7 minute read
Lighter choices – salads
Lighter choices
CONVENIENCE AND VARIETY
“As the weather begins to warm up, many consumers will be on the lookout for salads to complete their BBQ or picnic, as a lighter lunch or a handy grab and go option. Today’s consumers are seeking convenience and variety as much as they’re looking for quality and value,” says Rachel Shoosmith, marketing manager at Creative Foods, a manufacturer, importer and supplier of a vast range of both branded and bespoke products for the UK foodservice, wholesale and retail sectors.
“The increasing popularity of vegan and vegetarian diets, along with ease of consumption on the go, are the main factors driving the growth of salads. Containing a range of vegetables and fruits, and supplemented by a choice of meats and seafood if preferred, salads are popular because they provide a natural source of fibre and nutrients. During the pandemic, pre-packed salads became a way of life for many consumers with the packaging acting as a barrier that not only protects the food but also preserves its freshness and flavour.
“We expect to see many of the pandemic eating trends to continue, with meal preparation all about ease and convenience balanced with taste and quality. Not only can grab and go salads relieve some of the labour shortages operators are facing, they are also a format that consumers have come to expect due to their convenience.
“Also, after a lot of time spent preparing meals at home, many consumers are actively looking for ways to put meals on the table quickly. Busy consumers can pick up a grab and go salad to use as a side for family dinners, taking a step out of the preparation process whilst simultaneously providing more meal variety.”
TRAVEL THE WORLD
With the pandemic having also caused restrictions and disruption to travel, salads provide the ultimate platform for consumers to travel the world with every bite, remind Creative Foods (the Food People having identified that both Korean and Japanese cuisines are growing at pace, in turn providing an opportunity for operators to provide more of these global flavours through salads in particular).
“While traditional deli salads such as tuna, chicken, egg and seafood remain popular, the category growth is occurring in globally inspired flavours and plant-based options,” observes Rachel Shoosmith.
“Plant-based is one of the fastest growing categories, with meat-free product sales rising by 16.3% (£92.5m) to £659.9m (the Grocer, 2021). A recent survey by the Vegan Society and BOSH! saw 37% of Brits saying that they have actively reduced or removed animal products from their diet in the last five years. 28% said they have cut back on meat or only eat meat-free products, whilst 19% have reduced their dairy intake or are dairy-free. Therefore, it is important that caterers offer a range of vegan salads, sandwiches and wraps to cater for these consumers too.
“Our chefs at Creative Foods have suggested using our new Harvest Farms Plant-based Southern Fried Goujons (main picture) in a salad as a way to add flavour and excitement to the dish. We also have a high quality Oasis Luxury Vegan Mayo in our range, which consumers can enjoy with their salad safe in the knowledge that it is vegan.
“In addition, Tabasco® Green Pepper Sauce is mild, zesty and made with jalapeno peppers, and can turn a good salad into a great salad. You can also mix it with mustard to create a delicious tangy salad dressing. Not only can such sauces add an element of heat to a salad, it is also vegan and therefore on-trend in multiple ways.”
Creative Foods are also helping to take the pressure off operators via their Love Fresh range of salads
With warmer weather on the horizon, salad dishes are set to increase in demand; provision of interesting and exotic salad options on a menu also helping to address the rising interest in healthier, and vegetarian, meal offerings.
and slaws, which includes traditional rice, bean, and pasta salad classics to innovative, on-trend salads, using its own Oasis mayonnaise, sauces and dressings to off er the fl exibility to create new and innovative concepts and fl avours.
When it comes to sauces and dressings for salads, fl avoured mayonnaises are a growing trend as they represent a quick and easy way to create a point of diff erence. The addition of chillies – particularly named varieties - adds a touch of heat and colour, whilst ingredients such as yuzu and lemon add acidity. The simple addition of herbs can also turn mayonnaise from its traditional creamy colour to an attractive pale green that also hints at freshness, they add.
WIDER SCOPE
Survey results from Bidfood and CGA (bespoke consumer survey, 1,500 UK consumers, October 2021) revealed that “appealing to health-conscious consumers is crucial, our research revealing eight in 10 people consciously look for healthy options when eating out, and one in four people would actually go somewhere else if they saw no healthy options on a menu.”
“As an easy to assemble option with a myriad of ingredients for caterers to play with, salads are an essential part of any menu and answer the call for a lighter meal which can easily suit a grab and go situation,” agrees Greta Strolyte, brand manager at noodle company, Lucky Boat.
“For a tasty salad off ering, tap into the trend for global foods. The vast scope of ingredients and fl avours inspired by world cuisines, combined with a little imagination, allows operators to off er a range of exciting salad options which can cater for dietary requirements too.
“Noodles, for example, off er a substantial ingredient for a satisfying yet light meal choice and provide the perfect base for umami fl avours and spicy or citrus notes. Operators fi nd our noodle range a great choice for quick serve dishes as they are easily and speedily prepared with excellent noodle strand separation and minimal breakage, meaning less wastage. Made from the very best ingredients, all our range is suitable for vegans and vegetarians too, containing no egg.”
Faerch UK Ltd have supported Chop’d - through Tri-star Packaging - with the launch of their popular salad bowl in a fully circular packaging solution, having gone into their London stores as of March 2022 (the bowls and lids, available in APET Evolve by Faerch, feature packaging made from postconsumer recycled content that can be recycled back into food packaging – again and again).
The Evolve by Faerch concept has been embraced by consumers because it illustrates circularity, and with its unique look, communicates directly to consumers that these are products made from recycled content, report the company. The design also serves as an additional reminder to make sure that used trays are sorted correctly, thus promoting circularity. With the bowls varying in colour, this refl ects the recycled material they are made from, and eff ectively communicates the sustainable nature.
David Lucas, sales director of foodservice, UK and Ireland at Faerch UK Ltd commented: “Evolve by Faerch is designed to close the loop on food packaging and therefore plays a key role in the industry’s transition towards a true circular economy. Evolve by Faerch APET material is made from recycled household post-consumer material which, after use, can be recycled into new mono- material food packaging without any loss of quality.”
Eddie Holmes, managing director of Chop’d added: “We are proud to partner with Faerch and be the fi rst foodservice in the UK to adopt this product. Using a bowl that is made from recycled PET and is fully recyclable aligns with our values for a greener future. Chop’d has had sustainability in its DNA since day one, and we strive to off er the best solution for the environment. By using Evolve by Faerch packaging, we are achieving a true circularity, while cutting manufacturing carbon emissions.”
Today, most of the recycled PET on the market is derived from transparent bottles. However, with more and more companies sourcing recycled PET, the demand for recycled bottle content has increased signifi cantly. Claiming to be the world’s fi rst integrated recycler of PET food packaging, Faerch says that it is off ering tray to tray recycling on an industrial scale, the company’s recycling facility in the Netherlands capable of taking in used post-consumer trays from collectors, sorters and recycling them back into food grade monomaterial, repeatedly.
