The ideal menu for a bakery or cafe business is one that is diverse and offers something new for everyone. As a business owner, one of your business goals could be to provide as many options as possible for customers to choose from, so they will keep coming back.
A new menu is a great way to attract new customers. It is also a good way to get feedback from your current (and ever so loyal) customers about what they want on the menu. Additional items on the menu will help you keep your bakery fresh and innovative. Read on!
1. The classic fruit loaf
Fruit loaf is a popular dessert in Australia, the UK, and Ireland. They are made with a mixture of dried fruits, nuts, and spices. The fruit loaf is then baked until it becomes moist and rich in flavour.
Here are the ingredients of a bread dough:
- 2 and ¾ cup of flour
- 1 cup of warm water
- 1 teaspoon of instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 2 and ½ tablespoons of sugar.
Here are the ingredients of the dry fruit mix:
- ½ cup of cranberries
- ½ cup of raisins
- ½ cup of currants
- ½ cup of dry whole cherries
- ½ teaspoon of of cinnamon powder
- ¼ teaspoon of cardamom powder
- ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg powder
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla sugar or extract.
Bakery or cafe owners can replace the ingredients for dough with frozen bread dough from cafe suppliers like Suprima Bakeries. This way, your business becomes cost-efficient as you won’t need as much manpower with frozen dough. At the same time, you can explore different variations with frozen dough.
You may choose to keep stocks of frozen dough so you can bake in bulk anytime.
The most common types of fruit loaf are apple, carrot, rhubarb, or mixed berry. What’s good about it is that it has a long shelf life so it won’t expire right away!
2. Of course, some vegemite toast
According to National Museum Australia: “Vegemite was invented in Melbourne in 1923 when an Australian food manufacturer requested a product similar to British Marmite. This spread made from brewer’s yeast became a distinctively ‘Australian food’ despite being owned by an American company for several decades.”
Vegemite is a dark brown, salty spread made from yeast extract. It is now sold in many countries around the world. Vegemite toast is a breakfast snack that consists of bread that has been buttered and spread with vegemite. This snack is quite popular in Australia!
It may seem basic but as a business owner, you can adjust this simple recipe and make it a modified version. Some bakers add cheese, some add citrus. You can experiment with different kinds of ingredients!
3. The famous Aussie meat pie
Everyone appreciates a meat pie when in Australia, also called an Aussie Pie. Aussie pies are popular throughout Australia, just like hamburgers and hot dogs are in the United States.
An Aussie meat pie can be prepared in a variety of ways, depending on who is making it and the ingredients used. It has a flaky butter top or a short crust pastry. There is a meat filling somewhere inside. Along with some vegetables and gravy, you can select the meat of your choice.
You can never go wrong with a classic meat pie! You can have different options on your menu like vegan, all meat, or classic.
4. Hot cakes but make it ricotta
These are summer-inspired breakfast pancakes that are so very light and somehow citrusy even without using lemon. If you can imagine these by thinking of the flavour of cheesecake paired with a texture that is best described as a type of souffled griddle cake.
It is actually easy to make them. Your customers might just love the cheese as an added ingredient. It will make your hot cakes memorable and will keep your customers coming back for more!
What to remember…
A new menu is always a good idea for any bakery or cafe. The menu can change seasonally to fit the needs of the customers. It doesn’t have to be an entirely new menu. It can just be additional or seasonal items that are available for a limited time only.
The decision on what to include in a new menu could be based on what you want your bakery to be known for or what your customers love.