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How a Limited-Edition Autumn/Winter Range Could Boost Your Bakery Sales
How a Limited-Edition Autumn/Winter Range Could Boost Your Bakery Sales
The buildup of excitement to the soon-to-be-launched Autumn ranges at popular coffee chains is about to hit stratospheric heights. Caffeine-lovers will soon flock to their favourite café or bakery to indulge in a moment of pure pleasure and seasonal cosiness. Take a leaf out of Big Coffee’s book and give your customers what they crave this Autumn…
by Lyndsey Hall
11 August 2023
All the Leaves are Brown, and the Icing is Apricot
The hot colour trend of the summer was, of course, Barbie pink. Thanks to the blockbuster movie’s release in July, the whole world, including Google, turned pink in celebration of everyone’s favourite childhood doll coming to life on the big screen.
But, as our thoughts (and the weather) turn towards Autumn, the seasonal colour palette becomes more muted, cosy and inviting.
Think apricot (keep the bright orange to your Halloween treats), deep red, sage green, smoky lavender and dark cobalt blue. These earthy, natural colours will start to fill the high street and your Instagram feed, and there’s nothing influencers and digital natives love more than a colour-coordinated outfit and food snap.
You can stay on trend and satisfy your customers’ need for aesthetically pleasing food and drinks by launching your very own, limited-edition Autumn/Winter range! Simply decorate your products with Roxy & Rich coloured cocoa butters, or use the Power Flower system to custom create the perfect autumnal shades for your icing, cakes and buttercreams.
Tempting Treats That’ll Harvest Big Profits
The end of the year is when our tastes start to turn more towards the traditional, the nostalgic, and the comforting.
As Christmas approaches, we’re all looking for a little extra indulgence in our day. Last year’s big flavour trends were maple and hazelnut, and that’s not likely to change this year. Add to that, seasonal fruits like spiced apple, pear, and orange; nutty flavours like almond and pistachio, and, of course, chocolate.
You can integrate these autumnal tastes into your range without too much trouble, simply add a few splashes of Spice Drops or Flavour Oils to your blondies, brownies, muffins, cakes, and biscuits, and decorate with coloured chocolate or icing in one of this season’s biggest shades for a bang on trend baked goodie!
Looking to add texture as well as taste to your seasonal range? Nut pastes and fruit purées are the perfect solution, both 100% natural with no added sugar, and long shelf lives to reduce waste and keep your products deliciously fresh. Try spiced Pear William and almond cake with a maple buttercream frosting, or a Black Forest brownie with Morello cherry purée, served warm with a scoop of Cherry sundae topping and some vanilla ice cream (and maybe a cheeky Griottine® on top, for the grownups!).
And iced gingerbread biscuits are always a fantastic point-of-sale item, especially for customers with kids who are looking to enjoy a hazelnut milk latte in peace!
Divine Drinks You’ll Want to “Fall” Into
This year, chocolate drinks will be huge, as the variety available finally allows the cocoa bean to compete with its natural rival, the coffee bean. Van Houten’s range of chocolate drink powders in five (eye-catching and delicious) colours and favours give chocolatiers and bakers so many options, and the versatility of these highly soluble powders will make creating your hot and cold drink range an absolute pleasure.
Available in milk, dark, white, ruby and gold chocolate, these drink powders will really give your business the edge over your local competitors, and they come in beautiful packaging that will look fantastic on your shelves, and could even be sold at a nice little profit, allowing your customers to indulge in their favourite drinks at home!
Whip up a Black Forest hot chocolate with a drizzle of Cherry topping sauce, a spoonful of Morello cherry purée, Van Houten Dark hot chocolate powder, and whipped cream with a sprinkle of Blackberry sugar crunch to decorate.
Or go for gold, with a Caramel Chocolate latte, by combining espresso and milk with Van Houten Gold chocolate powder, a squirt of Caramel topping sauce, and a coffee flavoured chocolate bean to finish. This one would also be absolutely phenomenal over ice!
Looking for more inspiration? Take a look at our new collection of drinks recipes featuring hot chocolates, mochas, frappés, iced lattes and chocolate flat whites!
Mindful Indulgence is More Than a Trend
All of our new drink recipes can be made with dairy alternatives, which is a market that will only continue to grow, so make sure to keep a stock of oat, almond, hazelnut and coconut milks in your fridge this Autumn. The subtle flavours of each can perfectly complement your recipes, and your customers will thank you for being inclusive and giving them several delicious options to choose from.
Have we inspired you to launch your own A/W range this year? We’d love to see what you come up with, so please send photos or tag us on social media!
Lyndsey is a marketing executive, writer and lover of books and chocolate from Sheffield.
Her favourite chocolate is Cacao Barry Lactee Superieure.
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