DAWN FARMS TOP 9 | ISSUE 36| 2019
GLOBAL UPDATE ON CONSUMER, MARKET AND MENU INSIGHTS.
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1. FESTIVAL OF CHURROS
Who says churros have to be sweet? We’ve seen savoury eclairs from Maître Choux, now Mexican chain Chiquito is introducing new savoury churros as a side or snacking option across all 83 UK locations. For a limited period of 5 weeks, customers can order Bacon & Syrup Churros, Chicken & Churros and Churro Chilli Nachos. Chiquito is part of The Restaurant Group (TRG), which is in the process of restructuring following its acquisition of Wagamama. During the summer Chiquito refreshed its branding and introduced a vegan menu including Banana Blossom Croquettes and Jackfruit Baja Tacos.
2. DOMINO'S GOES FOR THE BIG ONE
We first spotted it in Australia, then in the Netherlands and now Domino’s France is now selling the most gigantic pizza ever sold in store. With a diameter of 70cm its big enough to feed ten people. Each quarter has different toppings and there are 3 recipes to choose from; New York, San Francisco and Vegas. In Australia, the four quarters are loaded with meat choices such as Pepperoni, BBQ Meatlovers, Supreme and Hawaiian and the Netherlands have some spicy options such as Chicken Kebab and Hot and Spicy. This pizza is far too big for delivery, so is for take away only.
3. PAPA JOHN'S LISBON LIFT-OFF
Papa John’s has announced plans to open its first store in Lisbon, Portugal as part of its LATAM/European drive. The market debut comes from Drake Food Service International, who is also the master franchisee for stores in Iberian Peninsula, Chile, Panama and Costa Rica. Portugal is the 12th new market territory in the last 3 years for Papa John’s, bringing its portfolio to 48 countries globally. Papa John’s will be taking on familiar adversary Telepizza, market leader in pizza delivery in Portugal (estimated 52% share) as well as Domino’s. Papa John’s is also exploring franchisee opportunities in Brazil, Australia, Taiwan and Southeast Asia.
4. PLANT INVASION UNDERWAY
September has brought another collection of plant-based products into the marketplace, targeting the ever-attractive flexitarian population. McDonald’s Canada is trialling the P.L.T (Plant. Lettuce. Tomato.), stating that it is not 100% vegan (topped with cheddar cheese and cooked on the same grill as other items). (Also check out the tasty-sounding McTasters). Traditional sausage roll brand Wall’s Pastry has jumped into plants with its range of vegan sausage rolls, including one with BBQ pulled jackfruit. This week Tesco launched its “affordable” The Plant Chef range, in both dedicated vegetarian zones and integrated with meat. Kerry unveiled ‘Naked Glory,’ its first meat alternative brand, focusing on soy-based authentic meaty flavour and chew.
5. KIOSKS AT CHIKTOPIA
The popularity of fried chicken has inspired a raft of premium specialists into the market, and recently we’ve seen some closures as it becomes survival of the fittest. Differentiating via digital is newcomer’s Chiktopia gameplan; it has decided to go counter-less and fully customisable with kiosks at its 120-cover restaurant at Intu Lakeside. The New Orleans-inspired menu ranges from fried and grilled chicken burgers, tenders, fries, wraps and salads to milkshakes and vegan ‘chicken’. Positioned as “elevated fast food”, Chiktopia is run by industry celebrity, Alastair Gordon, and backed by other casual dining experts, all with the aim of disrupting chicken heavyweights, KFC and Nando’s.
6.HORTONS HAS A HUNCH ABOUT LUNCH
Canadian bakery/coffee shop chain Tim Hortons, specializing in coffee and donuts, has launched three new lunchtime products to its menu. New hot ‘hero’ menu items are Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Tenders and a Meatball Tortilla Wrap. Tim Hortons made its UK debut in Glasgow 2 years ago and now operates 21 sites in cities including Glasgow, Cardiff, Manchester and Belfast. It’s about to open its largest site yet in Leicester (6,500 sq ft). Tim Hortons may not yet be pairing chicken and doughnuts but this seems to be a budding trend (check out KFC’s Kentucky Fried Chicken & Donuts Sandwich, or Milky Lane’s Epic Fried Chicken With Glazed Doughnut).
7. COOK YOUR OWN WAGAMAMA
Omnichannel opportunities was a key theme at the Restaurant Conference last week, and Wagamama is a prime example. Its new delivered meal-kits target the eat-at-home consumer, as does its new lifestyle cookbook Feed Your Soul, while its food to go spin-off Mamago opens next year. The Japanese-inspired chain has signed a six-month contract with meal kit company Gousto to supply 4 of its signature dishes in recipe box format (Chilli Chicken Ramen, Pork Tonkatsu with Sticky Rice, Yasai Yaki Udon, Teriyaki Chicken Donburi Bowl). Gousto delivers over 1.5 mn meals monthly in the UK and recently secured an additional £30 million funding to ramp up its technology investment.
8. FOUR STAR’S EPIC BROMANCE
Irish pizza chain Four Star isn’t content with its growing pizza empire, it has now ventured into gourmet burgers, creating a sub brand Bun Bros which opens this week. Four Star crossed the Atlantic in 1986 and now operates 55 stores across Ireland, including 14 in Northern Ireland. Last year, Four Star sold approximately 4.5 mn pizzas and reported revenue growth of 8%. Bun Bros Epic Burgers menu meets every possible burger craving from Classic Bro to Bourbon Bro, Beet Bro to Hot & Spicy Bro, and Breakfast Bro to Loaded Fries.
9. MCDONALD'S UK INDIAN TWIST
As part of its annual Great Tastes of the World promotion, McDonald’s UK has launched a unique Indian Chicken burger, featuring 2 chicken selects, sweet and sticky Indian-style relish, garlic mayo, red onion, lettuce and cucumber between mini garlic naan bread buns. Five other limited-edition sandwiches are available as part of Great Tastes of the World menu including the French Stack (garlic mayo and bun), the Canadian Stack (maple bbq sauce), the Swiss Stack (Emmental cheese sauce), the Italian Stack (mozzarella-style cheese) and the Jamaican Chicken burger (jerk sauce). McDonald’s has also re-launched its cheese bites share-box as a permanent menu item with the flavours set to change every 6 weeks.
At Dawn Farms we offer a full product solution for cooked, dried and fermented meat ingredients across pizza, sandwich and prepared meal sectors. We are proud to be the preferred supplier to the world's leading food brands and are considered to be the industry leaders in food safety, sustainability and insight-led product innovation. We put the customer at the heart of everything we do, which is why for your convenience all our products are fully cooked and ready-to-eat.
Visit our website to discover the ingredients that set us apart.
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