Feel Like A Muffin? So Does Everybody Else
Millions of people leave the office every lunch time and visit a local supermarket, cafe or coffee shop. There they can buy savoury products, drinks and sweet treats. This is especially common if you are having a bad day at work or fancy treating yourself. For pudding or as a treat with coffee; the muffin is a popular choice. They can be eaten with little mess and come in a variety of flavours so everyone can find one they like.
New recipes and different designs now mean that the humble muffin has developed into a gourmet item. In part this is down to the growth of gourmet coffee chains like Starbucks. Luxury ingredients like Belgian chocolate chips and the freshest fruits are used so that even discerning eaters are tempted to nibble on the top of a muffin.
Even people on a diet can enjoy a muffin with the introduction of the famous ‘skinny muffin’ in a variety of sweet flavours. The skinny muffin benefits all because dieters have something tasty and healthy to eat whilst the shops retain customers.
There has also been a revolution in the shape of muffins and this has had an impact on consumer attitude towards muffins. When first sold in coffee houses and shops, muffins were relatively small and evenly shaped. Then, the top of the muffin became the most prized section and manufacturers began to bake them so that the top was larger than the bottom. This is how we now use the term ‘muffin top’ to describe when tight trousers create a bulge over the top of them.
In recent years however the flower-pot or tulip muffin has become the most popular. This has been partly triggered by the reluctance of consumers to eat such a big portion all in one sitting, as this new design is a little smaller and more even between top and bottom. It is wrapped in a piece of luxury paper which is where the name flower-pot comes from.
The muffin is one of the most popular snack and dessert items in the world and a profitable addition to the shelf of any coffee shop, cafe, even pubs as an alternative to the savoury snacks usually on offer.


