The Essential Ingredients for a Great Menu

Trends in the world of eating-out market  are constantly changing, so it can be hard to prepare for the next demand from consumers. Find out 2 key drivers shaping the market and how you can implement them in your establishment. 

There are over 56,000 restaurants in the UK, of which fewer than 10% are branded casual dining locations. Add to that 100,000 pubs, takeaways and cafes, each vying for a share of the elusive consumer pound. Yet, with everything that’s happened both economically and politically in recent years, consumers have proven increasingly willing to spend more on eating out of home. Spend from consumers in the eating-out market is said to increase by 5% by the end of 2020 almost achieving £60bn, comparing it to the previous year at £56.62bn that’s quite a jump. 

So, good news all round? Well, not exactly. 

Although the eating out market is said to grow positively as we head towards 2020, it’s important to understand how consumer behaviour is changing and why. Consumers are now eating out less than the years before 2019, however when they do venture out for a bite to eat, they are spending more than they usually would. With this in mind, operators are looking for new ways to set themselves apart from the rest, from environmentally friendly packaging to better quality ingredients and from ethical sourcing to meat-free dishes.

Key trends

Let’s explore the current trends of premiumisation and personalisation that are shaping the eating-out experience for consumers. People are becoming more and more conscious of the origin, traceability and quality of the food they are consuming. Consumers want to purchase food that not only tastes good but makes them feel good too, and food that can be traced from a reliable source is very valuable to customers.
You can implement premiumisation into your menu simply by looking closer at the ingredients you are using back of house and dairy is a great place to start. Food naturalness is crucial for most customers and this trend is going nowhere, so try calling out heritage and authenticity on your menu where possible to dial up the provenance of your ingredients. 

Personalisation is changing the face of food and drink, as technology advances with self-ordering machines and online ordering apps, consumers have the ability to customise their food, by adding and taking away elements of the meal to suit their unique taste. And dine in restaurants are no exception to this new expectation driven by hungry customers. Personalisation is a great way to help you stand out from your competitors as it offers an experience that feels tailored and personal to the individual consumer.

At Arla Pro, we provide delicious, authentic dairy ingredients that offers consistent, reliable performance in back of house. Arla Pro have just launched two brand new products into the food service market. Monterey Jack and Arla Pro Spreadable are new to our professional range, a collection of dairy products created to help chefs achieve perfection in the kitchen. These two great products can help you add premiumisation and personalisation into your food establishment. 

Our Monterey Jack cheese is natural and authentic, created to be the ultimate burger booster, this delicious cheese is all about that visual appeal that customers love and can be used as a great burger upgrade. 

Arla Pro Spreadable is a natural British dairy spread with a real butter flavour. Naturalness is something that consumers think highly of, so it makes upgrading your sandwich offerings so much easier with one simple step. 

Get in touch: Arla Pro
arlapro.com 
arla.pro.uk@arlafoods.com
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