Editor's Note: At Baking Europe, we believe the future of our industry lies in the hands of the next generation of bakers and food technologists. Today's students bring fresh eyes to consumer trends, unencumbered by "we've always done it this way" thinking. They're digital natives who understand social media's impact on food choices and aren't afraid to experiment with flavour combinations that might make seasoned bakers pause.

This piece by Cherryl Singhal, a food technology student at University College Birmingham, offers valuable insights into how Gen Z approaches product development—from Instagram-ability to sustainability concerns. While the scale differs from industrial operations, the methodology and consumer insights are remarkably sophisticated. As our industry grapples with attracting younger consumers and talent, perhaps we should listen more closely to voices like Cherryl's.

We're proud to showcase student work that demonstrates real commercial thinking. After all, these are the minds that will shape our industry's future—and the consumers we need to understand today.

New Product Development: Matcha Coconut Loaf Bread

The UK bakery industry continues to evolve at pace, with product development extending far beyond traditional considerations of freshness and flavour. Today's consumers demand affordable, convenient, nutritious and sustainable products that also deliver the visual impact necessary for social media engagement.

This case study examines the development of a fermented bread premix designed for in-store bakeries at a major UK supermarket chain, addressing contemporary market demands through innovative flavour profiling and strategic product positioning.

Project Overview and Strategic Brief

The development brief centred on creating a 500g bread loaf supplied as a dry premix to in-store bakeries, enabling bakery staff to produce fresh bread by simply adding water and yeast. The project parameters presented several interconnected challenges that required careful balancing:

Ingredient sourcing: Prioritising UK-available ingredients and sustainable supply chains wherever possible.

Flavour profile: Developing a distinctive taste experience drawing from Cuban, Pan-African, Fusion, or Sri Lankan culinary traditions.

Visual merchandising: Creating strong shelf presence with social media appeal.

Operational efficiency: Providing clear, illustrated instructions for consistent in-store execution.

Commercial viability: Achieving a target ingredient cost of 50p per loaf with a £1.50 retail price point.

Quality assurance: Ensuring the baked loaf maintains freshness for minimum two days post-baking, with premix shelf stability of six months.

Market timing: Targeting launch readiness by June 2025.

This multifaceted brief demanded not only culinary creativity but also rigorous research methodology, cost engineering, and supply chain considerations typical of commercial bakery operations.

Flavour Development Strategy

Following extensive experimentation with international flavour combinations including matcha pistachio and miso caramel, matcha coconut emerged as the optimal choice. This pairing strategically combines Japanese matcha with Sri Lankan coconut, both ingredients recognised for their health benefits and growing consumer appeal.

Matcha contributes significant antioxidant content alongside vibrant natural green colouring, while coconut provides textural richness and subtle sweetness enhancement. The combination aligns with current flavour trends across both bakery and beverage sectors, positioning the product within established consumer preference patterns.

Consumer validation research targeting the 18-34 demographic confirmed this strategic direction, with approximately two-thirds of respondents favouring matcha coconut over alternative flavour profiles. The preference was primarily attributed to perceived uniqueness and visual appeal, validating the commercial potential identified through comprehensive market gap analysis.

Four-Week Development Process

Week 1: Foundation and Supply Chain Challenges

Initial development focused on ingredient procurement and baseline formulation. While standard ingredients such as flour and desiccated coconut were readily available, matcha powder experienced temporary supply disruption. A bamboo leaf powder substitute maintained project momentum, allowing technical parameter establishment despite flavour profile limitations.

Week 2: Core Ingredient Integration and Hydration Optimisation

Matcha powder integration revealed critical formulation insights through dual recipe testing. Initial trials with 10g matcha showed insufficient flavour impact, while 15g produced excessive bitterness. Concurrent coconut ratio adjustments were implemented accordingly.

The discovery that matcha significantly increases water absorption necessitated hydration level increases to achieve desired dough workability and final texture. Yeast levels were also identified as suboptimal, requiring adjustment in subsequent trials.

Week 3: Formula Optimisation and Sensory Evaluation

The refined formulation achieved optimal balance with adjusted matcha content, refined coconut levels, increased yeast content and optimised hydration. This iteration produced consistent texture with vibrant visual presentation. Comprehensive sensory evaluation by test bakers and tasters yielded positive feedback regarding softness and flavour balance.

Minor refinement suggestions included potential coconut reduction to moderate richness levels, which were incorporated into subsequent cost-optimisation efforts. Shelf-life testing confirmed compliance with the two-day freshness requirement.

Week 4: Commercial Scaling and Operational Documentation

The final week focused on translating the prototype into a commercially viable 500g loaf format. Recipe scaling and cost optimisation resulted in a balanced formulation meeting weight and economic targets.

Comprehensive preparation guidelines were developed for in-store bakery operations, emphasising simplicity, repeatability, and consistency—critical factors for successful retail bakery implementation.

Commercial Considerations

Packaging and Logistics

The premix is designed for supply in recyclable 10kg bags suitable for in-store use. Comprehensive labelling includes allergen information, shelf life specifications, and preparation instructions. Nutritional information follows UK traffic light formatting standards, ensuring regulatory compliance and consumer transparency.

Shelf-ready packaging concepts feature strategic window placement showcasing the vibrant green crumb and coconut topping, maximising visual impact and impulse purchase potential.

Cost Analysis and Market Positioning

Final ingredient costs achieved approximately 55p per loaf, representing a modest variance from the 50p target. This differential presents opportunities for optimisation through coconut content adjustment or enhanced supplier negotiations at scale production volumes.

Considering the innovation level and quality standards achieved, this cost position provides a practical foundation for market entry while maintaining commercial viability.

Industry Implications and Future Outlook

The Matcha Coconut Loaf represents more than flavour innovation—it demonstrates strategic response to evolving consumer expectations encompassing sustainability, health consciousness, and experiential value. The development process illustrates how contemporary bakery innovation extends beyond traditional kitchen boundaries, requiring integration of consumer insight, systematic testing, and adaptive methodology.

Scheduled for June 2025 launch, this product is positioned to deliver both compelling shelf presence and operational efficiency for in-store bakery programmes. The development methodology provides a framework for addressing the complex requirements of modern bakery product development, where success demands simultaneous attention to consumer trends, operational practicality and commercial sustainability.

This project demonstrates that successful bakery innovation occurs at the intersection of insight, testing, and adaptability—creating products that meet not only what is technically feasible, but what the market genuinely requires.