Pastry Perspective:

How today’s consumers are enjoying pastries

Our love affair with continental pastries continues to flourish, with both Viennoiserie and Danish pastries firmly established in our morning breakfast routines. Our latest research reveals fascinating insights into how consumers are enjoying French and Danish pastry, and here are our top tips to help you make the most of this consumer demand.

French pastry: the breakfast champion

Viennoiserie has earned its place at the breakfast table with 63% of consumers enjoying a flaky pastry in the morning. The appeal however extends beyond breakfast, with 45% choosing a delicious French pastry as a mid-morning snack which presents further opportunities to drive sales. Nearly half (46%) say that the irresistible buttery taste is what makes Viennoiserie so tempting, whilst 49% love the crispy, flaky texture that defines quality French pastry.

Our research reveals consistent demand for French pastries: 27% purchase weekly, while 26% buy monthly. Pain au chocolat dominates the category with 59% saying it is their favourite Viennoiserie but close behind that is the traditional butter croissants at 55%. Chocolate croissants maintain strong appeal, capturing 44% of demand.

Social setting is significant, with 57% choosing to enjoy Viennoiserie with family members. However, don't underestimate the solo indulger – 41% enjoy their French treat alone. The coffee connection remains powerful too, with 70% of consumers pairing French pastries with hot beverages.

Danish delights: versatility wins customers

Danish pastry has a slightly different buying pattern (21% weekly vs 27% monthly) when compared to Viennoiserie but maintains strong consumer loyalty with clear favourites. Cinnamon swirls lead with 60% choosing it as their preferred Danish pastry, followed by the maple pecan plait (40%) and vanilla crème crown (32%).

Unlike French varieties, Danish pastries split evenly between family sharing and solo consumption at 50% each. The hot beverage connection again remains powerful and offers additional opportunities to drive sales, with 72% of Danish pastries purchased alongside coffee or tea, creating opportunities for promotional pairings to encourage consumers to add to their order and increase their spend.

The opportunity spotlight

What does this mean for you? Here are our top tips to help you make the most of the pastry opportunity:

Have a daypart strategy: Feature French pastries prominently during breakfast and Danish varieties for mid-morning service, the two most popular consumption moments for each.
Build menu descriptions: Highlight the ‘buttery, flaky texture’ of pastries on menus to tantalise tastebuds – be descriptive to highlight the indulgent nature of delicious pasties!
Create pastry and drinks pairings: Develop coffee-and-pastry deals, leveraging the more than 70% of customers who already purchase these together.
Have a strong core range: Always have a core pastry range consisting of the bestsellers – pain au chocolat and butter croissants for French options; cinnamon swirls and maple pecan plaits for Danish varieties.
Offer multiple serves: Consumers like to indulge with family and on their own, so offer individual and sharing plates to cater to both needs.