Waitrose today reported a 15% year on year growth of in-store bakery and patisserie, driven by a younger generation of customers looking for trend-led innovation in flavour and premium ingredients, as well as freshness, convenience and the experience of shopping from an in-store bakery.
Driven by ‘little treat’ culture, social media aesthetics, and nostalgia meets innovation, Gen Z are buying into new product development within Waitrose bakery, boosting category growth and inspiring limited edition bestsellers, from jalapeno breadsticks to cereal milk cookies.
A rotation of seasonal flavours has resulted in a 35% year on year increase in sales of bagged cookies and a 21% year on year increase in sales across Viennoisserie (sweet pastries) with purchases attributed to new customers.
Waitrose predicts the following will fly off the shelves this autumn/winter:
Gingerbread Bun – new for the festive period, the bun is a hybrid of the traditional childhood flavour of gingerbread with a contemporary bun shape.
Black Forest Danish – launched this week, this eye-catching pastry is a nod to Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte and tastes as good as it looks on Instagram.
Pistachio Croissant – capturing the pistachio craze still sweeping through social media and restaurant menus.
The popularity of sourdough also shows no sign of abating with millennials prioritising the health benefits of the bread. In response to a 26% year on year sales increase, Waitrose has recently expanded its sourdough range to include a 1kg loaf – double the size of the standard sourdough loaf.
Kate Rider, Patisserie and In Store Bakery Buyer, said: “For our younger customers, it’s less about the staple loaf and more about moments of joy – a limited edition flavour, an instagrammable pastry or a morning croissant on an office day. Driving sales as well as likes, the next generation are opting for the freshness, quality and experience you can only get from an in-store bakery.”
Ole & Steen launch
To further accelerate growth, Waitrose has introduced an exclusive range from Ole & Steen, the premium Danish craft bakery. The launch into 35 stores and online at Waitrose.com brings the coveted brand to thousands more customers.
The Ole & Steen products now available through Waitrose include the Cardamom Bun, Maple & Pecan Social Slice, Chocolate Swirl, Cinnamon Social Slice and their signature sharing Cinnamon Social Half.
Kate Rider, Patisserie and In Store Bakery Buyer, said: “With their emphasis on quality, craftsmanship and respect for baking traditions, Ole & Steen complements and elevates our existing patisserie selection. Driving newness and innovation is a key part of our strategy and we’re confident Ole & Steen will attract even more food loving customers.”
Ole & Steen enters Waitrose as part of the BrandsNew innovation programme. Designed to attract and support exciting, exclusive brands to Waitrose, recently BrandsNew has brought the likes of Rhythm 108 preserves, Match Tonic Water, Toast x Jason’s Collab IPA and Torres Potato Crisps to customers across the UK.
Ole & Steen UK MD, Graham Hollinshead said: “Our founders set out with a simple dream: to make better baked products easily accessible for everyone. Rooted in our proud Danish heritage, we’ve always believed that quality and craft should be shared widely. Partnering with Waitrose is a milestone we’re truly proud of – it allows us to bring our passion for exceptional baking to even more people across the UK.”
Seasonal expansion
Alongside Ole & Steen, Waitrose has launched its Christmas range of seasonal flavours and shapes, including a Cinnamon and Date Snowflake ‘Tear and Share’ Bread and a Christmas Bloomer made with sage, onion and pumpkin seeds – designed for hosting over the festive period.
Patisserie is also expanding with the introduction of festive flavours of Viennoiserie, Gingerbread Bun, Black Forest Danish, Portuguese panettone inspired Bolo cake and buttercream topped Christmas cakes.
Rider added: “Fresh bakery continues to be a key focus for Waitrose and we have ambitious plans to drive further growth and consolidate our position as the home of fresh bakery on the high street.”
Waitrose Bakeries
All Waitrose branches, including convenience shops, have an in store bakery and patisserie, where products are freshly baked in store. As part of Waitrose’s £1 billion investment in new stores and refurbishments, the retailer has been updating the look and feel of the bakeries to improve the customer experience. These new concepts can be seen in the John Barnes, Maidenhead and Newbury branches and provide the inspirations for future transformations.
Waitrose Canary Wharf is the best-performing bakery with local workers regularly picking up a croissant with their coffee on the way to the office and stopping by the in-store GAIL’s takeaway bakery at lunchtime. Additional popular bakery branches include Cambridge, Salisbury, Cheltenham, Berkhamsted and Hove.
