Since the beginning of time, humans have eaten seasonal diets. What was borne of necessity and availability has become, in many ways, more about trends and marketing in the modern era. Am I craving a Peppermint Latte because of the chill in the air, or because the idea has been sold to me throughout my lifetime that this is peppermint’s time to shine? Frankly, it makes almost no difference. I’m having the latte either way.
This time of year, in the bakery fillings category, consumers typically demand more from apple, pumpkin, stone-fruit, and cream based products. The things we typically consider “summer fruits”, like strawberries, take a back seat to highly seasonal items like cranberries. We know that limited time, seasonal products sell. Whether it’s a genuine personal craving or one highly influenced by beautiful advertising and catchy jingles, consumer buy in. All the way in.
Formulating new seasonal products is one of the things we love most at SIS. Knowing the product you created is going to enhance someone’s enjoyment of the season, the holiday, the year, is truly a special feeling. Whatever the season, whatever the craving… whether you’re looking to fill a donut, top a coffee cake, or co-extrude fillings into a bar… we’re here to help you create the perfect consumer experience.
Every product we make is custom developed to meet your sensory and performance requirements. Ready to turn an idea into reality? Give us a call today 312-254-3539 or fill out our Sample Request Form!
It’s all-things-pumpkin season!
As food and market trends are ever changing, adaptability and reliable ingredient sources are as important as ever. Over the last year we’ve seen shifts in consumer behavior brought on by the chaos and confusion of the Covid pandemic. Many consumers turned their focus to one of the few things they could control: the food they put in their bodies.
Over the course of a very difficult year, one thing that remained a constant source of inspiration and innovation has been creating new products along with our valued clients. While the in-person meetings around a tasting panel inside bakeries has been all but eliminated from our itinerary, the development of new and exciting projects has not slowed down as the baking industry continues to introduce new items to the ever changing marketplace. As ever, Stewart Ingredient Systems flexible and fast paced development services have led to multiple nationwide launches of new items developed post-March shutdown.
Given all of the product innovation that SIS engages in on a daily basis, we are very familiar with chasing the trends of the day and find ourselves meeting the consumer in increasingly health and wellness focused grocery aisles. This has been a decade plus long process and the opportunity in the health and wellness fields has grown tremendously during that time. So while health and wellness is going nowhere, its crucial to note that Cheese and Cream Cheese pastries aren’t either. In the Pastry and Sweet Goods categories, product innovation with Cream Cheese & Cheese varieties saw a 36% compound annual growth rate between 2017 & 2019.
Moving on from incremental improvements in Health and Wellness snacking, complete re-imagination of formulas is required to keep the attention of a more educated consumer.