DAWN FARMS TOP 9 | ISSUE 36| 2018

GLOBAL UPDATE ON CONSUMER, MARKET AND MENU INSIGHTS. 

1. FOOD-TO-GO GROWS

Food-to-go is growing. Compared to overall grocery retail, the UK’s food-to-go is expected to grow at twice the rate. By 2023, the M&S channel is predicted to produce £22.8bn by 2023. The head of food-to-go, Gavin Rothwell, stated, “The food-to-go market remains a strong growth opportunity that continues to provide a great source of inspiration and innovation." He concluded an interview with, "Across a variety of missions, locations and segments, the food-to-go market remains worthy of considerable focus and attention for those looking to grow food and drink businesses over the next five years.”

2. KFC’S GLOBAL TRAINING GOES VIRTUAL

KFC has developed global training technology to meet the diversity of the multiple nations and cultures the brand operates in. The use of voice training in the U.S and QR codes in Russia has improved consistency in the brand’s fastest growing market which is led by average team members age ranging 16 to 20 years old. The high-tech approach has also yielded more efficient, user friendly, and greater employee confidence on-the-job performance. Click here to watch KFC’s Virtual Reality Training Video>> 

3. BLIMPIE'S SPICES IT UP

Blimpie, an American sandwich chain under Kahala Brands, has released a new Sriracha Buffalo Chicken Panini. The new panini features buffalo chicken, bacon, melted cheddar and jalapeños drizzled with a sweet Sriracha sauce in between two pieces of perfectly grilled pretzel bread. Sriracha has been around now for almost 40 years and remains a ‘hot’ ingredient in many recipes to date. To meet younger consumer taste preferences, spicy condiments are showing up more often on burgers and sandwiches. Will the hot sauce stand the test of time as Tabasco has as it celebrates 150 years? 

4. PIZZAOKI  

Steve Aoki, the fourth highest paid DJ in the world, launched his pizza delivery service, Pizzaoki, in LA and plans to continue to expand 7 more stores by the end of 2019. Celebrity entrepreneurs are in the spotlight of the food industry.  From movie stars like Mark Wahlburg, who owns the dining burger restaurant, Wahlburgers, to DJs, like Steve Aoki, whose successful pizza operations are booming. Steve shared why he decided to become a pizza entrepreneur, “The idea was always to create a brand that could be developed in every market and, to put it simply, pizza is possibly the most consumed dish via delivery on the planet.”

5. HIGH DEMAND FOR HEALTH 

As the demand for healthy foods increases, large corporations, like Nestle, continue to invest in innovative health research to provide for the changing taste profiles of its consumers. Nestle has joined forces with artificial intelligence and DNA testing to receive information about its consumers’ diet and lifestyle. The “Nestle Wellness Ambassador” programme includes an app that recommends lifestyle advice and provides a home kit that give samples for blood and DNA testing. Not only are companies investing in technology, but countries as well. Belgium is following in the footsteps of France and introducing NutriScore labelling to encourage healthier eating. Read more about NutriScore here >>

6. PIZZA HUT & NFL 

Pizza Hut will be the official sponsor of the NFL. Pizza Hut is to make a strong first impression for football fans as sponsorship will include: national ads, a new digital platform, employees wearing football jerseys and pizza boxes with an augmented reality feature and $7.99 price point. The new digital platform, Game Plan, is Pizza Hut’s Rewards loyalty program which allows fans to win prizes and provides reminders about exclusive offers. The AR pizza boxes will allow customers to use their phones to play a virtual game of corn hole. Chief Branding Officer, Marianne Radley, said “This campaign is about making fans happy and selling a ton of pizza.”  

7. SYMINGTON’S REVAMPS RAGU

Ragu, the Italian American cooking sauce brand has launched a new range of 250g sauce pouches in response to the increased demand for flavoursome restaurant quality meals that can be prepared quickly at home. The sauces can be heated in the microwave in just two minutes. The range consists of four flavours all with a regional American trend– Staten Island Tomato Chorizo & Chilli Sauce, Manhattan Creamy Tomato & Vodka Sauce, Queens Meat Feast Ragu, and Brooklyn ‘Nduja Red Sauce. Ragu has also improved its recipe by using natural, gluten-free ingredients and not adding sugar, two of the new flavour variations count as one of your 5-a-day. 

8. CASUAL DINING CONTINUES TO GROW

Despite a number of high-profile closures in the sector, NPD Group reports casual dining is thriving. In the year ending June 2018, casual dining grew 7%; equivalent to 35 million more visits compared with the previous year. With £6bn spend in Britain alone, of course, millennials are a large proportion of this (15%) with recommendations for restaurants coming from word of mouth sources and social media. One of the key drivers in the market is ordering ahead, growing 25% in 12 months, followed by promotions (16%) and available for delivery (9%).

9. WAITROSE RELAUNCHES RANGE

Waitrose recently announced the relaunch of its Cooks’ Ingredients range which will feature 100 additional lines to the brand. As today’s consumers seek convenience coupled with a desire for higher quality ingredients, the new range provides a simple twist for customers to incorporate foreign novelties into their cooking through the range’s authenticity and versatility. New items include; Japanese condiment yuzu kosho, rhubarb essence, umami-flavoured porcini powder and calamansi lime juice. The roll out will hit shelves in September, when customers are ready for something new and looking forward to cooking new dishes. 

The Buzz | Big Stories In August

Here are the articles which received the most attention from you, the readers, last month in August.