Things can change quickly in the bakery world but one trend that looks set to keep on growing in popularity and is considered mainstream by many, is veganism. That’s why Puratos UK continues to add to its suitable for vegan range, keeping pace with the growing demand from customers.
Figures from the Vegan Society show that the number of vegans in the UK quadrupled between 2014 and 2018 and one in five consumers is actively reducing their meat intake, with a quarter of Brits predicted to be vegan or vegetarian by 2025.
Variety is just as important as taste and texture however and Puratos UK is always looking for ways to add exciting new products to its vegan range. Recently, Puratos UK has launched two new Satin Vegan Cake Mixes to complement the existing iconic Satin line which has been a firm customer favourite for 25 years. Health, freshness and taste are just as much a priority in the Satin Vegan Cake Mix range as the original Satin line and these great tasting cake mixes are available in chocolate and plain flavours. In April this year, Puratos UK also launched a new vegan Puratos Scone Mix, boasting delicious “buttery” notes, bolstering its vegan offering even further.
Puratos UK is also able to offer consumers looking for vegan options a choice of specialty fats including Argenta Pastry Sheets, Argenta Pastry Block, Mimetic – a new generation of fat that mimics the performance of butter for superior quality croissants, Danish and puff pastry products - and Spraylix, a release agent for bakery and patisserie applications as well as fat reducing agents Acti-Fresh and Puraslim.
Puratos UK’s 2019 Taste Tomorrow consumer study* shows that vegan food is increasingly seen as good for the environment and good for your health, with 20% of people buying vegan or vegetarian food on a weekly basis and 24% expecting to buy more in the future. 38% believe vegan food has a positive impact on the environment and 69% see plant-based products as a solution to prevent or solve food shortages.
Puratos UK believes that following a vegan diet shouldn’t mean compromising on great taste and that vegan customers should expect to enjoy the same delicious patisserie and bakery products as non-vegans. The Puratos UK team has worked hard to innovate to ensure that its vegan range delivers on taste, health and freshness, just as every other Puratos UK product does.
Puratos UK also offers a range of other products suitable for those following a vegan diet. The Bavarois Neutre Gelatine Free powder mix can be used to create mousse and bavarois and the deliciously creamy non-dairy cream Ambiante can be used in recipes or to complement the existing vegan cake and scone mixes. The Belcolade Plain Chocolate shavings, made using Real Belgian Chocolate, offer all the taste of chocolate with none of the dairy.
Puratos UK’s recent Taste Tomorrow consumer study* shows that fruit fillings are viewed by consumers as patisserie and pastry ‘power ingredients’, which offer both taste and health benefits. The Puratos UK Topfil and Vivafil fruit fillings ranges are inherently vegan and offer a wide variety of delicious, versatile fruit fillings. As well as popular, well-known flavours such as apple and cherry etc, there are more original and unique varieties available including Rhubarb, Blackcurrant & Hibiscus and Strawberry, Cucumber & Mint, created to cater for consumer and seasonal trends. In addition, Puratos UK offers a Wild Blueberry filling, made using handpicked blueberries in Latvia to appeal to consumer interest in provenance.
Matthew Bratt, Puratos UK Patisserie NPD & Innovation Centre Manager, said: “Our ever-expanding vegan range includes a variety of bakery and patisserie products which offer customers the opportunity to tap into the growing trend for a vegan diet, with no compromise on taste, texture or quality”.