Pastry making and bread making are two extensive and very varied fields which are meeting the needs of consumers more than ever right now, as well as adapting to new demands for healthy foods and the requirements of hygiene and safety. Three North American buyers who will be at the next edition of HostMilano told us more.

“We purchase a specific butter for our croissants and a special flour for our baguettes from France and we ship these two items all over the world. All our bread and pastries are prepared from scratch, we have no semi-finished products onboard and we will continue the same way,” says Bernhard Klotz, vice-president for Food & Beverage on Oceania Cruises – Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “However production equipment and technology will always help bakers to create better products to meet current market opportunities and operational needs. Flexibility and sanitary designs are key. Digitalization is also playing an increasingly important role in the bakery. For example, machines can be networked with one another or raw materials and ingredients can be weighed automatically. It is important that digitalization does not lead to the industrialization of baking, but rather relieves and supports bakers so that they can concentrate more on their craft and their customers.”

Mathew Javan-Sehati, who is senior category manager for 7-Eleven Canada, is also seeing a change in demands: “we are seeing customers move towards packaged fresh bakery items vs. items that are displayed individually in a bakery case. I believe that having an additional layer of protection provides the customer with an added sense of security during these times.”

Vincent Mammoliti, vice-president of Terroni Group, a chain of restaurants, bars and bakeries in Toronto and Los Angeles, has revised the products they offer to keep up with the times. “The trend towards cooking and baking at home has seen the demand for home meal replacements grow. Menu items that would previously be only offered in our establishments are now being re-thought: prepared and packaged in a new way that offers the ease and convenience for our customers to bake fresh at home. Items such as frozen pizzas and unbaked croissants or fresh lasagne, pasta fresca and pizza-making kits with fresh pizza dough, have all shown a growth in popularity.”