Supermarket Perimeter - September 2023 - 26

Bakery: Pies
smaller households and single servings. The company is also expanding
its retail-ready Heartland Pies, which include the four top-selling holiday
pie flavors and six fruit pies. The 8-inch pies are pre-labeled and ready for
ambient display instore.
Smaller sizes can also offer affordability and portion control, reduce food
waste and encourage the sampling of new flavors, dovetailing with the
global trend for smaller, more frequent indulgent treats.
A survey conducted by The Hartman Group, Guilty pleasures: The
balance between indulgence and wellness, found that consumers view
a healthy diet as one that includes some degree of indulgence and 50%
consider indulgent foods and beverages as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
31% seek indulgences with functional benefits, according to The Hartman
Group, Bellevue, Wash.
Reasonable reductions
While indulgence remains the modus operandi in pies, there is some
interest in the desire for sugar-free pies with the continuing popularity
of the keto diet, according to Melissa Trimmer, corporate executive chef,
Dawn Foods. Conversely, negative health aspects surrounding the use of
aspartame have reinforced a negative view of non-nutritive sweeteners
among consumers.
But the reduced-sugar trend is not yet creating a major impact on
bakeries. Sugar reduction remains more popular in CPG and home recipes,
according to Dawn Foods. While offerings for reduced-sugar pies remain
limited, companies like Tippin's supply supermarkets with ready-made,
reduced-sugar options in French Silk, apple and cherry.
While sugar reduction may not yet be a top-requested attribute, other
ingredients must be on trend and ready to meet the expectations of more
discerning customers, according to Tom Cavanaugh, vice president sales
and marketing, Gardner Pie Co. These expectations are similar to others
across the bakery segment, with pies free from artificial colors and flavors,
unpronounceable ingredients and HFCS.
" Younger generations have grown up with products touting a reduction in
sugar and have come to expect indulgent flavor with a reduction in sugar, "
Cavanaugh said. " This is essentially better-for-you without sacrificing taste. "
Functional additions
Options for plant-based additions also continue to grow slightly. Gardner
Pie is receiving more inquires for allergen-free and plant-based options
as consumers, retailers and foodservice look for ways to expand the
definition of pie.
One way pie makers can meet the demand for great taste and better-foryou
is with pies that contain functional benefits. Nuts such as walnuts and
pecans can be used in pies as meal for a crust, chopped as an inclusion
and as a full-size garnish. Containing a buttery, nutty flavor profile, walnuts
complement chocolate, fruit and vanilla applications along with hearty and
savory ones, too.
Considered a nutrient-dense food, walnuts also deliver key nutrients as
a source of good fats and alpha-linolenic acid, plant-based omega-3 fatty
acids, fiber and protein, according to the California Walnut Board, Folsom.
This makes walnuts a reliable ingredient for permissible indulgence and an
allergen-free alternative offering a range of nutritional benefits.
" Accommodating dietary requests is a great way to offer consumers
more options, while staying true to their dietary preferences, " Trimmer said.
26 - SEPTEMBER 2023
supermarketperimeter.com
Looking ahead
PIE TRENDS TO KEEP AN EYE ON
Pie offers plenty of delicious reasons for
permissible indulgence throughout multiple
dayparts, especially as pie makers look for ways
to redefine how and when pie is served.
" LOOKING AT THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, pie
sales should remain stable while trends such
as local, seasonal flavors and ingredients that
suit conscious consumers bring innovation
and excitement to this traditional favorite. "
Catherine Wisloski, Dawn Foods
" WE EXPECT TO SEE MORE in the way of exciting
flavor inclusions to keep the pie category fresh
and appealing for instore bakery consumers. "
Robin Venn, Tippin's Gourmet Pies, LLC
" THERE WILL BE A CONTINUED PUSH
for hand-held, smaller portions. More
convenience will open up where pie can be
sold, and prebaked pies can offer continued
labor savings. There will also be offerings of
broader, more innovative flavors and continued
movement toward better-for-you options. "
Tom Cavanaugh, Gardner Pie Co.
" PIES ARE NOSTALGIC themselves and everyone
has a memory of pie that bring us back to happy
times in our past. But new flavors and forms
of dessert outside of pies are a threat to the
category as there has been limited innovation
in the space over the last four years. "
Melissa Altobelli, Circana
Dawn Foods
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