Food to go solutions – trends and some new ideas.

Food to go SOLUTIONS

With skills shortages and energy prices rises impacting the world of food to go, operators need food to go solutions that deliver on customer appeal as well as ease of preparation.

MOST POPULAR

The classic cheese toastie has been named the UK’s favourite sandwich, according to new national research conducted by online food ordering app, foodhub, who set out to find out more about the nation’s sandwich habits.

In a closely fought contest, the cheese toastie knocked previous winner – the all-conquering bacon butty - off top spot. Rounding off the top three was the classic cheese sandwich.

This result does indicate that some hugely popular classics missed out on a top three placing; namely, the famous sausage sandwich, prawn mayo sandwich and egg mayo sandwich all failed to dent the nation’s top three, observe Foodhub.

Currently, there are more than 20,000 takeaway and restaurant partners featured online at Foodhub’s web site and through the apps available for iOS and Android (Foodhub Marketplace gives customers the platform to enjoy their favourite meal and support their local takeaways at the same time by offering an alternative to high commissions charged to local independents, allowing them to be a cost-effective option for both consumers and restaurants/takeaways, claim the platform).

Elsewhere, in an age-old debate, is it a cob, is it a barm cake, is it a bap, or is it a butty? The nation has finally spoken… The survey found it’s a bread roll! Almost a third of the UK (31%) named the controversial sandwich vessel a bread roll, with breadcake landing in second place (11%) and a bun (10%) finishing in third. Regionally of course, the results varied, as the East Midlands opted for cob, the North East went for bun and Scotland said morning roll.

When it comes to lunchtime, despite options aplenty, sandwiches are still number one, with nearly a fifth of the UK saying the sandwich is their go-to lunch. British classic fish and chips was also a favourite with 9% of the vote, while 8% opted for soup. One in five of those surveyed named mayo the nation’s favourite sandwich condiment, followed by butter (16%), ketchup (14%), hot sauce (11%) and salad cream (10%).

Elsewhere, there is a generational divide on what bread we like our sandwiches on. Those aged 65 and over overwhelmingly state wholemeal is the best (18%), whereas those aged between 25 and 34 named sourdough (10%) number one.

Emma Stockman, a spokesperson for Foodhub, said: “Britain is a nation of sandwich lovers. Last year there was no surprise to see bacon named our favourite sandwich filling, however, we were shocked to see cheese toastie has topped the charts this time.

“Our study also saw hamburger (5%) finish within the top ten, reigniting the debate of whether a burger can be classed as a sandwich or not. What’s more, we’re pleased to finally put an end to the ‘bread roll’ debate, however, we’re sure the final answer is sure to still anger many people!

The survey also discovered that nearly one in 10 (9%) prefer their sandwich dry with no condiment at all and the South West of England is the ketchup capital, with over a quarter of those from the region naming tomato sauce as their favourite sandwich condiment. “When it comes to filling hot breakfast sandwiches, cheese remains one of the most popular options and adds that finishing touch to breakfast staples such as bacon, sausage and ham, or their plant-based alternatives. The ever-popular breakfast croissant also becomes a more substantial savoury snack when filled with ham or mushrooms and topped with cheese,” confirms Karen Heavey, brand manager for cheese company, Kerrymaid.

“With a diverse customer base, food to go operators need a selection of tasty hot dishes to make sure everyone is catered for throughout the day and comfort food is defi nitely back on the agenda.”

Kerrymaid offers a range of foodservice cheeses. Their Grated Red and Kerrymaid Grated White produce a more even melt than standard cheddars, they claim, helping to deliver a higher standard in hot sandwich options. Kerrymaid Slices have been created to melt consistently, delivering a rich and creamy taste, and their Vegan Slices are suitable for customers following a plant-based diet.

Toasted products such as muffi ns and crumpets make a quick and easy light bite, they suggest, and why not tempt brunch customers with classics such as eggs Benedict, with crispy bacon and a perfectly poached egg on a toasted, buttered English muffi n, topped off with a smooth and silky Hollandaise sauce.

“According to Lumina Intelligence’s UK Eating Out Market Report 2022, lunch has seen the biggest increase in day-part share as consumers opt for daytime occasions,” observes Karen Heavey.

“Offer nourishing on-trend soups such as butternut squash, pumpkin or that perennial favourite, tomato, garnished with a swirl of cream for a luxurious finish. Café classic croque monsieur is always a winner and made easy with creamy Kerrymaid Béchamel Sauce.

“A variety of sweet items, such as warm waffl es and pancakes served with fruit and ice cream, will also encourage customers popping in for a coff ee to indulge in a treat and increase profi ts outside the traditional breakfast and lunch hours.”

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Launched at this year’s Casual Dining Show, The Sausage Man’s Sausage2Go unit, presents a hot-hold solution for caterers across all sectors wishing to off er hot dogs as a quick serve or grab and go option.

The Sausage2Go unit is available on loan directly from The Sausage Man, with two tier ‘bartop’ Sausage2Go units available in 884mm height/356mm width/66omm depth, or 884mm height/975mmwidth/660mm depth. Free standing units are also available in various sizes.

The Sausage Man UK Ltd is a UK-based supplier of high-quality German sausage and other speciality foods and drinks, having been importing premium sausages and other speciality foods from Germany since 2005. Having provided wholesale products to foodservice for over 15 years, The Sausage Man opened up a retail offering in 2020, and now delivers authentic German products directly to consumers across the UK, exceeding sales of 10 million sausages per year in 2021 with revenue of £4.5m in 2018/19 and £5m in 2019/20, they report.

They offer five bestselling sausages from their extensive range to help kick off the Sausage2Go launch, including Bratwurst, Bacon Krakauer, Cheese Frankfurters, Chilli Beef or Vegan Hot Dogs to entice custom. All sausages are fully cooked, ready to eat and reheat, and are supplied chilled or frozen, benefiting from a long shelf life (the sausages are offered for sale accompanied by high quality brioche baguettes from bakery brand St Pierre).

The Sausage2Go unit is made by Flexeserve, specialists in hot-holding, flexible merchandising solutions, and facilitates the latest patented air recirculation technology, retaining heat without overcooking for perfect food condition, superior flavour and texture, and no moisture loss throughout the day.

No catering experience is required, claim the company, with user-friendly control panels set over individual zones independently used to allow greater energy efficiency. Unit sizes range from countertop to freestanding with front and rear loading options, tailored to individual needs. Branding and packaging featuring The Sausage Man’s eye-catching visuals is also available to further enhance the offer.

On using the Sausage2Go unit at Ashton Gate Stadium Bristol, Dave Gorwill, concessions manager was impressed by its efficiency and by the popularity of The Sausage Man’s product, saying: “When we launched the 150g Porky Hot Dogs from The Sausage Man, we were surprised how quickly they sold - we had to cook more before kick-off! We restocked again for the break and the fans seemed to love the sausages so much that this will become one of our biggest selling food items.”

Their foodservice customers currently include wholesalers, pubs, restaurants, caterers, beer gardens and hot dog stalls, with the products also being served at all major events in the UK including Glastonbury, Winter Wonderland and Luna Cinema, as well as Christmas markets across the country. The German Embassy in London is also a regular customer, they report.

UK's Favourite Sandwich

1 CHEESE TOASTIE (8%)

2 BACON (7%)

3 CHEESE (6%)

4 SAUSAGE (5%)

5 PRAWN MAYO (5%)

6 EGG MAYO (5%)

7 HAMBURGER (5%)

8 ROAST BEEF (4%)

9 TURKEY (4%)

10 TUNA (4%)

UK's Favourite Lunch

1 SANDWICH/WRAP (19%)

2 FISH AND CHIPS (9%)

3 SOUP (8%)

4 JACKET POTATO (7%)

5 SALAD (6%)

6 PASTA (6%)

7 BEANS ON TOAST (6%)

8 PIE/PASTY (5%)

9 TOAST (5%)

10 RICE DISH (5%)