Festive focus – festive beverage themes.

Festive focus

The response to Covid-19 and the impact of the multiple lockdowns has led many to think afresh about their health, the environment, and the time they spend with friends and family. With last Christmas being halted due to Covid restrictions, it’s likely that this festive period will see consumers making up for lost time, but what will this mean for hospitality venues?

CREATING MEMORABLE MOMENTS

One of the macro trends, report the drinks brand, Fentimans (who commissioned a Fentimans Market Report 2022 in conjunction with CGA) has shown that creating memorable moments is increasingly important to the consumer.

Periods of isolation during lockdowns have given consumers time to question their use of time with family and friends, and for many, the answer has been in experiences – having occasions that remind us of the pleasures of life – they report.

Across the hospitality industry, this trend is manifesting itself in an increase of consumers going out more frequently, and spending more, in a bid to increase their socialisation after months of isolation. With further restrictions unlikely, or lessened, for the festive season this is particularly important as more people will be gathering to celebrate with one another for the fi rst time in nearly two years, point out Fentimans, whose research shows three in fi ve consumers will be treating themselves post-lockdown, and will seek to spend more of the money they have saved during lockdowns.

This provides hospitality venues, and cafés in particular, with the perfect opportunity to promote their premium drinks range, feel the brand - having consumers who are willing to spend more this Christmas season will undoubtedly fuel the trend for premiumisation that we have seen in recent years, and means cafés can maximise on drink and food trade-ups.

BECOMING MORE HEALTH-CONSCIOUS

Running in parallel to this trend is an increased desire for ‘better living’ amongst consumers. For obvious reasons, the Covid-19 pandemic has led many consumers to reconsider their health as the pandemic has gone on.

This sharpening focus on health has major implications for the drinking-out sector. Firstly, there is an increase in consumers opting for no-and-low drink options. In fact, their research shows that nearly a third of consumers said they will drink less or no alcohol in the on premise environment, for example, report Fentimans.

Secondly, there is increased demand for healthier drinks, either with reduced sugar, or with health-boosting ingredients such as Kombucha. This in turn means that venues need to accommodate for the growing number of health-conscious drinks and so it’s more important than ever this Christmas that cafés have a wide range of no-andlow festive drinks, as well as healthy soft drink options.

THE INSTA EFFECT

Many of the consumers returning to the on-trade have favoured drinks that they have found diffi cult to recreate at home, report Fentimans. This is causing an ‘Insta-effect’ trend, as more consumers look for upscale and aestheticallypleasing beverages to share on their social media platforms, and as a way to showcase their new-found freedom.

As a result, venues and drinks that display well on Instagram will have a head start in online promotion. This means that cafés need to place more focus than ever on creating the ‘perfect serve’ for their festive drinks and food dishes, suggest Fentimans. Cafés should also consider their festive decorations inside the venue, they advise, if they wish to encourage more customers to share photos or videos to their own profi le.

SUPPORTING LOCAL BRANDS

Another important trend for cafés to consider this Christmas is the growing desire by consumers to support local brands to them.

Months of lockdowns, combined with prolonged working from home, means that consumers are appreciating their local communities more and more, and now many are wanting to give back too. Fentimans Market Report 2022 shows 41% of consumers think it is important that eating and drinking out brands invest in local communities. Meanwhile, a further 20% say they will be buying local drink brands in venues.

This means that cafés could be well advised to place more emphasis on working with local suppliers and brands with their festive menu offering, both for food and drinks. Cafés also need to consider how they will communicate this local work to their customers, such as through their menus and marketing materials.

INGREDIENT IDEAS

“Christmas is a time for indulgence and this year more than ever, consumers will be looking to treat themselves when they are venturing out of home. They’ll be looking for something more than just their regular cup of tea or coffee, so operators need to elevate their offer and make sure their drinks menus are full of festive cheer,” agrees Sarah Eastman, beverages category manager at ingredients supplier Henley Bridge.

“As always, drinks which have Instagram appeal will prove popular so it’s worth going the extra mile to make sure your festive drinks look as good as they taste. For example, top quality hot chocolate, such as Guittard Grand Cacao, spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger is a sure-fi re winter warmer, but, for the wow factor, why not use Irca Joytopping white chocolate topping sauce to swirl around the glass before adding the hot chocolate? Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with spices. For the perfect fi nishing touch, add a mini gingerbread house.

“As we learn to live with Covid-19, consumers are ‘drinking with purpose’ and looking for beverages which have health-giving properties. Clean ingredients are coming to the fore and, whilst festive revellers will be wanting to celebrate in style, many will be choosing drinks and cocktails which contain healthy ingredients such as fruit and vegetables, as well as tea, which is packed with antioxidants and fl avonoids.

“Henley Bridge is the exclusive foodservice supplier for Dilmah Tea, the world’s fi rst ethical team company, which has been leading the way in developing cocktail recipes including a wide variety of different fl avoured teas and elixirs.

“Try a ‘Goodwill and Greetings’ cocktail (pictured) made with butterscotch liqueur, Scotch Whisky, Dilmah natural Ceylon ginger tea and vanilla fl avoured cream; or ‘Christmas Cheer’, made with bourbon, St Germain, lemon juice, honey and Dilmah Elixir of Ceylon tea (black tea with ginger and apple).”

EVER POPULAR

A Christmas tradition that shows no sign of slowing down is hot chocolate, but consumer demands are changing, with the interest in coffees and teas giving way to more indulgent ‘treat’ style drinks like hot chocolate, especially during the festive period.

Consumers cannot get enough of the cocoa-based drink, it would appear, the beverage having seen the greatest growth of all hot drinks, with a staggering 210 million hot chocolates served out of home (The NPD Group / CREST UK YE March 2019 data). Staying on top of consumer needs is essential and can prove profi table too as the same data reveals that hot chocolate is the second most popular hot beverage to buy out of home – beating tea.

Products such as Thorntons Luxury Hot Chocolate Powder is an easy way for operators to serve up a high quality hot chocolate, operators just having to add water to create an appealing, and consistent, hot chocolate experience (Thorntons Luxury Hot Chocolate Powder is available in a 21g single serve sachet, 1.6Kg catering pouch and vending format).

Brands, of course, can be the driving force in boosting profi ts - especially at Christmas - by providing consumers with products they trust that will elevate their experience. With nine out of ten consumers saying they would opt for a hot chocolate made with Thorntons (NPD Crest Dec ’17 data), point out the company, they feel that their particular brand’s strong heritage has the power to instantly improve the perception of an offering and signifi cantly increase its appeal.