Platters

Pleasing People with Platters

Small portions of food shared around the table has long been a staple of many cultures and cuisine styles and is making a resurgence in today’s market. From Italian antipasto and Spanish tapas to Asian yum cha, the shared plate of food resonates with customers because it highlights the social aspect of dining out.

Grazing platters are making a comeback as consumers emerge from pandemic life and want to get out and about to share experiences with friends. Popular on social media sites for their visual appeal, the current volume of searches online for ‘Grazing Platters’ (including ‘grazing platters near me’) is approximately 9.4K searches per month.

Benefits for You and Your Customers

Whether it’s dinner for two or lunch for 20, your menu should offer appealing options for sharing. Platters offer customers the chance to taste a variety of flavours, it gives them the ability to be adventurous within the confines of something familiar. On top of sharing flavours, experience, and time, customers will also be able to share the cost – something they will appreciate in this current climate.

table it creates a sociable, intimate atmosphere

One of the reasons why sharing platters are growing in popularity is because it allows for a shared dining experience. In the Starters, Small Plates & Sides Consumer Trend Report 2019, 55 percent of the people surveyed admitted that they typically share appetisers with others in their dining party. Now that we are coming out of the Covid pandemic, diners want to have that social dining experience again.

The other meaning of ‘Social Dining’, of course, is making sure that the experience is “Insta-worthy”. The presentation of platters can easily be made attractive and provide Instagrammable moments, in turn giving your business free publicity through customergenerated content.

Customisation is Key

Customers today are looking to satiate individual taste, a demand which is driving restaurants to offer more and more personalised menu items. Diners do not want to be told what to eat, rather they want to actively participate in the decision-making process when it comes to restaurant menus.

Platters provide a great opportunity to develop the build-your-own concept and attract diners, who can try out varied flavours and different cuisines, as well as order according to their food restrictions and diets.

Innovative Ingredients and Fried Favourites

No longer does a platter simply mean deli meats and cheese – while these classics are still popular, customers want to try something new, or something they cannot replicate at home when they dine out. From crock-potted meats to cheese spreads, businesses are starting to think outside the box when it comes to platters.

The popularity of the TVNZ show Cooks on Fire reflects current BBQ trends, so why not try a full BBQ meat platter showing off different rubs and sauces? Fried potatoes are still one of the most ordered menu items around the world – think of the many ways that “fries” can be prepared and presented, plus it’s a great way to show off any house-made condiments.

Speaking of all things fried, it’s hard to get more craveable than a perfectly crispy bite. One of the reasons we’re seeing so much innovation in this category is that these deep-fried, flavourforward sharing plates are not easy to reproduce at home. Think classics like bite-sized fried fish or calamari, but also things like bread-crusted mini meat patties, or tempura vegetables for an Asian influence.

Don’t Forget Dessert

A perfect way to satiate a customer’s sweet tooth, dessert platters are far more likely to sell in a group setting than individual desserts.

While sweet reigns supreme when it comes to desserts, different palates within a group can be tricky to please which is why cheeses and sweet spins on classic charcuterie can be a great addition to a platter for those who prefer a slightly savoury dessert.

Fresh fruits can be used between pre-prepared mini dessert dishes, and it is important to include a variety of textures – crunchy biscuit bases along with creamy, soft sweets.

Aesthetic Assembly

It is important that your platter looks as good as it tastes. A platter of food that looks scrumptious sells itself by stimulating the senses. Here are some top tips for creating eye-pleasing platters: • Start with a good foundation – wooden boards are the most popular serving solution for platters; however, venues are starting to think outside the box. A serving platter that reflects the style of food (for example a delicate, Asian style plate for a sushi platter or a thick slab of stone for a meat platter) will elevate the sharing plate to the next level. • Work in proportion and remember the rule of three – start with the biggest items, then add smaller items to fill gaps. Uneven numbers are more visually appealing so keep similar items to lots of three or five. • Use angles and different heights – for example, put cheese at three points of a basic triangle off-centre on the board. You can even use something to elevate the cheese, this gives extra dimension to the board and makes it easier to cut. • Meat – for a more delicate style, fold or roll pieces of meat, but don’t be afraid to be less precise. For a more rustic aesthetic, simply tear deli meats such as prosciutto into pieces and pile it up in little heaps. • Crackers/breads – make sure these are placed throughout the board and between the meat, cheeses and/or dips they are to be used for.

If you place all the crackers down one end of the platter, some diners won’t be able to reach for what they want. You can also place bread and crackers separately on the table. • Fill in the gaps – fruit, greens (such as salad leaves and herbs) and nuts can all be used to fill in any gaps, and just like on any other dish on your menu, don’t use anything on the platter that can’t be eaten.

Picture Perfect Platters

Many local establishments use the power of the platter to draw in customers and to keep them coming back for more, here are some of our favourite examples.

Depot Oyster Bar & Eatery

Auckland Chef Al Brown’s Depot perfectly reflects his attitude towards food: in season, beautifully cooked, and to be enjoyed with friends. The elegant oyster bar serves up a range of diverse big food platters with a focus on meat and seafood. Think platters with clams, fish belly, steaks, wild rabbit rillettes, pork hock and much more. They also offer smaller platters for sharing between two.

The Tasting Room Wellington

The vibrant five-star hotspot offers a selection of shared platters which consist of fish bites, chicken nibbles, breads, ribs, jalapeno poppers, tasty dips, and plenty more. They also offer a seasonal menu with some limitededition platters – drawing customers in on special occasions.

When you think platter, do you think delicate? Well think again. Smokey T’s proves that platters can also be big and beefy! This award-winning BBQ joint has customers happily wolfing into their scrumptious meat platters with tasty sides, like the iconic Platter For Two, which consists of brisket pork belly, ribs, buffalo wings, four grilled tortillas, jalapeno cheese sausage, plenty of sides, sauces and waffle fries. They also offer a takeaway option.

The Garden Shed Auckland Smokey T’s Christchurch

The Garden Shed has platters down to a fine art. They offer Breakfast Boards, Green Boards, spreads for private functions and even takeaway picnic platters. Using local ingredients and with a flair for visual appeal, The Garden Shed’s platters keep customers coming back, attracting locals and visitors from out of town.

platters MARKWELL FOODS

Bringing the world to New Zealand and New Zealand to the world through quality frozen food.

Markwell Foods is one of the largest frozen food importer and wholesalers across New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific. With a passion for the food and hospitality industry, Markwell Foods has covered the globe, for over 60 years, ensuring we source the best quality products at the best price for our customers.

Markwell Foods reinvents frozen foods and creates endless possibilities from the freezer. With our expansive range of reputable brands, Shore Mariner, Butlers, Big Country, SB, Sea Breeze, 3 Fat Pigs, Lamb Weston, and Sambazon - Markwell Foods has grown to be a supplier of choice across seafood, potato products, vegetables, fruits, meat, and finger foods.

We pride ourselves on offering quality, consistency, and a variety of products to our customers. Partnering with our customers, we have developed a rich innovative food portfolio to cater to the everevolving food industry and work one-on-one to help achieve our customers’ goals big or small.

If you would like to discover more about our range and see how we can add value to your menu, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. www.markwellfoods.co.nz I 09 270 3311 I sales@markwellfoods.co.nz

Entertaining made easy

FARMLAND FOODS

Farmland Foods started in a family butcher shop over 50 years ago and now, three generations later, it is one of New Zealand’s leading smallgoods producers.

Still passionately family run on the farm in Bulls in the Rangitikei district, Farmland Foods employs over 100 local staff and has invested in state-ofthe-art manufacturing and equipment to produce quality meats. From humble beginnings to today and beyond, Farmland Foods has always been committed to quality and innovation.

The team at Farmland are proud of their heritage and the way they do things with the utmost love, care and attention.

They take great pride in selecting the best quality meats and preparing them for your customer’s enjoyment. Farmland Foods ‘honours the meat’ so you can honour it in your own way.

For more information contact Brenda Trotman on 027 494 5544 or email brenda@flf.nz www.flf.nz

Since 1964 OUTSTANDING MEATS

Supporting Foodservice New Zealand Wide

Premium quality bacon, ham, cooked meats and speciality goods. New Zealand family owned with many years of passion for quality meats and superior service. For further details contact Brenda +64 27 494 5544 | 0800 806 328 | brenda@flf.nz www.farmlandfoods.nz