Embrace the season
Hello AND welcome…
...to your autumnal issue of Eat magazine.
While it was lovely to enjoy some sunshine this summer, I have to admit that I do love the slow transition into autumn. Crunchy leaves, knitted jumpers and the chance to swap salads for roast dinners.
This time of the year packs a punch when it comes to opportunities to impress customers and in this issue we guide you through how to make the most of the season. Get your diary at the ready to record some key dates and flick to page 14, and on pages 19–22 we delve into how to add comforting classics to your menus.
While I would normally agree that it’s far too early to talk about the C word, we all know that in this industry it pays to plan ahead. From readying your team rotas to analysing last year’s activity, on pages 24–25 we look into how best to get organised. You’ll thank yourself later!
Lastly, I just love Halloween and I hope pages 26–27 will fill you with inspiration. Take care and enjoy this issue.
JESS DOUGLAS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER CONFEX LTD
Jess’s mustreads this issue
Industry insight, page 11
Are you making the most of your menus?
Seasonality, page 16
How to incorporate the joys of the season across your dishes
Own brand, page 08
Bolster your cupboards while protecting your margins
Eat is published by
The Bright Media Agency, The Old Bank, 2 Cross Street, Enderby, Leicestershire LE19 4NJ, on behalf of Confex Ltd.
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Jess Douglas
» FOR THE BRIGHT MEDIA AGENCY
» Content Director
Stephenie Shaw
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» Creative Director
Emma Bramwell
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Rafaela Aguiar-Hill
» Media Sales Manager
Patsy Kelly
» Publisher
David Shaw
To advertise, please contact Patsy Kelly at patsy@thebrightmediaagency.com or call 07514 623564
06 What’s new? Our round-up of the latest must-stock products 08 Strengthen your CORE Bolster your store cupboards with great value own-brand products
Insight Your menus have more power than you know
It’s a date Get your diaries out!
Dishing up Our guide to what’s in season this autumn
19
24
26
Autumn opportunities
The final chapters of the year bring with them a bounty of opportunities. Follow these top tips to make the most of cosy season
Step into Christmas
Believe it or not, it’s never too early to plan and get ahead
Five ways with... ...Halloween! There are so many ways you can have fun in your venue when it comes to the spooky season
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Here’s WHAT’S NEW
A round-up of the latest product releases
Add a touch of sparkle to your sales
Tropicana Brands Group has added two new high-quality fruit flavours to its portfolio. Available in Zesty Orange and Tropical Twist variants, these cans offer refreshment with a blend of hand-picked fruits and without added sweeteners. Perfect for customers to enjoy in your venue or while on the go!
What’s in a name?
Coca-Cola has launched a selection of 150 personalised cans and bottles, which will be available until September. For shoppers whose name doesn’t appear, 4,000 bespoke personalised cans are up for grabs via the Coca-Cola app (accessible via a QR code on pack). All who enter for the chance to win a bespoke can will also automatically go into a weekly draw for prizes such as shopping experiences worth up to £5,000.
A trio of yumminess
Walkers has launched a new ‘Yummy with’ range of Wotsits and Monster Munch. The three new variants are Wotsits Cheese Toastie, Wotsits Crispy Bacon and Monster Munch BBQ Sauce. The trio is made with chickpeas and is all non-HFSS with 25% less salt than the original products.
Juice up
Boost has reintroduced £1 PMPs for consumers of all flavours in its Juic’d range, in recognition of the advantages of pricemarked packs. This will enable consumers to feel they are getting great value, while providing good profit margins for foodservice operators.
Cheezy does it
100 years after its original launch in the USA, Cheez-It is making its arrival in the UK. Cheez-It Snap’d, a thin and crispy snacks range, is available in two tasty flavours: the cheesy punch of Double
Snack attack
Pom-Bear has launched two new delicious flavours. The brand new Cheese and BBQ variants are both non-HFSS, vegan, and
gluten free. Featuring new packaging, they are available as single and multipacks and so are perfect for any outlet.
Double the chocolate
Is there anything better than the words ‘double chocolate’?
The KitKat Chunky family has introduced its newest addition, the KitKat Chunky Crunchy Double
Chocolate. This limited edition features the famous chocolate crispy wafer coated in a perfect blend of smooth milk chocolate, combining taste with texture.
Cheese and the spice of Cheese & Chilli. Baked with 100% real cheese, with no artificial colours or flavours, and seasoned to crunchy perfection, they’re great for every snacking occasion.
Time to power up
Lucozade Alert has introduced a powerful duo to its line-up with Lucozade Alert Ultimate Energy and Lucozade Alert Zero Sugar Mango Peachade. The tasty new additions have been specially developed to attract new shoppers to the category.
Back to
BASICS
It’s never been more important to ensure you’re thinking of your bottom line and exploring every opportunity to balance quality and value.
Confex has strengthened its own-brand CORE range with the launch of four new products, all developed to ensure your kitchen essentials are well looked after.
Developed by foodservice professionals, CORE offers a value alternative to the leading brands without needing to compromise on quality.
With more than 300 products across a product portfolio spanning ambient, chilled, frozen and non-food categories, CORE has the perfect range for restaurants, cafes, pubs, care homes, schools, takeaway outlets, sandwich shops and many more.
Strengthen your store cupboards while looking after your margins with CORE
“This new range is a must-stock for caterers wanting to bolster their cupboards with the finest ingredients that will not only deliver great taste but healthy margins too” MATT NORMAN, CONFEX FOODSERVICE CONTROLLER
What’s on the menu?
In partnership with Paytronix, KAM’s recent Plan to Plate report explains how your menus can have a bigger influence on customer habits than you might think…
If you’re looking for a low-cost but effective way to engage with customers and increase both spend per visit and repeat bookings, look no further than your very own menu.
As a society, we are increasingly information and data hungry. We want to know as much possible, and this is no different when we’re eating out. Diners want to know what is in our food, its provenance and ultimately what we are putting in our bodies.
Descriptions are a powerful tool on menus. 30% of people said that information such as ‘new to the menu’ would positively influence customer purchases, whereas 22% said that ‘labelled as locally sourced’ would have the same effect. Meanwhile, 16% said that they would like to see which dishes have been recommended by a member of staff.
This might seem like a lot
to fit onto a menu and if you’re struggling to find space then worry not, this is where QR codes earn their weight in gold! By using QR codes to complement traditional hard-copy menus, you have unlimited space to offer your guests a lot more information not only about your dishes but also your business and its history. Make sure you keep
you know?
important information about allergens on your hard-copy menus.
ALLERGENS
With recent government legislation, anyone working in hospitality will be aware of the importance of sharing with customers important nutritional information across menus.
EVERY QUARTER, KAM TRACKS UK CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR FROM ‘PLAN TO PLATE’, UNDERSTANDING EVERY TOUCHPOINT OF THEIR JOURNEY TO AND THROUGH A HOSPITALITY VENUE
The most common details relate to gluten intolerance, peanut allergy and lactose intolerance. Although they have similar symptoms, food intolerance and allergies have different causes. Food intolerance occurs when the body is unable to properly digest certain foods, whereas food allergies occur when the body reacts to a certain food
with an immune response. “Food business operators in the retail and catering sector are required to provide allergen information and follow labelling rules”, says Sarah Pickering at Polaris Elements. “Therefore you must be able to provide allergen information to the consumer, handle and manage food allergens effectively in food preparation and provide your staff with training on allergens.”
MANAGING ALLERGY RISKS
Sarah Pickering shares her tips to help manage allergy risks in your business:
» Write detailed standardised recipes that contain lists of possible allergens.
» If you change the ingredients in one of our dishes or products, you must make sure you also update the ingredient list or labels provided to customers.
If pubs, bars and restaurants improved their food and drink menu
»34% WOULD VISIT MORE OFTEN
»23% WOULD SPEND MORE PER VISIT
»28% WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO RETURN FOR A REPEAT VISIT
»20% WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO RECOMMEND THE VENUE TO THEIR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS
Did you know?
49% OF ALL HOSPITALITY CUSTOMERS HAVE USED A QR CODE OR A DIGITAL SCREEN IN A PUB, BAR OR RESTAURANT IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS, UP FROM 39% IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER
» Check all ingredients in the dish or recipe (and any ingredients they contain) as well as any garnish. You then need to inform customers if you have prepared food in something that may have contained an allergen, such as an oil that has already been used. You may not always be aware of ingredient substitutions made by suppliers so it is essential to ensure that your menus are safe for your customers.
» Keep accurate written details about all the ingredients of prepared food, as well as pre-packed foods.
» Make sure ingredient lists are updated regularly.
» Make sure that you have the latest ingredient diet lists from suppliers.
» When changing suppliers of foods, ask for ingredient lists and update recipe details.
» Keep your venue’s kitchen clean, tidy and organised.
It’s a date
The next couple of months are bursting with opportunities to stand out from the crowd. Make sure you jot these dates down in your diary!
British Pudding Day
Make dessert lovers’ dreams come true with a day of indulgence. Take them on a flavour-packed journey, from in-season fruity delights to old-school classics with plenty of hot custard and cream.
National Cookie Day
Chocolate chip, shortbread, gingerbread, oatmeal & raisin… This is the day to serve up a sweet treat. Whatever type of cookie is on offer, they’ll be popular.
Fawkes Night
Why not create a special menu to celebrate?
Jacket potatoes with beef chilli, s’mores and sticky cider onion dogs will go down a treat on Bonfire Night.
seasons REFLECT THE
As the temperatures drop, your customers will be on the hunt for comforting food so capture the flavours of the season with autumninspired additions to your menus
There's no doubt that autumn is here. Nights are darker, the air is crisp and there now appears to be more leaves on the ground than on the trees.
Summer officially handed over the baton to autumn on Sunday 22 September, bringing with it a demand for delicious, warming dishes and plenty of seasonal produce that you can easily incorporate into your menus. From fresh soups, pasta
dishes and desserts, there is an abundance of fresh foods available which will not only delight yoour customers but also help the environment. Seasonal food racks up fewer air miles and reduces the need for plastic packaging, so it's a win win!
There are plenty of ways to incorporate autumnal goodness into your menus, so embrace autumn and get creative.
MULL IT OVER
This time of year is a great opportunity to get creative with hot drinks. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon to hot chocolate or try nutmeginfused coffee. Mulled apple cider is also bound to go down a treat.
GET FRESH!
Cauliflower, swede, kale, red grapes, figs, mushrooms, beetroot, apples, carrots, tomatoes, spinach, celery.
RED VELVET BEETROOT CAKE
This cake tastes as good as it looks. With no food colouring needed, your customers won’t be able to stop thinking about how deliciously moist it is. It’s super simple to make and one of your five a day – what could be better?
PUMPKIN PASTA (WITH VODKA!)
A lovely surprise for your customers, this dish is a perfect nod to the season with a warming kick too. One small pumpkin will do the trick, with a sprinkling of chilli and 75ml of vodka.
NOVEMBER
What’s in season?
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
Pomegranate, sweet potatoes, red cabbage, horseradish, tangerines, cranberry, chestnuts.
This dish really is the foodie equivalent of a hug. Conjuring up childhood memories of pumpkin picking or a bracing Sunday stomp through the woods, a hearty serving of warming butternut squash soup will be enough to bowl over your customers. Serve with a generous helping of crusty bread.
OCTOBER
Broccoli, pak choi, rocket, cabbage, marrow, celeriac, chillies, parsnips, quince, pumpkins, turnips, squash, butternut squash.
Autumn OPPORTUNITIES
From warming stews to tasty soups, this season is a hug for the senses so make sure you’re ready to boost your profits
As the temperature dips and we swap summer wardrobes for chunky knits and boots, it’s time to look at how you can make this season work hard and increase footfall in your venues with comforting, cosy additions to your menus.
A TWIST ON A CLASSIC
Successful operators know the importance of offering something a little different to make your outlet stand out in an increasingly crowded market. As always, start by looking at your nearby competition. Is there anything
that feels a little bit overdone in your immediate area or perhaps a market that’s entirely untapped?
We all know that the hallmark of autumn is a mouthwatering roast dinner, but if your competitors are all offering a quintessential roast dinner each Sunday, why not push the boat out and offer yours wrapped inside a Yorkshire pudding? Keep the beef rare, add in some kale leaves, horseradish sauce and English mustard to make it even more likely to turn heads, and finish off with a drizzle of gravy. If your venue is a street food van or
somewhere where your customers are unlikely to be able to sit down while eating, swap the Yorkshire pudding wrap for a tortilla and drizzle just a splash of gravy inside the wrap rather than on top to make it easier to eat.
Back to school
September brings the sound of the school bell as children across the UK head back into the classroom. Help inspire their learning with healthy yet tasty lunchtime options packed full of seasonal vegetables to both enhance flavour profiles and help keep costs down.
Get a load of this
Whereas simple fries might sell more during summer months, loaded fries and nachos are a great addition to your menus once the weather gets colder and customers start seeking a more hearty dish. Whether you run a restaurant, street food truck or a café, there are so many ways you can make loaded fries work for you as a cost-effective but popular choice this autumn.
Why not try:
»Bacon
»Tomatoes
»Beef chilli
»Pulled pork
»Grated cheese
»Coleslaw
»Smoky steak
»Truffle parmesan
»BBQ chicken
Why not try:
»Moroccan tagine
»Butternut squash casserole
»Chicken, carrot and broccoli stew
»Autumn harvest burrito
»Pumpkin soup
»Apple cranberry crumble
»Vegetable samosas
Snuggle up
If your venue makes use of outdoor space, why not place some cosy blankets in a basket for your customers to make use of while they enjoy their meal?
Blooming marvellous
When it comes to embracing the season, you can't go wrong with seasonal flowers. You could place a large bouquet in an eye-catching location or place single bud vases on each table with one or two stems. Dahlias, cyclamen, sternbergia and chrysanthemums are all popular choices for an attention-grabbing autumnal arrangement.
Spooky spectacle
Use the seasons to decorate your venue too. Branches of dried autumnal leaves are a cost-effective way to bring the outdoors in. Create
in-venue theatre around Halloween with pumpkins, spiders and ghouls to really draw customers in. Remember the tealights!
What’s trending?
You likely already know that poke bowls are all the rage at the moment. The great news is that they are the perfect autumnal option for a variety of outlets. For operators serving disposable dishes, poke bowls work just as well in a cardboard bowl with a bamboo fork. Pair pieces of chicken with seasonal carrots, mushrooms, garlic cloves and soy sauce, serve with poke rice and top with black and white roasted sesame seeds. Delicious!
THE UK’S BEST
FIND ME IN THE SOFT DRINKS AISLE
*Source: 375 participants, The New Fieldwork company Feb 24
Step into CHRISTMAS
Planning ahead will be a recipe for success this Christmas
It might seem a little premature to dust off the Christmas tree but it pays to be organised when it comes to the festive season. Planning and preparing as much as you can now will make for smooth sailing, improve your customers’ experience across a variety of touchpoints and ultimately boost your bottom line.
Before you put in food orders and buy fairy lights, a good place to start is by
Top tip
DON’T FORGET THE EXTRAS! IT’S NOT CHRISTMAS WITHOUT NAPKINS, CRACKERS AND PARTY HATS
reviewing last year’s activity. What went well and what didn’t? Were there any surprises that you weren’t expecting, or did you find customers asking for certain
items that weren’t available? Incorporate these findings into your plans and make notes throughout the season to help you develop next year too.
What’s on the menu?
First things first, your festive menu. Whether your customers are school children, care home residents or customers dining out for Christmas Day, it’s a good idea to start finalising your menus now.
You don’t have to go all out if you’re conscious about budget. Look for low-cost,
simple ways to add a touch of Christmastime to your menus. For example, if you only have space for one festive addition then try a turkey, stuffing and cranberry toastie – always a winning combination. If you cater for a school, why not add simple Christmas ingredients to everyday meals, for example a turkey and cranberry pasta bake or a giant pig-inblanket served with chips and brussel sprouts.
If your outlet serves cocktails, a simple mulled wine or cider is a costeffective way of referencing
the season. If you want to push the boat out a little more, bring the Christmas cheer with a gingerbread martini or a cranberry Aperol spritz. Remember to offer 0% options to include those choosing not to drink alcohol.
Top tip
DON’T GET SO BOGGED DOWN IN PLANNING THE FESTIVITIES THAT YOU FORGET TO LET YOUR CUSTOMERS KNOW. USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO YOUR ADVANTAGE AND PLACE SIGNAGE UP IN YOUR VENUE NICE AND EARLY
Team spirit
It's a good idea to plan your Christmas rotas as soon as possible – your team will certainly thank you! While cost-saving is important, make sure you do have enough people to cover every day. Not only will this boost staff retention but it’ll also make for a more seamless customer experience too. Your guests will be looking for the best service across the Christmas period and they’re very likely to look elsewhere next time around if the service wasn’t up to scratch this year.
Halloween 5WAYSWITH…
Here are a few ways to incorporate the spooky season into your menu
1
Scarily good pizza
A low-cost and easy bake, this is a great way to entice customers (or scare them off!). Cut some ghost shapes out of mozzarella, transform black olives into spiders or make cobwebs out of cheese. There are so many ways to have fun with this.
2
Frightfully fearsome snacks
Halloween is for the little ones really, so why not cater to their enjoyment of the season by whipping up some spooky snacks. This could be as simple as adding edible eyes to bananas or, if you’ve got a bit of extra time, you could make Halloween-themed biscuits. You could even create snack boxes for parents to take home and enjoy with the kids after some serious trick or treating!
3
Petrifying pumpkin pies
It’s not Halloween without pumpkin pie. You can use either pumpkin or butternut squash to create this delicious treat that will have your customers coming back for more!
4
Broomin’ tasty
Grown-ups love Halloween too, so why not prepare some delicious Halloween appetizers? Try these edible witches’ brooms, made from small breadsticks or Twiglets and a quarter of string cheese cut into the shape of a broom.
5
Goblin this up
If you don’t have a huge amount of time on your hands to create a Halloween-themed menu, don’t worry. Why not make a simple spiced pumpkin cake and buy in some edible Halloween-themed cake toppers to place on top? You can also easily transform a humble hot dog into a witch’s finger by squirting ketchup at one end and using a knife to cut knuckles and a fingernail.
