ATLANTA — Brunch: It’s not just for morning anymore. In fact, some establishments are taking this hybrid meal into the late afternoon and evening, according to Michelle Love, merchandising manager for restaurant concepts at Houston-based H-E-B and presenter at the What’s in Store Live workshops during the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA)’s IDDBA 2022 conference, taking place June 5-7.
The brunch trend is opening space at the table for more than poached eggs and charcuterie and helping baked goods create more options than avocado toast.
Brunch boards are the next evolution, having taken off in recent years as at-home entertaining takes center stage.
During the workshop called “Taking Brunch Boards to the Next Level,” Love and Linda Avila, regional sales account manager, Red Apple Cheese, shared pairings ideas such as a French toast fritter topped with mango Greek yogurt and a pineapple slice, artisan baguette topped with goat’s milk bleu cheese crumbles and a slice of bourbon-seasoned smoked peach or smoked brie and fresh fruit. Other pairings included Stracciatella burrata filling with chicken salad atop a soft pretzel bite and sliced butter pound cake layered with Stracciatella and strawberries.
“We’re really trying to bring brunch boards up a level above traditional items like crackers or avocado toast,” Love said. “We’re looking at things like mini biscuits, mini French toasts or even biscotti.”
Brunch boards are also a space to create brunch crostini with sliced toasted baguettes. But while many people are on board to create that restaurant-style experience at home, not everyone has the time, energy or skills to pull it off. Commercial bakery producers can work with retailers to create programs for simple solutions that can be executed with ease.