Trends in foodservice product sales are based on the increased demand from customers for convenient products as their lives get busier and return to normal post-pandemic.
There has been increased sales in frozen, chilled and appetisers for home entertainment and casual dining occasions.
Consumers want innovation in bite-sized, easy-to-prepare options.
Frozen and chilled products are a convenient option for busy people who want to have a healthy and protein-rich meal without spending a lot of time in the kitchen.
Moreover, they are versatile components that can be used in a wide range of dishes, such as stir-fries, curries, stews, casseroles, and salads.
There is a greater demand in the UK for global cuisines and flavours, leading to an increased variety of international frozen and chilled food options. Wholesalers are seeing greater variety in products that answer this demand, as more people are seeking out fusion and cross-cultural products.
“Food service operators face many challenges on a daily basis, from retaining staff to keeping up with the latest food trends,” comments Alexandre Mattos, Head of Sales and Operation UK & ROI at Seara Foods.
“A big challenge currently faced by foodservice operators is inventory management. It’s important that foodservice operators track their inventory turnover ratio accurately, identifying products that may sell quicker than others.”
It’s increasingly a trend for restaurants to reduce their menu size and complexity while also ensuring they are delivering the highest quality food to their customers. Reducing menu size and complexity means reduced food waste, a more manageable inventory, a less complex decision-making process for both the customer and the restaurant and increasing table turnover as decisions are made quicker. It also means a higher quality of food is delivered as culinary staff are more knowledgeable about the menu and have more time to focus on developing a certain number of dishes.
“The food to go sector is set to reach £23bn by 2025,” adds Mattos. “During the pandemic, it took a significant hit with less people out and about, and more people opting for dining at home options due to the lockdowns. The sector thankfully has recovered and is set to increase further, as more people return to work and their busy schedules mean that they are looking for the quick convenience of food to go options. Takeaways are also back to their pre-pandemic popularity as more people welcome the chance to order in at home after a busy week in the office.”
Howard Edwards, Senior National Account Manager – Foodservice, at The Compleat Food Group, comments: “As a new year approaches, we’ll see the cost of living continue to have an impact on the foodservice industry, as consumers look to spend less in the face of increasingly squeezed household budgets.”
Operators will also be feeling the pressure from the rising costs of ingredients, utilities and wages, as well as the increasing difficulty of finding and retaining skilled workers. However, the foodservice industry has always been resilient, fast-paced and adept at moving with the times, adapting their ways of working and menus to retain business during challenging times.”
“One of the ways we’ll continue to see foodservice operators adapt is by streamlining their menus, reducing their size and complexity so they can focus on the crowd-pleasing dishes they do best,” adds Edwards. “Wholesalers can support this by ensuring they offer high value premium meal centres, building flexibility into their product ranges to cater for a diverse range of consumers and staying on top of the latest food trends to ensure they are offering the most high-quality options for foodservice operators.”
Streamlined menus can only be successful if they consist of high-quality ingredients and dishes, so consumers still feel like they are getting the best experience. Wholesalers can support this by offering high-quality meal centres such as premium pies, which can be bought in by foodservice operators ready-made and offer consumers that feeling of comforting nostalgia.
The Compleat Food Group has been working with wholesale customers to offer a range of pies from its brand Wrights, giving them the opportunity to provide foodservice operators with comforting, good value meal centres that can be served alongside cost effective side dishes including mashed potatoes, seasonal greens and gravy.
“Despite smaller menus becoming more common, foodservice operators still need to ensure their menus appeal to a diverse range of consumers,” says Edwards. “Wholesalers can support this by staying on top of current market trends, identifying which products are in high demand and adjusting stock and product offerings accordingly.”
This includes catering for different dietary requirements. While the number of consumers describing themselves as vegan or vegetarian has stayed relatively low at 7%, 30% of consumers now describe themselves as flexitarian (Lumina), meaning they follow primarily a vegetarian diet only eating meat and fish occasionally. The key to appealing to these groups is to provide easy plant-based swaps that offer the same taste satisfaction and visual appeal as a meat option.
Plant-based brand Squeaky Bean has seen strong growth (Circana), as it creates plant-based alternatives that offer the same taste and texture as their meat counterparts, making it easy for operators to swap them into recipes. Operators can easily use the brand’s chicken-style poppers, nuggets and dippers to create quick and easy vegan dishes, while the aromatic Duck Style Pieces are even being shredded to create an authentic alternative in wraps, salads and ‘crispy duck’ pancakes.
Gordon Lauder, MD of frozen food distributor Central Foods, comments: “Vegan and plant-based food is one of the key trends in food service product sales. We’ve seen huge development in the pre-prepared frozen vegan sector in recent times, fuelled by an increasing demand for meat and dairy-free dining. There’s definitely been an increase in the numbers of people who are either vegan or vegetarian, but much of the growth in demand for plant-based products has come from flexitarians – people who avoid meat or dairy products on a certain number of days a week or who are reducing their overall consumption of meat and dairy.”
Although there’s been a huge growth in awareness of – and interest in – vegan and vegetarian foods over recent years, we’re now seeing other factors come into play, namely the fact that the ingredients of plant-based dishes can be more cost-effective than meat-based meals and also more environmentally friendly. This is becoming an increasingly important consideration at the current time, with increasing costs for everyone and the focus on sustainability. Vegan mince, for example, can be significantly cheaper than standard beef mince and provides a greater yield – up to 20% more – so it’s a great meat swap in many popular dishes such as lasagne, chilli or Bolognese. In addition, as well as helping to take the pressure off budgets, offering plant-based options really fits with the growing narrative around sustainability.
“As a key food service distributor, Central Foods has noticed a big increase in demand for vegan and vegetarian items and we’ve extended our range of plant-based options to cater for this – making sure that these dishes and ingredients will appeal to meat-reducers as well as plant-based diners,” adds Lauder. “This helps to avoid menu proliferation and is a good way for food service customers to overcome some of the challenges that the catering sector is currently facing, especially issues like staff shortages. Caterers must now make their menus work even harder, so they are including fewer products but ensuring these are suitable for a maximum number of dietary requirements and menu dishes throughout the day. So we are seeing a growing number of dual criteria products – vegan and gluten-free, for example.”
Among the new plant-based products launched by Central Foods recently are the Menuserve gluten-free, vegan Asian prawn snack selection, the 30g KaterBake mini bao buns and the Menuserve bao buns Hoisin jackfruit. Both are suitable for vegans and vegetarians but really tap into the street food trend, so they’ll go down well with all customers and diners. The 15g KaterVeg! vegan cocktail sausage roll has also been launched to complement the 4inch and 6inch KaterVeg! vegan sausage rolls also supplied by Central Foods. Plus Central Foods has a new vegetarian tomato, goat’s cheese and basil tart and has updated its vegan Mediterranean vegetable tart.
“The general view is that the vegan market has become somewhat overcrowded from a supplier point of view, but producers and distributors offering quality and value remain successful,” says Lauder. “Our well-established and trusted KaterVeg! brand continues to be popular, particularly with public sector customers such as schools, hospitals, and prisons, because products are a fair price and good quality.”
Central Foods recently switched to using renewable energy as part of its commitment to the future. The soya used in its KaterVeg! vegan mince, sausages, burgers and bangers is non-GMO soya that is grown in existing, established agricultural areas in the European Union, not South America, and without the use of the controversial herbicide glyphosate, which makes it as good as it gets from both an environmental and a health point of view.
In terms of consumer trends, Asian products are proving popular at the moment. A recent Lumina Pubs & Bars Market Report emphasised the growing popularity of Korean flavours, and Central Foods has seen strong interest in its bao buns – it’s one of the reasons it recently launched 30g KaterBake mini bao buns and Menuserve bao buns hoisin jackfruit, which are pleated-top bao buns filled with hoisin-flavoured jackfruit and vegetables, to complement its 50g bao buns. A new Menuserve gluten free vegan Asian prawn snack selection also fits the Far Eastern trend.
Rob Owen, Executive Business Development Chef at Creed Foodservice, comments: “In the challenging financial climate that we’re all operating in, it’s important to remember that consumers aren’t always necessarily looking for the cheapest option, but instead are looking for a feeling of added value and something that delivers an experience that they may not be able to replicate themselves at home, with smaller edible indulgences becoming treats which distract them from the fact they may not be able to afford bigger luxuries. All operators across all categories should be taking note of this and ensuring that whatever they are offering meets this demand for added value.”
Earlier this year Creed ran a piece of research to explore how foodservice operators are dealing with the challenges they are facing across the board at the moment. Creed wanted to understand the state of their operations in order to supply them with useful tools, insights and ideas to generate more revenue and greater profit margins from their plates. Most notably the report showed that 86% of operators said they will likely have to close in the next three years if business costs don’t reduce and they don’t increase their revenue. Of these, 50% said they will likely have to close within 12 months’ time.
Rising costs have not only affected businesses directly but are indirectly affecting them by the way consumer dining behaviour has changed. 85% of operators noted they will need to increase their menu prices, but the same amount are worried if they do this it will put consumers off from visiting even further. Add into the mix staffing challenges, and the industry is in the eye of a storm. If we can find ways to minimise the impact of these factors by helping businesses reengineer how they operate, we will see many of them come out the other side.
“Many operators are reducing the size and complexity of their menus in order to streamline their daily operations. This is something we endorse – by doing fewer things really well you can strengthen the offer to the target consumer, whilst also honing chef skills, building on efficiencies and avoiding unnecessary waste. Stocking fewer products means less stock is held on shelves, and therefore avoids money being tied up,” Owen adds. “Looking for clever efficiencies that reduce the workload on the kitchen and front of house is important, but this needs to be carefully balanced. Using high quality pre-prepared items alongside other scratch-made items on the menu might be part of the compromise. This could potentially have an impact on staffing bills and energy costs too. The range of pre-made sauces, stocks and gravies, frozen desserts and part-bake dishes available on the market is wide-ranging and quite incredible now – long gone are the days where they are simply dismissed as being second-best.”
The latest Food to Go market report from Lumina suggests the food to go market will have grown by around 4% in 2023. Food to go often offers lower ticket solutions for consumers who may find this way of treating themselves is more affordable than a sit-down meal. Creed is putting a lot of focus on offering innovative solutions that deliver great tasting food to go, for a reasonable price tag. Many of these solutions sit under the Kitchen ’72 brand which sees the street food concept applied to exciting, globally influenced grab and go solutions.”
Diners’ interest in fresh and tasty products is unwavering, they’re looking for great tasting, quality ingredients to inspire everything from buddha bowls, main salads, and sandwiches right through to the salad garnish, boosting burgers and complementing dishes.
The UK’s No. 1 salad brand (Nielsen), Florette, provides a range of foodservice products that tick all the boxes when it comes to taste and freshness. Customers will benefit from consumer awareness, understanding and recognition of the Florette brand in retail.
Gwyn Jones, Head of Commercial for Florette Foodservice says: “We’ve been working successfully within the foodservice arena for many years and have an excellent track-record. In recent times, we’ve been approached by more and more customers looking for high quality products that they can rely on to mitigate the risk of service and quality issues they have experienced due to increased climate and supply chain challenges.
“Florette Foodservice caters for operators large and small, with a bespoke range of foodservice products, that are backed by the expertise, supply chain resilience and quality assurance of our parent company Agrial.” Whilst salad is synonymous with the summer months, its versatility across menus makes it a staple in menu planning all year round. Florette Foodservice products can easily adapt to trending menus spanning meat and meat free dishes, alongside a variety of cuisines.
“Consumers are continually aware of the foods they are eating and the ingredients they contain, especially since the pandemic, health is high on the agenda. Florette Foodservice products are naturally healthy, versatile, and nutritious, making them a must for menus,” adds Jones.
“Sustainability and traceability are also important factors, as more and more consumers seek full transparency on ingredients, providing a new focus for menu planners.”
Earlier this year, Agrial Fresh Produce, home to the Florette brand, was awarded a Gold EcoVadis rating, recognising the company’s ongoing commitment to protect the environment and promote sustainable farming methods.
The prestigious sustainability accreditation rated Agrial across four key areas of the business including Environment, Labour and Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement.
Following an in-depth audit, Agrial achieved the highest certification and scored in the top 3% of companies rated by EcoVadis overall, and the top 1% for Ethics and Sustainable Procurement.
Matt Grenter, Sales Manager, Symphonie Pasquier, comments: “With the pandemic concentrating our minds on health and wellbeing, we are convinced that the lighter desserts delivered by pâtisserie are attracting diners who are looking for a sweet treat with less guilt. These dishes cannot be described as guilt free, but with the option of choosing bite-sized bakes in the form of macarons or petit fours, they offer diners a satisfying sweet choice that delivers all the flavour, just in smaller portions.”
The Café Gourmande or the practice of choosing a trio of bite-sized sweet treats instead of a plate of rich pudding is likely to be the go-to on trend dessert of the coming year. Pâtisserie delivers something to please all the senses with beautiful presentation, intense shots of flavour and a variety of textures to make each mouthful delicious.
A dessert can be the sweet ending to a meal, or it can be a standalone treat. Increasingly people are choosing the sweet option as a solo course and this trend is growing as rising prices and inflation hit everyone’s pockets. A main course at home, followed by a dessert and a drink in the local restaurant or pub has become an attractive option if funds are low.
“In these difficult times, operators need to make sure that dessert eaters are welcome at any time of the day or evening,” adds Grenter. “Prepare a really tempting stand-alone dessert menu that is available all day, and make sure that all the desserts are beautiful and interesting in order to give customers a thrill with their eyes as well as their tastebuds.”
In these days of sharing everything online, how a dish looks is as important as how it tastes. It must please the wider world as well as the diner as so many customers are posting images of their food on social media platforms such as Instagram and Tik Tok.
With social media being a key component of the success of an establishment or even a particular dish, pâtisserie has a head start. Precision and a beautiful finish are the hallmarks of great pâtisserie.
“Make the most of these photogenic pastries for marketing and social media purposes, both by capitalising on posts put up by customers and by posting your own tempting and beautiful images to attract trade,” says Grenter.
“Encourage customers to take pictures and tag in your restaurant. Make sure your Instagram tag can be seen clearly on the menu, and build customer relationships by complimenting and re-posting images.”
Kristian Sharp, Foodservice Channel Manager, Weetabix, comments: “The Weetabix Food company, makers of the UK’s number one breakfast cereal (Kantar), Weetabix, is a must-stock across the foodservice sector. Versatile and always great value, our purpose is to help people live better lives by providing better breakfasts. We’re passionate about helping people start their day in the best way and we are committed to doing this in a sustainable, responsible way. It’s in our DNA. Our trusted brand heritage spreads across our portfolio, including into the hospital sector where we are incredibly proud of the positive impact our Weetabix Original and Ready brek porridge has.”
Portion packs are a must-stock in the Weetabix Foodservice portfolio, providing consumers with a convenient and nutritional option. Portion pack sales have risen by 16% in the last year (combined wholesaler data). There has been a significant increase in demand for portion packs in the post-Covid market, and Weetabix’s portion packs have been created to offer foodservice operators a convenient, tasty and nutritious cereal option for their customers.
Weetabix Original and Weetabix Chocolate are available as one and two-biscuit portion packs in the classic Yellow Box format, while Alpen Muesli is available in 40g Sachets in both Original & No Added Sugar. The newest addition for 2023 in a 375g format, is Multigrain Hoops. Weetabix is also introducing 600g Weetos packs to food service. HFSS compliant, this is great for all ages and ideal for those looking for a fun way to start the day, safe in the knowledge that their bowl remains a healthy one.
This year, Weetabix has invested in additional marketing support for the Weetabix Food Company ‘Everyday Favourites’ range – including Weetaflakes, Fruit and Fibre, Bran Flakes and new for 2023 Multigrain Hoops. These offer trusted Weetabix quality combined with great value – they also come individually boxed for display or for bulk use on buffet breakfasts.
Ready brek is the number one smooth porridge in healthcare (Nielsen) and especially in care homes, because its super smooth texture makes it easy for those with conditions like dysphagia to swallow.
Easy to prepare and CQUIN compliant, Ready brek porridge is made with 100% wholegrain oats to give your clients or residents a nutritious, warming start to the day. It is also a source of Vitamin D for a healthy immune system. Ready brek is available in portion or bulk packs to meet varying volume needs of caterers.
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