The UAE bakery market valued at $683 million is expected to grow at more than 4.2 per cent per annum, as demand for all-natural baked goods continues to rise, according to recent research from Euromonitor.

With the growth set to continue, research firm Global Industry Analysis Inc. projects the global market will exceed values of $485 billion by 2020.

In line with the trends, the UAE has also experienced an increase in the number of French bakeries, with the opening of La Patisserie des Rêves, Aubaine, Pierre Hermé, Dalloyau and others.

Edwina Salvatori, account director, Sopexa Middle East, said: “French pastry is more popular than ever, as proven by the number of new outlets opening across the country. In recent years, we have noticed a surge in the popularity of healthy, organic and all-natural baked goods, with a particular emphasis on French products, which are traditionally the finest, freshest and tastiest. With nearly 5,000 artisanal patisseries in France, and more than 80 per cent of the French population ending their meal on a sweet note, pastry is part of our gastronomical heritage.”

“We have seen an increased demand in the UAE for French pastry chefs possessing the traditional skills that have been central to French baking techniques for hundreds of years. Drawing on this inspiration, some well-known chefs have codified their art in innovative and creative baking methods and classic recipes,” she continued.  

The findings were part of a roundtable forum held in Dubai by Sopexa on behalf of the French Ministry of Agriculture, and conducted in partnership with BNC Publishing. The event brought together top pastry chefs, dessert specialists and leading foodies from France, Japan and the Middle East to provide a glimpse into the biggest factors influencing the taste of pastry across the Arab world.

“Pastry trends evolve quickly – there are changes every six months,” said Chef Nicolas Bacheyre, executive pastry chef, Un Dimanche à Paris. “For me, every new trend appears first in Paris before spreading all over France, then Europe, then the world.

As a global culinary hub that is home to a diverse range of nationalities, the Middle East has inspired chefs to put their creative skills to the test by making the most of local ingredients.

“French pastries are adapted here. Everyone uses classic recipes and then gives them their own twist,” said Elizabeth Stevenson, chef director, Lady Battenberg. “There’s so much going on in Paris that it undoubtedly influences people internationally. There are a number of successful projects that have taken elements of these influences and successfully applied them to another culture.”

“As French food experts, Sopexa is well versed in the world of French pastry and how its influence is impacting dessert culture around the world,” Salvatori added.

“The people of the UAE have diverse backgrounds and a number of different cultural influences. We have seen this contribute to a growing demand for well-known desserts to be adapted with an Arabic twist, and vice versa. Our roundtable event with BNC Publishing has placed a number of emerging Middle East trends under the spotlight, and demonstrated that chefs here are building on an already rich heritage of pastry inspired desserts such as baklava, Kanafah or Umm Ali.” – TradeArabia News Service