The last few years have brought significant changes to the catering world. Most notably, the appearance of Covid-19 temporarily halted all events and gatherings and brought marked alterations to the way people were able to interact with each other.
While we may now have adjusted to the ‘new normal’, and while guidelines have relaxed significantly in many countries around the world, caterers are still facing a profoundly altered landscape. Catering trends are also altering to reflect consumers’ growing concern about the food they are eating, where it has come from, and how it has found its way to their plates.
With these factors having an increasingly widespread impact, in what ways has the catering market been affected and what can you do to give your catering business the best chance of successfully navigating these uncertain times?
Smaller Events And Remote Get-Togethers
While caterers can once again rely on large arts and music festivals as well as various cultural events, in the world of corporate catering in particular, the emphasis may remain on smaller events for some time to come.
This is partly a response to financial pressures placed on many companies by the ongoing cost of living crisis. Many businesses simply don’t have the financial resources to hold big company events or provide lavish catered meals as a reward for their employees’ hard work.
As a result, caterers may find themselves having to add many more events to their calendar, in order to make up for the shortfall in numbers.
There is also a new trend for virtual company get-togethers, as a large number of people now work remotely. As a result, there is more demand for special food or beverage packages, so that colleagues can each enjoy the same meal in their own home, or share a cooking or cocktail making class online. This is a section of the catering market that more businesses may want to explore in order to tap into this growing demand for remote team building events and parties.
A Rising Demand For Takeout And Food Delivery
The rapid spread may have temporarily put paid to restaurant dining and corporate events, but it did result in a sharp spike in the demand for takeaways and food delivery services.
This trend looks set to remain with us for a while, if not permanently – which means that restaurants and catering businesses should place a firm focus on being able to provide high-quality takeaway meals and cooking kits.
With so much competition out there, the most successful businesses will be those that can provide restaurant-quality home dining at competitive prices.
Shining The Spotlight On Health And Safety
The events of the past few years forced the whole world to take a more proactive approach to health and safety, both individual and collective. This intense concern is a development that caterers will need to incorporate into their business model, continually shifting and mutating just as the flu virus does.
As a result, instead of the typical buffet-style spreads, where people could help themselves from the same tray of food, caterers should now focus on providing individual packaged portions. This will provide their customers with reassurance regarding their well-being.
Caterers who provide meals for workplace canteens have also been finding other ways to provide heightened levels of hygiene and safety, sometimes by allowing workers to virtually order their meals. Not only does this remove the need to queue, but it also ensures that every person receives the food that they want, which has not been ‘contaminated’ by other employees who may be unwell, sometimes without even knowing it.
Of course, the hygiene of the caterers themselves remains a key concern. In the catering world, there is always a risk that someone may become ill after eating your food, or a catering employee may injure themselves in the course of preparing a meal. That’s why it remains as important as ever for caterers to invest in catering liability insurance, using a trusted provider such as Mobilers.
Ethical Food
Over the course of the last few years, people have become increasingly better educated about the reality behind the food on their plate, particularly when it concerns the meat and fish industries, and, of course, battery eggs.
As a result, research has indicated that two-thirds of adults in the UK are worried about where their food is coming from, and the welfare of the animals involved.
This has led to an increase in the number of people wanting to buy eggs, meat and dairy products from farms and manufacturers that can provide assurance about how their livestock is kept.
Consumers are also increasingly concerned about climate change and sustainability. This has resulted in a trend toward reducing the use of plastic packaging – particularly single-use plastics – and focusing instead on low or zero-waste products, not to mention more plant-based meal options.
To help meet this consumer-driven desire for healthier and more sustainable catering, both in terms of ethically sourced ingredients and a reduction in plastic packaging, caterers must find ways to offer sustainable alternatives. They need to find this balance whilst ensuring they can sustain their profit margins.
This essential need to find a balance may prove tricky initially. However, there are various methods you can use to help your catering business become more sustainable. These include finding affordable, locally sourced ingredients, lowering your food waste by ensuring you use short-dated items first and incorporate reusable waste into your meals, and conducting an audit of your business practices to find ways to lower energy consumption.
To Sum Up
While there is no denying the fact that the catering world has had some significant obstacles to overcome in recent years, things are slowly returning to a more even keel.
However, issues such as health and safety, sustainable packaging and ethically sourced food will continue to be at the forefront of consumers’ minds, so it’s important for businesses to find ways to reliably meet these expectations while still turning a profit. This remains the prime objective and the challenge, going forward.
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