chance to do the same
Pumped for pumpkin NPD: Fall’s favorite flavor is back in force
From cookies and coffee to yogurt and popcorn, pumpkin spice is once again ruling the shelves
From Europe’s baguette to America’s bagged loaf: What sets them apart
Americans often say bread in Europe feels lighter on the stomach. Differences in wheat, fermentation and regulation suggest they may be onto something
The new rules of snacking: How to navigate a $150bn market in flux
Data from Conagra and Circana shows how shifting tastes, wellness demands and convenience are rewriting the playbook for snack makers worldwide
Postcard from New York: Bagels, Basque cheesecakes & bakery rebels
Pastry pilgrims are no longer chasing cronuts – The Big Apple’s bakery trail now leads through cardamom-laced bánh, fung-donuts and ping-pong–shaped scones
Sustainable September
From net zero to no hunger: Bakery&Snacks powers up Sustainable September
Climate roadmaps, community kitchens and cleaner labels – Sustainable September showcases how bakery and snacks are delivering for consumers, the planet and communities, proving collaboration is the real gamechanger
IBIE 2025: 7 reasons Vegas will be the hottest oven in baking
IBIE 2025 lands in Las Vegas this October with fresh pavilions, global talent, big competitions and the innovations set to shape baking’s future
Flavor bombs: 11 snack launches that push the taste envelope
From swicy seaweed to smoky crisps and cupcake bites, these NPD show flavor is still the ultimate snack currency
Inside the $1.1bn pumpkin spice economy: Fall’s flavor forecast for 2025
Pumpkin spice still anchors autumn, but fatigue is setting in. With cinnamon, caramel and citrus surging, makers must balance nostalgia with novelty to win fall 2025
The underground secret that would put more nutrition in every loaf
A common soil fungus could help wheat grow bigger, more nutritious grains – boosting iron and zinc naturally, with no GMOs or chemical fortification
From Pringles cookies to bread in a suitcase: 15 snacks redefining fun
Beckham-backed honey snacks, Pringles-topped cookies and even a suitcase built for sliced bread — the latest wave of NPD pushes boundaries of fun, flavor and fandom
Egg crisis playbook for bakers: pricing, recipes, supply
As Australia scrambles through its egg crisis – avian flu, supply gaps and sticker shock – we lay out how to cut egg exposure, keep crumb and steady output
Rise and shine, it’s breakfast time: NPD to start the day right
From buttery croissants to protein biscuits and playful pancake mixes, breakfast is getting a fresh wave of innovation
Consumers want functional health from their bread
Demand for bakery products, like many other foods, is becoming more dependent on their functional health benefits