Lantmännen Unibake’s Schulstad Bakery Solutions brand has launched its Signature Fruit Danish Selection, a new range of decadent Danish pastries with visible fruit pieces – a sign of quality coveted by 69% of consumers.
It brings an on-trend, affordable, artisan, sweet bakery opportunity to support out of home (OOH) operators in maximising their revenue potential, by exploring the opportunity provided by exceptional baked goods.
The range utilises the versatility of a luxury Danish pastry consumption occasion, from breakfast to afternoon treats with hot drink pairings, converting into a delicious dessert. In fact, research shows that 91% of consumers would purchase a high quality, luxury Danish pastry as a dessert in a pub or restaurant, showing the significant demand for Danish pastries on menus. The pastry trio from Schulstad Bakery Solutions taps into trends seen across artisan bakeries from visible pieces of fruit to dessert-inspired and nostalgic flavours. With more than half of consumers (52%) tempted by retro flavours, this innovation will open up the ‘treat’ occasion, and boost sales outside of breakfast.
The decadent new range continues Schulstad Bakery Solution’s spirit of innovation and has been developed to help hotels, restaurants and pubs drive revenue and increase penetration. Each new pastry heroes visible fruit pieces which according to consumers provide visual appeal (46%), flavour (32%) and enhanced quality (25%).
These Danish pastries are filled with a quality that founder Viggo Schulstad would be proud of over 140 years later. Featuring a unique square shape authentically made with 24 layers of light, crisp and flaky Danish pastry, each pastry is dual filled, including a fruit compote featuring visible pieces of fruit to give a more artisan bakery look. The flavour combinations are inspired by the latest artisan bakery and dessert trends.
The brand-new Morello Cherry & Almond Bakewell is a Danish Pastry square filled with Morello Cherry and Almond frangipane, topped with crisp, toasted almonds and a drizzle of icing for a sweet finish. Equally delicious is the Apple & Cinnamon Custard Square. Filled with pieces of apple in a cinnamon-infused crème anglaise and topped with a caramelised biscuit crumb, it gives a modern twist to the well-loved apple pie flavour. The fruity trio is completed by a Rhubarb Madagascan Vanilla Custard & Meringue. A Danish pastry square filled with pieces of tart rhubarb in a Madagascan vanilla custard, topped with sweet crunchy pieces of meringue for a melt-in-the-mouth finish.
Research by Schulstad Bakery Solutions into consumer preferences reveals that 97% of consumers would most likely trade up to a luxury Danish pastry OOH. Half of consumers (50%) would purchase a premium pastry as an indulgence or me-time treat in a restaurant or pub compared to 44% in a coffee shop or café. This highlights the opportunity for hospitality operators to increase revenue by harnessing a product traditionally served in other OOH settings.
Combining this with the finding that 91% of consumers would purchase a luxury Danish pastry as a dessert in a pub or restaurant, it is clear to see significant demand for a luxury Danish pastry on menus. What’s more, 77% of consumers would like a Danish pastry dessert to be served hot with ice cream (36%), custard (36%) or cream/whipped cream (30%). In terms of price, consumers are willing to pay for quality too – £5.37 on average, for a high-end Danish pastry served as a dessert in a restaurant or pub.
Samantha Winsor, Marketing Manager at Schulstad Bakery Solutions, comments: “We know customers in an OOH setting love a Danish pastry – almost half (49%) of consumers buy one at least once a week. Our Signature Fruit Danish Selection has been designed to create a market opportunity for hotels, pubs and restaurants, capitalising on the success seen with luxury Danish pastries in artisan bakery, coffee shops and retail ISB.
“The beauty of the Signature Fruit Danish Selection is not just its quality, which is an absolute must, but also its versatility, which enables outlets to unlock and expand the consumption occasion of the product range. There is a huge opportunity for outlets to continue to leverage this decadent pastry range within its native area of morning sales, which is when 87% of Danish pastries are purchased. However, OOH operators can also expand them into the afternoon ‘treat’ occasion with drink upsell opportunities, and serve them hot with ice cream, custard or cream to develop into a dessert opportunity. This will give this dessert-inspired pastry trio their rightful place on menus throughout the day to increase traffic and consumption penetration.”
Almost a third (32%) of frequent Danish pastry purchasers are under 24, compared to 21% who are aged 45 plus. This appetite among Gen Z consumers highlights an opportunity for OOH operators to attract a new, younger demographic and grow their potential customer base, especially when leveraging trends that appeal to younger consumers.
“Our Signature Fruit Danish Selection was designed to appeal to a younger demographic,” continues Winsor. “With a filling of visible fruit pieces, the quality of the new range is easy to see and features on-trend flavours to appeal to younger shoppers and ‘glow up’ the category.”
The new Signature Fruit Danish Selection is available in a mixed case of 36 pastries (12 of each) and 110 cases per pallet. For more information, visit https://www.schulstadbakerysolutions.co.uk/insights/signature-fruit-danish-selection/