Bakery market grows through premiumisation and frozen goods technology

The bakery sector is experiencing growth driven by premiumisation and technological advancements in frozen goods. In the UK, the bakery market is growing by more than 3% year on year in value, as consumers increasingly seek café-style, high-quality experiences at home despite economic pressures.

St Pierre is reportedly growing more than six times faster than the total bakery occasions sector, attributed to innovation and strong in-store visibility. While volume growth remains challenging due to changing shopping habits, specialty segments are outperforming the broader bread market.

Simultaneously, the market for frozen bakery products, including dough, cakes, and pastries, is expanding due to consumer demand for affordable indulgences and business needs for convenience and reduced food waste. Technologies such as blast freezing and spiral freezing are critical to this sector, as they allow for rapid, uniform cooling that preserves the texture, flavor, and nutritional quality of products like croissants.