Fluffins and cronuts: Hybrid craze set to grow in UK

Brookies, fluffins and machos are set to become widespread across our menus, according to insights from an international ingredients manufacturer.

Insights from Macphie Ltd, which supplies ingredients and base recipes to UK restaurants and foodservice outlets, suggests that the industry is starting to open its doors to hybrid food types and crazy combinations.

The Aberdeenshire firm has reported that requests from restaurant and pub chain customers for hybrid-friendly recipes rose by 16 per cent in the last quarter of 2023 alone.

All things from brookies (brownie/cookie), fluffins (flapjack/muffins) and croons (croissants/donuts) will start to infiltrate classic sweet offerings while savoury combinations include pizzadilla (pizza/quesadilla), sushirrito (sushi/burritos) and machos (macaroni cheese/nachos).

The firm said they are even seeing hybrid combinations across both sweet and savoury, known as swavoury, with the likes of avocado doughnuts and peach & honey Dutch babies becoming more prominent on food menus.

The prediction is said to be fuelled by consumers’ need for adventure and novelty in their diet as well as to scratch the Instagram itch for the self-proclaimed food photographer.

“Food mashups and combinations have been key to reinventing menus for years but not quite in the way as we are starting to see now,” Kirsty Matthews, brand manager at Macphie, said.

“Unorthodox combos like melon and ham or bacon and pancakes have become the norm and the hybrid food arena is starting to see much more creativity in combination at the cooking stage.

“It all comes back to satisfying consumer needs and more often than not, customers are increasingly being drawn to slightly quirkier combos – especially when it comes to sweet treats.

“We’ve been working closely with our Product Development team to ensure that our product range is easily adaptable for chefs and bakers to use in these more abstract, Gen Z friendly combos, so we’re really pleased to see that increase in demand.”

Early marketing insights from the food manufacturer has highlighted that the hybrid trend could meet consumers need for innovation in a low-risk way while doubling down on a fear of missing out (FOMO) culture.

Macphie’s various products – from savoury sauces to sweet bakery mixes – have been designed with flexibility in mind so chefs and bakers can maximise their creativity.

Kirsty added: “People want to experience new tastes but also have comfort foods they know and love and we’re glad to be able to provide that balance. We love being in the thick of such an exciting UK industry.

“The food sector is obviously always evolving and challenging norms, which is why we love it. Our job at Macphie is to give chefs and bakers the tools to be able to keep up with trends easily while still giving them the freedom to add their own twist.”

Originally founded in 1928 in Glasgow, the company later relocated to Glenbervie, near Stonehaven, in 1973, it has since grown to have 250 employees with revenues of over £70m.

They produce a wide range of products across its core categories of sauce, bakery and ice cream inclusions, as well as offering plant-based and gluten-free options.