Although individual countries remain as ethnically diverse as ever, the global culinary community that influences the baking industry began to increasingly converge through social media and e-commerce, interconnecting a cornucopia of cuisines in a way that had never been possible. On the flipside, multinational restaurant chains, food service companies and retailers have created a culture of commonality.
International travel may expose people to the planet’s panoply of palates. However, Jordi Galles, executive chairman of Barcelona-based Europastry, one of the world’s largest frozen baking companies, sees a sense of familiarity as he travels across the globe.
“In terms of globalization, the trends you’re seeing all over the place are becoming very similar,” he said. “For instance, if you can take a photograph of a bakery 20 years ago, you would know that it was taken in New York or in Paris. Today, these distinctions have disappeared. You can’t tell where you are in that picture. You’re seeing more of the same trends and many similar products all over the place.”
For Europastry, which ships its baked foods to five continents, those trends are reflected in its classic European-style bread and authentic pastries to its signature thaw-and-sell, fully finished DOTS donuts. Throughout North America, the company also produces an array of frozen dough and baked goods from Wenner Bakery, the Ronkonkoma, N.Y.-based company it purchased a couple of years ago.
“The French croissant and American products such as muffins and donuts are all over the world,” Mr. Galles observed.
As Disney observed decades ago, it’s a small, small world.