Bakeries and baked goods is somewhat of a social phenomenon in China, viewed by many as a Western sector, thus trendy and up market. There has been a strong increase in the consumption of baked goods in China in the last 10 years as part of the quest for ‘trendy’ western style products. In general Bakery offerings in China are less functional then NZ, and more ‘treat’ based, as Chinese consumers look for something special, not just a hunger-fill. In saying that, the health trend is definitely setting in and forcing leaders to expand or alter their range accordingly and more and more young Chinese are choosing bread as a more wholesome breakfast than traditional street food options. Chinese Bakeries can be loosely grouped into two categories, those who offer genuine European/Western style bakery products, or those who may look Western on the outside, but whose tastes and textures are decidedly
“Chinesified” (think soft sweet white bread, Macha flavour, individual plastic packaging). The latter will be more sensitive to price, and potentially less interested in genuine imported ingredients.
