2020 provided a lot of changes to the food industry as businesses looked to adapt to the pandemic and the restrictions that came about because of it. Heading into 2021, some of the trends that have taken hold in the industry are expected to stick around, even after life returns to relative normalcy.

One of the top names in the baking world, La Brea Bakery has noticed plenty of changes in terms of what consumers are looking for from their food. Chris Prociv, vice president of marketing and innovation at La Brea Bakery, offers her insights into what 2021 will look like for baking and foodservice.

Take out will remain in high demand

“As we head into the New Year, COVID-19 will continue to be a major concern across the country, so dining out will likely remain limited. We saw take-out start to gain popularity last summer, with consumers wanting to support local restaurants, so I think we’ll see this trend continue into 2021.”

La Brea Bakery has shifted its focus to highlight its Take & Bake breads, which can be easily stored in the freezer for later or enjoyed right away. The company has made plans to launch new varieties of the Take & Bake breads in early 2021 to accommodate the demand for accessible, convenient, fresh food.

Clean, simple ingredients and transparency will be front and center

“In recent years, consumers have started paying close attention to the ingredients in their food, and as we move into 2021, I think we’ll see clean, simple ingredients trend even more. I also think consumers want to see more transparency at the corporate level – they want to hear more from the companies making their food – how they are making it, what kinds of ingredients they are using, and what sets their food apart from the competition.”

Prociv believes that 2021 will be the year consumers view food as a holistic approach to health. Consumers were baking more bread at home during the pandemic, so they’ve become familiar with how the baking process works and what kind of ingredients should be used to make food ‘cleaner’.

Immune health will be top-of-mind

“Unsurprisingly, immune health was top-of-mind for nearly everyone in 2020. As we move into the New Year, I think we’ll see consumers focus on ways to maintain a healthy immune system, a lot of which can be found in foods like sourdough bread, which has been linked to gut health.”

La Brea Bakery looks to educate consumers about the benefits breads like sourdough can have on gut health and maintaining a healthy immune system.