SIGEP WORLD CHRISTMAS OBSERVATORY BY IEG: NEW IDEAS AND TRENDS FOR "THE FESTIVE TABLE"

• Pastry purchases are worth 11.4 billion euros in Europa, consumption up by 1.5%
• Comments from top Italian and European pastry chefs  

RIMINI, Italy, Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Classic or chocolate, with filling and suitable for any occasion, the undisputed king of the festive season will be panettone. This is the trend uncovered by the Observatory of Sigep, the International Gelato, Pastry, Bakery, Coffee – and, as of this year, also Pizza – Show, organised by IEG - Italian Exhibition Group (Italy, Rimini Expo Centre, 18-22 January 2025, sigep.it).

Marco Carniello, CBO at IEG, stated "A positive European trend is emerging for pastry consumption with +1.5% compared to 2023, while purchases stand at € 11.4 billion (Source: CREST, Circana)."

Matteo Figura, Out of Home Market Expert and Foodservice Director at Circana Italy, explained "Leading the growth in consumption in the pastry sector are the United Kingdom, France and Germany. To be precise, In Italy, pastry consumption represents 40.6% of the category's total consumption at European level."

Flavia Morelli, Group Exhibition Manager food&beverage at IEG added "Interviews with top Italian and European master pastry chefs reveal that the sector is facing high raw material prices: +40% in costs for hazelnuts and a +50% leap in the case of chocolate."

For Giuseppe Piffaretti, Swiss master pastry chef "Traditional panettone is an important part of the pastry shop economy in the Ticino."

Luigi Biasetto, master pastry chef at AMPI academy "Traditional Milanese panettone is already the most popular with our customers, but we foresee a +22% increase in pandoro sales."

For Marta Boccanera, master pastry chef and vice-president of APEI "We expect a 10-15% increase in panettone sales and pandoro volumes to double, but pastry chefs are having to cope with the rising price of raw materials."

Roberto Rinaldini, master pastry chef and member of Relais Dessert International said "The classic panettone represents 40% of our sales, our gourmet proposal, the Dante panettone, is also on the increase." 

Christophe Louie, Parisian baker-patissier "We are aiming at coffee, spice and pear panettone made in collaboration with Maison Verlet, and panettone with seaweed and yuzu with Maison Petrossian as an aperitif."

According to José Romero, Spanish pastry chef and EPGB lecturer from Barcelona, "Panettone sales have tripled in Spain in the last ten years. The Spanish Christmas cake par excellence is the 'Turrón de yema'."

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