Modern nostalgia: pop back in time

Waiting for your Pop Tarts to burst out of the toaster. Rummaging through the cereal box for the free toy. Coming downstairs to smell bacon cooking under the grill.

These moments are more than just breakfast – they’re long-lasting memories. Consumers are yearning for these simpler times and it’s shaping food trends worldwide.

Flavours that remind us of our childhood – comforting eats like lemon meringue, chocolate brownie, sticky toffee and cherry Bakewell – provide a sense of reassurance and take us back to moments where we felt safe and happy.

It’s no surprise then that, over the last 18 months, consumers have turned to comfort food that conjure up memories of simpler times. Waitrose has reported website searches for knickerbocker glory recipes are up 171% while the BBC states that internet searches for bannoffee pie and bread and butter pudding recipes more than doubled in the first few months of lockdown.

The trend for modern nostalgia is taking over restaurant menus, shop shelves and bakery display cabinets as we see brands and retailers jumping on the bandwagon.

This is most evident in the 2021 supermarket Christmas ranges with brands putting their own twists on classic concepts to deliver modern nostalgia this festive season – familiarity with just a touch of new that’s enough to satisfy consumer curiosity.

The M&S festive collection includes a Sticky Toffee Crown, a black forest gateau and Morrisons have a lemon meringue pie, raspberry & amontillado sherry trifle and prosecco jelly pots. While Sainsbury’s is mixing things up with a prosecco and orange panettone. And across almost every supermarket, we’re seeing classics like prawn cocktail, pavlova taking pride of place. And the Booths Christmas catalogue features a glorious baked Alaska.

This retro-inspired festive season will set the tone for 2022, and 14% of up-and-coming food trends discuss mash-ups so expect to see reinventions of classic concepts. AG Barr – the owners of Irn Bru – launched Irn Bru 1901 based on its older recipe which contained more sugar. And Barratts have launched two new sharing tubs for Christmas featuring retro sweets including Wham bars and Dib Dabs. Meanwhile, Costa is taking its customers on a  trip down memory lane with the introduction of giant Custard Creams and Bourbon biscuits.

Tap into the trend

Looking to add a little modern nostalgia to your offering? Here’s a few ideas to help you tap into the trend.

Pop tart style pastry

Research shows that 60% of consumers are interested in buying products from their favourite childhood brands. Take your customers right back to when they were little by recreating a breakfast favourite – Pop Tarts. Introduced to the market in the 1960s, there were a firm morning treat with their frosted tops and sweet fillings.

Use shortcrust pastry to make your own then decorate and fill with our range of o.t.t® dessert toppings, luxury fillings and 5^th Avenue® icings.

Neapolitan cake

When you can’t decide what flavour to choose, we say go for all of them. For that reason, we’re bringing back childhood memories of Neapolitan ice cream with this layered cake.

We’ve used Macphie Mississippi Chocolate Muffin Cake Mix to create the base layer and for the second, combined Macphie GlenDelight® with gelatine to create the second and gelatine with ku-li® Raspberry fruit coulis for the third. To top your cake, whip up Mactop® Traditional and layer on thick.

Arctic roll

It was at its height of popularity in the 1980s when the makers claimed to sell 25 miles worth of arctic rolls every month but this ice cream cake screams modern nostalgia and will do wonders on your 2022 menus.

We’ve used Macphie Sponge Mix to create the cake layer, coated with ku-li® Raspberry fruit coulis to create this recipe.

Steamed pudding

Our chefs have created a twist on the classic steamed pudding using Macphie Lemon Sensation® cake mix cased in thin lemon slices.

Serve up with ice cream, cream or Macphie Custard.

Black forest pavlova

Combine a black forest gateau with pavlova for the ultimate modern nostalgia dessert. Made by layering large meringue with Macphie Mactop® Traditional and topping with morello cherries, chopped pistachios, shavings of dark chocolate and Macphie o.t.t® Chocolate dessert topping – it’s a truly show-stopping dessert.

Baked soufflé

Create light and fluffy baked raspberry soufflés using caster sugar, cornflour, egg whites and Macphie ku-li® Raspberry fruit coulis.

Lemon meringue

You can’t go wrong with this recipe. Made using our Lemon Sensation®, this delicious dessert can be displayed in full on coffee shop counters or sliced into individual pieces ready for takeaway.

There are lots more ideas to be found here.