London, UK -  3 November 2025 – As The Great British Bake Off (GBBO) reaches its finale tomorrow evening and crowns this year’s star baker, Britain’s own festive baking showdown is heating up. On supermarket shelves across the nation, traditional Christmas bakes are facing fierce competition from their continental rivals, the feather-light Italian panettone and marzipan-filled German stollen, as they battle for a slice of the festive action.

New analysis from Circana, the leading advisor on consumer behaviour, reveals that Britain’s festive tastes are shifting fast. Over the past three years (October to December 2022–2024), sales trends show  traditional Christmas bakes , such as Christmas cake, mince pies, Christmas pudding and Yule logs, are losing share, while both panettone and stollen have risen in popularity.

Panettone reigns supreme

Among the three festive bake types, panettone remains the undisputed favourite, accounting for 41% of all festive cake sales in October to December 2024. Once seen as a niche import, the Italian classic has become a modern Christmas staple in British homes. Its airy texture, premium gifting appeal and Instagram-ready presentation have helped it win over households and gifting occasions.

Stollen surges ahead

Stollen has also stepped up, with its share of festive cake unit sales rising by 12 percentage points during the same period (October to December) between 2023-2024. Rooted in German holiday tradition but increasingly mainstream in the UK, stollen’s combination of rich fruit, warming spices and indulgent marzipan seems to be hitting the sweet spot for consumers seeking an alternative to heavy fruit cake.

The growing prevalence of discount retailers with German heritage has also likely helped to propel Stollen into more baskets each Christmas, bringing continental bakes to a wider audience and broadening the nation’s festive palate.

Ananda Roy, Senior Vice President & Industry Advisor, Circana, said: “This year’s GBBO series might be over, but the real ‘cake-off’ is just getting started. Panettone and stollen are no longer just holiday guests, they’re becoming part of the family. Lighter, shareable and a little more glamorous, they’re winning over British shoppers and showing that even the most traditional festive foods can get a fresh twist.”

Roy added: “As our Innovation Pacesetters 2025 report highlights, product innovation, from new flavour combinations and premium gifting formats to modernised takes on heritage recipes, is redefining how consumers celebrate, not just in the UK but across Europe.”

So, as GBBO prepares to crown its champion, the nation’s real ‘cake-off’ is only just beginning. Will the traditional Christmas bakes regain their crown, or will the continental challengers rise to the occasion and once again steal the show this festive season?

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About Circana  

Circana is a leader in providing technology, AI, and data to fast-moving consumer packaged goods companies, durables manufacturers, and retailers seeking to optimize their businesses. Circana’s predictive analytics and technology empower clients to measure their market share, understand the underlying consumer behaviour driving it, and accelerate their growth. Circana’s Liquid Data® technology platform is powered by an expansive, high-quality data set and intelligent algorithms trained on six decades of domain expertise. With Circana, clients can take immediate action to future-proof and evolve their growth strategies amid an increasingly complex, fast-paced, and ever-changing economy. Learn more at circana.com.