Sigep World set to highlight Italian traditional favourites, including panettone and pandoro treats
An engaging array of confectionery trends will be on display at the newly rebranded Sigep World in the New Year, including a classic Italian rivalry between its panettone and other favourite Christmas cake, pandoro, which is reportedly experiencing a successful comeback.
Global pastry consumption and seasonal trends have been observed by the organisers of the event, which calls at the Rimini Expo Centre between 18-22 January, with trends across gelato, Pastry, Bakery, Coffee and pizza.
A snapshot of the Sigep Christmas 2024 Observatory by IEG reveals positive European data: +1.5% compared to 2023 for pastry consumption, while purchases stand at 11.4 billion euros (Source: CREST, Circana).
“In order to counteract the high cost of living, consumers are introducing different strategies between northern and southern Europe: while in Italy and Spain they sometimes renounce a few menu items, such as dessert, in the rest of Europe, focus is on the experiential occasions of the Pastry Shop, the highest expression of hedonism in out-of-home consumption. Nevertheless, pastry consumption in Italy accounts for 40.6% of the category’s total consumption at European level,” says Matteo Figura, Out of Home Market Expert and Foodservice Area Director for Circana Italia.
As Sigep Observatory by IEG 2024 interviews with Europe’s top pastry chefs revealed, the sector is facing high raw material prices: climate change has reduced the production of hazelnuts with a consequent +40% increase in costs that inevitably also falls on the end consumer; a jump that reaches +50% in the case of chocolate.
According to Giuseppe Piffaretti, Swiss master pastry chef in the Ticino and creator of the World Panettone Cup: “Traditional panettone is an important segment of pastry shop economy in the Ticino, which has some 30 artisan producers. In the border regions between Switzerland and Italy, reinterpretations, such as our cake with blueberries, apricots, sultanas, grappa and chestnuts, are much appreciated. During Christmas, the classic panettone in its chocolate version is highly popular”.
For Luigi Biasetto, master pastry chef from Veneto and AMPI lecturer (Academy of Italian Master Pastry Chefs): “Traditional Milanese panettone is already the most popular with our customers, but the big surprise is pandoro, which is experiencing a comeback after years in which it suffered from big industry’s market strategies: we foresee a 22% increase in sales. New for 2024 is the Christmas Crown, similar to the Christmas wreath and decorated with mulled seasonal fruit and spices”.
Meanwhile, Marta Boccanera, master pastry chef in Rome and vice-president of APEI (Ambasciatori Pasticceri dell’Eccellenza Italiana, Italian Pastry Ambassadors of Excellence): “We have forecast an increase in panettone sales of around 10-15% and doubled volumes for pandoro, but pastry chefs are having to deal with the rising price of raw materials. Boccanera has also envisaged a cake that is also ideal for holiday breakfast, reminiscent of ‘pangiallo’ with dried fruit, citron and candied orange.”
