Stocking Christmas cakes and puddings in 2024

Us Brits love a bake, and never more so than at Christmas. Whether it’s the shared need for extra comfort during the colder months, the pull of nostalgia or the enjoyment of the familiar novelty that gets pulled out year-on-year, come the festive season customers across the UK are raring to indulge in cakes and puddings.

Tradition may still reign supreme, at least for now, but that’s not to say that innovation doesn’t play a part during Christmas too. During the festive season, however, it’s modern takes on classic flavours that win out. Think mince pies with added richness from chocolate, Heston’s infamous candied orange-stuffed Christmas pudding, and Limoncello-infused panettone for the adventurous lovers of this Italian delicacy.

It certainly pays for independents to stock a well-crafted range of the classics – gingerbread, mince pies, festive fruit cakes and puddings – but it’s well worth testing out some new products that offer up a twist for the customers up it for branching out; consider keeping order numbers modest for the first year to avoid potential wastage come the New Year.

Classic flavours sell

For Laura Roberts, owner of Laura’s Larder, tradition wins out every year and customers – and Laura herself – have their tried and true must-buys. “We stick to some favourites – those items that our customers consistently praise and that sell well. Mini mince pies are a prime example. People seem to absolutely love them, so they’re a staple in our festive line-up. For puddings, we always stock Figgy’s Christmas Puddings. They’re unbelievably good – everyone raves about how they taste just like homemade, even though they didn’t make them themselves, of course!” she begins.

At Laura’s Larder, classic Christmas flavours are king. “We keep it traditional. Honestly, I hope the days of every-flavour mince pies are behind us (though I do have a soft spot for the ones with a frangipane topping). As for new flavours, they can be showcased in the shop without tampering with something that’s already delicious – introduce something new instead,” she says.

“My focus this year is on high-quality items that bring joy and nostalgia, with a few fun stocking fillers for good measure. People are craving familiarity and warmth, especially during the festive season.”
Laura has found that it pays to offer a couple of free-from options so nobody misses out. “To cater to a wider audience, we also ensure we have an alcohol-free and gluten-free option, typically from Coles, who offer a great variety of Christmas puds.”

The size of the products you sell is worth careful consideration, too. “It’s important to offer variety in pack sizes for both small gatherings and large, and we also sell large and mini versions at the counter for those who can’t resist having one almost every day in December,” says Laura.
While familiar comfort is the name of the game at Laura’s Larder come Christmas time, that’s not to say that the team doesn’t change with the times. “We do evolve based on customer habits,” she says. “For instance, people are spending less time at home but are looking for treats to bring to someone’s house so we have to tailor for that.”

Laura has found that avoiding overtly Christmassy stock is key to reducing post-Christmas waste. “I have a strict rule about minimising things like trees and Santas on packaging – less is definitely more! Mince pies can sell right through to New Year, but after that, as January remorse and gym subscriptions kick in (guilty!), sales drop off. Anything with a tree or a Santa on it is a no-go after the holidays.” Careful ordering and learning from experience has proven fruitful. “I’m very careful with ordering, keeping detailed notes on last year’s sales, reviewing orders, and considering how spending patterns have changed throughout the year to adjust our stock accordingly.”

Some gifting items are ripe for selling throughout the year, even if you did originally order them for the festive season. If it’s just a beautiful box of chocolates or biscuits, we can store them behind the scenes and possibly bring them back out for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or even Easter,” says Laura.

Tradition with a twist

At Fitzbillies, the historic bakery in the heart of Cambridge – best known for its iconic and ultra-sticky Chelsea Buns – tradition is served with a comforting twist at Christmas time. “We will always have the much loved mince pies, Christmas cake and Christmas pudding – classics, which when made well, by hand, with great ingredients are incredibly delicious,” begins owner Alison Wright. “However there are plenty of places in our range where we can bring in new flavours. We update our macaron flavours each year. This year we’ve added white chocolate, and stem ginger and cranberry to the range. Our festive brownies are very popular adults and kids alike. The flavours include chocolate orange, gingerbread spice and double chocolate.”

By offering a carefully curated range of products and providing the perfect balance of tradition and newness, Fitzbillies has become an annual must-visit at Christmas. “Baked goods are such an important part of many local families’ Christmas traditions: coming into Fitzbillies to buy the first mince pies of the season and making sure they get their Christmas cake and pudding before stocks run out.” Offering a festive taste of home to customers further afield via online ordering has reaped rewards, too.

At Fitzbillies, requests for mince pies arrive increasingly early each year. “It’s the buttery pastry that makes them so addictive. Last year we made 26,000, all by hand.” While the business’s Chelsea buns are not technically a Christmas bake, they also feed into many families’ festive rituals. “Lots of customers view them as a Christmas tradition and come in on Christmas Eve to buy theirs. Now we also sell ‘Bake-at-Home’ Chelsea buns to order online, so our fans can have them fresh and warm from their own ovens on Christmas day – even if they are not in Cambridge.

“Number three is our Christmas macarons – we can’t make enough.”

Consider your Christmas bake and cake range. Is there an item that becomes particularly popular as the big day approaches (or you’d like it to)? It could be worth making an occasion of its arrival. Post a countdown on social media, show behind the scenes of it being baked and decorated, and tell customers exactly where they can find it in the shop so they know when and where they can satisfy their cravings when the time comes.

Wondering which product to choose? Highlight the showstopper. “Everyone is looking for the wow-factor. Something that creates a centrepiece for the celebration, whether on Christmas day itself or for the other meals and social events around it,” says Alison. “Our Chelsea Bun Christmas Tree is very popular for larger get-togethers as its perfect to tear and share.”

Buon Natale

For many foodies, Italian fare is a popular choice for the whole family year-round, and during the festive season delicacies such as panettone are seen as a high quality alternative to British puds. “There is nothing quite like the sweet lightness of a panettone or pandoro at Christmas,” begins Gianfranco Perri, founder of Just Gourmet Foods.

“In a period of feasting when foods are rich and often heavy, a good panettone brings relief and versatility, which is welcome. British traditional festive sweet bakes are based on richness and heavily spiced flavours, which are simply not to everyone’s tastes, especially after a big meal. They also bring an Italian elegance to proceedings which an iced fruit cake just doesn’t quite deliver!”
As well as being a lighter foil to the richness of British Christmas, panettone can be enjoyed at any time of day and can even be used in cooking.
“Suitable for occasions throughout the day, a panettone can be transformed into a decadent breakfast of French toast, a light accompaniment to mid-morning coffee, an afternoon sweet to have with tea or even a dessert when used as a bread and butter pudding,” says Gianfranco.

There are myriad variations to choose from in Just Gourmet Foods’ range, including a savoury option. “Loison produces a Dark Chocolate & Rum range which is at the decadent end of the scale, but we also love their Frutta & Fiori collection with flavours such as Fig or Amarena Cherry. From Salted Caramel to Pistachio & Matcha, Tirimisu to Limoncello, we even have a savoury version from Lazzaroni – a Pizzatone which has the lightness of crumb but is flavoured with tomato, mozzarella and oregano – perfect for a festive sharing board or perhaps with an aperitivo moment.”

A sizeable step away from tradition these flavours may be, but the team are catering to a growing demand. “We see an increasing sense of exploration amongst our customers as panettone becomes an embedded feature of their Christmas ranging and we love bringing new flavours to the offer to spark inspiration and ensure that sales remain buoyant,” adds Gianfranco.

The bake isn’t the only delicious festive Italian bake in Just Gourmet Foods’ portfolio, however. “While panettone may get the majority of the airtime over the festive period, we also provide lesser known options in the form of Filone - essentially a slightly denser panettone in a loaf shape, which is perfect for an afternoon tea. Sbrisola, which is a type of crumble cake, baked in a round tin and topped with a crunchy layer is another great option for a seasonal sweet treat and provides a point of difference in the parade of iced fruit cakes and mince pies,” says Gianfranco.

They’re great for gifting, too. “Italian festive cakes are a great choice for gifting as they are so beautifully presented: from hand-wrapped papers and satin bows to ornate tins which will find a future life as storage for all manner of things,” says Gianfranco.
“Just Gourmet’s Festive Italian selection has been constructed with the intention of ensuring that we have a wide range for our retailers’ festive needs,” concludes Gianfranco. “We recognise that a large part of Christmas for our retailers is how products fit into the overall look and feel of their stores.  By offering a wide selection of packaging types, sizes and price points, as well as all the flavours you could wish for, we know that our customers will be able to build a range which will deliver both visual impact and sales.”