How trend prediction led to the innovation of our UK first; filled cookies
Innovation News
Filled cookies have been dominating sales in the US, and now, for the first time, Queensland Bakery has brought this cult product to the UK on a commercial scale with its brand new, deliciously indulgent filled cookies brand, Stuff’d.
What a journey it’s been! Over a series of posts, we’ll share the story of how we’ve taken the concept of a filled cookie, which is such a massive hit in the US, and created our own version. We’ll take a sneak peek behind-the-scenes at how our innovation team drives the development process to create products that will explode the market with commercial success for our customers.
Today, we’ll look at how predicting new trends drives the innovation of new product development at Queensland Bakery and how this led us to be the first to bring the filled cookie craze to the UK.
Unearthing trends that will explode the market
Never before have we seen such a force in terms of consumers driving trends for sweet baked goods. With the power of social media behind them, consumers have a platform for sharing content globally. With that, the demand for products that are ‘Instagrammable’ and the desire to try and taste new things has grown exponentially.
During the New Product Development (NPD) process at Queensland Bakery, trend-spotting goes hand in hand with our on-the-ground research and expertise to drive innovation. However, not all the biggest crazes circulating the internet will be the next big thing.
Predicting which trends will lead to commercial success is a skill that is led by our talented innovation team.
During the early stages of developing a new product, commercially viablity is explored. By trialling different ingredients and flavours, determining what machinery will be used, and talking with our suppliers we gain a clear understanding of the commercials. These steps mean that not only do we refine the product to look and taste amazing, but we also understand the costs and processes involved in making it on a commercial scale so that we know that we can deliver a product that will meet a high demand and at a very high standard of consistency.
When this all comes together, as you see with Stuff’d, we can be first to market with the hottest new trends.
The filled cookie trend - why we know it’s about to explode the UK market
We’ll let you in on a secret. We may like to think we’re ahead of the trend in the UK for many things, like music, literature, and, surprisingly, even AI. But, when it comes to delectable, indulgent baked goods, such as cookies, the true leader is the USA. Known for its exciting new innovations like cronuts and cake pops, you can bet that if it makes it big across the pond, it won’t be long until we fellow Brits catch on and it explodes over here, too.
It’s no wonder that the US is driving the demand for new products, as the current US cookie market is worth an estimated USD 12.48 billion.
Filled cookies have been growing in popularity across the US over the last few years, with bakeries competing on cookie size, flavours, and the variety of surprising fillings in the cookies. Although they’re a cult product in the US, they have yet to reach the UK market at scale, until now.
That’s why we keep our ears open, our feet on the ground, and prioritise consumer and market insights when conducting our own research and testing out new products. Our deep understanding of how trends take off and spread across the world, thanks largely to Instagramable products, gives us a unique leading position to innovate and create products that we know your customers will be asking for next.
Putting it to the test with R&D
The biggest trick, perhaps, is the science of turning a trend that works well on an artisanal scale into a commercial product, which is what we’re the first to have achieved in the UK with our filled cookies. What can work well in a small kitchen, hand-making a small number of cookies, is naturally much harder to replicate on a larger scale. That’s why the research and development stage is crucial to ensuring that once an idea has been created in the test kitchens, we work with the technical team and develop batch samples to test their performance.
Filling cookies with indulgent and gooey centres sounds fantastic, but the reality is that making this work when creating large batches requires a skill that needs testing and refining to make the perfect cookie every time. Ensuring the cookie centres don’t leak but still offer the delight of a soft centre whilst ensuring the cookie is baked to perfection has involved a lot of research on ingredients and investment in machinery.
It has taken many months to ensure that our innovative, filled cookie, Stuff’d, will entice, excite, and keep your customers coming back for more. Enabled by our innovation team and our sector-leading processes, we’re incredibly proud to be the first to deliver this cult product to the UK market. To find out more about our Stuff’d range, contact us on hello@queenslandbakery.com