Pillars of the Market

1. Loaf, oh my loaf!

The baguette, a symbolic heritage of French bakery, is making room for loaves made with ancient grains and long fermentation with natural leaven. Pioneering bakeries such as Atelier P1 and Christophe Michalak's bakery are leading this revolution with products that combine enriched flavor and high nutritional value. The increasing presence of these loaves on bread shelves illustrates their growing popularity among consumers, accompanied by lovely names of forgotten seeds: spelt, einkorn, khorasan... This revival is driven by collaborations with traditional mills, reconnecting with the authenticity of ancient grains and high-quality production using stone mills. Embracing the 'slow life' movement, this bread revolution highlights the importance of time and craftsmanship in creating quality products. In a virtuous cycle, this movement is influencing the snacking sector, where good bread transforms simple sandwiches into true culinary experiences, such as those offered at Mamiche.

2. The Art of Shaping in the Spotlight

In a whirlwind of butter and dough, viennoiseries are being reinvented, oscillating between tradition and avant-garde. Classics of yesteryear that have challenged many apprentices, such as the Danish pastry, laminated brioche dough, and pain aux raisins, are making a comeback, marking a return to the roots. The pain au chocolat is metamorphosing with superior quality chocolate and spectacular work on the lamination and glazing, while high-quality butter remains the soul of puff pastry, emphasizing the importance of choice ingredients. At the same time, viral trends from across the Atlantic, such as the New York roll and cereal mini-croissants, are shaking up French pastry and pushing artisans to rethink their creations, blending tradition and innovation with a primary goal: a spectacular visual appeal. This is evident in the lines at places like Frappe and Bo&Mie when fresh batches come out of the oven. However, balancing originality with artisanal authenticity is often delicate. Professionals must navigate between innovation and respect for traditions, a complex dance between past and future.

3. From Pandan to Sugar Tart

The BVP market is also opening up to global and regional flavors. Babkas and mounas at Babka Zana, kanelbullars at Bacillus, donuts, and hot cross buns are making their way into our showcases. Single-product establishments are regularly emerging, such as the cookie specialist Crème, which has arrived in Paris after London. But this trend goes beyond just importing foreign specialties. Bold artisans are incorporating exotic flavors like pandan, durian, or black sesame (Utopie, Paris 11) into classic products to challenge our sensory expectations. However, this openness is not without contradiction. The enthusiasm for exotic flavors coexists with a deep attachment to regional roots, revealing a market torn between the allure of novelty and the comfort of tradition.

4. Tastes of Childhood

‘Four O’Clock,’ this childhood ritual, is taking center stage in pastry. Goodbye to its role as a mere accompaniment to gourmet coffees; now it’s all about François Perret’s soft madeleines at the Comptoir du Ritz, flaky palmiers and jam-filled lunettes at Atelier P1, savory cakes and homemade chocolate bars by Jeffrey Cagnes, and of course, pastry flans. These treats have become a significant segment of the current shop offerings, fully-fledged protagonists in the modern pastry scene. Once overshadowed by more elaborate pastries, they are reclaiming hearts. Their simplicity, comfort, and modest size offer guilt-free pleasure, a tender flashback to sweet memories. More than a trend, it's a tribute to nostalgic flavors, a sweet link between generations.

5. Grilled Sandwiches 

A sandwich for lunch, but grilled with melting cheese oozing out. This is the trend booming within a larger trend: the rise of light meals in bakeries. This is a direct result of consumers seeking comfort food after years of the pandemic and bakers aiming to increase customer visits now that remote work has decreased and corporate dining has resumed post-lockdowns. Nowadays, bakeries offer meals throughout the day, from breakfast to aperitifs. In terms of snacking, which 92% of French bakeries provide, the sandwich still leads the way—hot or cold, long, round, stuffed, crispy or soft, vegetarian or vegan. According to snacking.fr, 2 out of 10 French people have their sandwiches custom-made in-store, and grilled sandwiches are soaring in the 2023 trends. An intelligent setup with carefully chosen, high-flavor ingredients, a grill, homemade bread, and you’re all set. Once a restaurant product that came from post-war United States, now embraced by bakers like Benoît Castel for his famous Sunday brunches, it diversifies or enhances their snacking offerings. For a grilled cheese, you need good bread (like sandwich bread or panini), very good butter, and cheese that melts, such as cheddar, or not, like halloumi, which is very trendy when paired with grilled vegetables, Mediterranean style.

6. Pastry 'Without'

Once, choosing plant-based, gluten-free, or low glycemic index (GI) options in pastry meant deprivation. Today, it's a growing trend. Initiated by Chambelland, Les Belles Envies, and Maison Plume, this wave is now led by major players like Land & Monkeys from Maison Landemaine. Innovation lies in the use of coconut, almond, and rice flours, alternative sugars, as well as the introduction of fibers, the use of aquafaba to replace egg whites, or plant-based butters. However, it is crucial for these artisans to skillfully navigate between reinventing classics and creating new specialties. Imitation can be risky; developing a unique and original range often proves to be a wiser strategy.

7. Special Breads, the Revival

French people are eating less bread, but there is a growing and consistent enthusiasm for special breads, which make up 58% of the market. These are breads made with something other than white flour, such as whole grain flours (wheat, rye, spelt) or seeds. Gluten-free bread is the newest addition to this category, demonstrating bakers' ability to adapt to consumer demands for wellness-oriented foods. Creating special breads is a creative challenge for professionals, who seek original and innovative flours like tigernut, buckwheat, lentil, chickpea, or chestnut. Sourdough breads, seeded breads, cereal breads, country loaves, and other breads made with whole grain flours also fall into this category.

8. Perennial 'Briochisation'

It’s a trend that endures. The 'briochisation' has not waned since the late 2010s. Whether sweet or savory, round and braided at Babka Zana, mousseline, Parisienne ('à tête'), from Nanterre, sliced and packaged in supermarket aisles, in bun or bao form for savory options, brioche serves as a comforting cushion for consumers seeking a more melting texture in their mouth. Versions include Provencal with olive oil at Archibald, lemon-blackcurrant at Farine et O, with dried or candied fruits, sugar crystals, pink pralines, spices, and a myriad of flavors including the familiar orange blossom. Farm eggs, ensuring lecithin and thus unparalleled softness, butter with bold flavors, and breads crafted with skill, blending baker's yeast and sourdough for the right texture. This expertise extends to brioche bread, which is set for success with new sandwiches that delight: the sando (Grilled Cheese Sando with charcoal-baked bread, 18-month-aged comté, mozzarella, truffle tomme, four-spice onion confit, and spinach sprouts) and the roll (Janet’s grilled cheese by Homer).

By Marion Thillou et Audrey Vacher