From breakfast to dinner: how to capture new consumption moments?

Modern consumers are driving demand for convenient, ready-to-consume bakery breakfast options that fit busy lifestyles. European customers nowadays prefer fresh, ready-to-eat and convenient products like egg and cheese bagel. This search for convenience around “quick, easy, simple” recipes is reflected in a 68% year-on-year increase in social conversations¹

Fueling the morning also means meeting functional needs, and protein is now front and center: 3 in 5 consumers actively include more protein in their diet¹ and gut health. This growing focus on nutrition is directly shaping which bakery formats win at breakfast. In the EU and US, the bagel, sourdough bread, and croissant remain the top trending products, that's truly capturing attention. The sourdough bagel breakfast surged by 43% in social conversations, generating 18.8M interactions¹, reflecting a consumer appetite for formats that feel both indulgent and purposeful. This momentum carries through to broader meal formats as well: interest in "high protein/fiber breakfast sandwiches and recipes" has doubled (+100%) year-on-year, reaching 2.1M interactions¹. A clear signal that consumers are looking for morning meals that fuel performance without sacrificing pleasure.

Brunch is your golden opportunity to turn the weekend into a shared social ritual, and to win across every generation at once. Yet not all guests are drawn in by the same cues.

According to Innova, Gen Z and Millennials over-index on visual composition and eye-catching presentation when choosing bakery products². Vibrant toppings, on-trend formats, and social-media-ready presentation are your strongest levers to capture their attention and drive high engagement. In contrast, Gen X and Boomers prioritize freshness, naturalness, and health benefits, responding to quality signals, transparent ingredients, and seasonal produce².

The opportunity lies in the overlap: these motivations are not mutually exclusive. Easy to implement, a "mix-and-match" brunch board, featuring sourdough sandwiches, indulgent croissants, and cinnamon rolls crafted from premium, seasonal ingredients, speaks to both audiences simultaneously. Its visual appeal earns the share; its freshness and quality earn the loyalty. By combining sensory excellence with a seamless, nicelly presented experience, you create a brunch destination that drives discovery, foot traffic, and long-term connection across every generation.

The lunch hour is undergoing a significant transformation, with bakery products moving from sides to the very heart of the plate. In France, the consumption of bread and wheat products increased between 2019 and 2024 at a higher level than ready meals, firmly establishing the bakery sector as a top meal solution³. This shift reflects a growing appetite for fresh, hand-held formats that serve as structural components of the midday meal.

To capture this moment, focus on the formats currently dominating social conversations and consumer cravings. Sourdough bread sandwiches have seen a remarkable 80% increase in interest, while panini and bagel sandwiches continue to climb with 56% and 54% growth respectively. Most notably, the focaccia sandwich has exploded in popularity with a 124% rise in interactions, proving that consumers are looking for diverse and satisfying bases for their lunch talks increasingly designed to be enjoyed on the go, without compromising on ingredient quality or recipe composition.¹

As we enter into the snackification era, all day snacking has become a structural lifestyle choice built around two distinct but complementary trends: meal alternative and mini-indulgence

The first shift is driven by a generational change in eating habits. Today, 58% of Gen Z consumers regularly swap traditional meals for snacks, fuelling a surge in savoury bakery options that deliver real satiety⁴. In 2025, social engagement reflected this appetite: colourful savoury snack plates with sourdough bread portions garnered 2.2M interactions, bagel cheese snacks 1.8M, and crispy bread roll recipes 391K¹. Consumers are seeking grab and go as meal solutions. 

The second trend is reshaping portion expectations. In 2026, the "Ozempic effect" is amplifying the demand for mini indulgence, smaller, more intentional moments of pleasure. With approximately 5% of UK adults now using GLP-1 medications, the focus is shifting toward high-protein, high-fibre, and nutrient-dense products in reduced formats⁵. Retailers like Sainsbury's and Tesco have already launched dedicated GLP-1 friendly ranges, and bakery is following suit. Mini loaf cakes (400K interactions), mini muffins (83K), and mini pancakes (11.6K) prove that smaller doesn't mean less satisfying, it means smarter¹.

Together, these two trends point to the same opportunity: a snack offer that is both functional and joyful, sized for today's consumer

While convenience continues to gain ground, cooking from scratch remains the preferred choice for most consumers (65%). However, rather than choosing between scratch and readymade, many are actively blending the two⁵. Today, 28% of shoppers enjoy personalizing ready-to-eat bases by adding their own sauces or fresh ingredients, rather than simply heating a meal (24%)⁴. This approach allows for a sophisticated, custom experience without the time investment of full preparation.

In 2025, versatile bakery foundations have taken center stage at the dinner table, driven by two powerful and complementary forces: convenience and fun. Social listening data reveals an explosion in interactions around flatbread (+93%), tortilla wraps (+75%), baguette (+63%), bagels (+32%), and focaccia (+28%)¹, formats that consumers are embracing not just for their ease, but for the creative freedom they unlock.

After a long day, dinner has become a moment to unwind and get creative. Consumers are customizing versatile bases with bold toppings and globally-inspired flavors: Mediterranean influences, particularly Italian and Lebanese cuisines, are surging alongside "swicy" (sweet and spicy) profiles that add a sensory thrill to the evening ritual¹. 

Here are three products to enrich your evening range and captivate customers at day’s end, bringing a new take on creative convenience: