DAWN FARMS TOP 9 | ISSUE 22| 2021
GLOBAL UPDATE ON CONSUMER, MARKET AND MENU INSIGHTS.
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1. MCDONALD'S AUTOMATED DRIVE-THRU
McDonald’s is testing automated voice order-taking at ten drive-thrus in Chicago. The system is about 85% accurate so far which it hopes will go live across the US with further accuracy and training over the next couple of years. The automated order-taking test is run by a technology acquisition McDonald’s made in September 2019, when it acquired Apprente, a company that specializes in voice-based conversational technology.
2. FOOD & DRINK INDUSTRY RESEARCH
Almost 50% of all Irish food and drink companies exporting to the UK expect an increase in sales over the next 12 months, despite Brexit disruption, according to new research from Bord Bia. While 90% of those exporting to Britain had reported an increase in costs post-Brexit, over 80% developed plans to meet the challenges of regulatory and legislative issues. In the long-term, 8 in 10 Irish businesses are positive about trading prospects for the next three years. Sustainability remains the most significant and widely accepted challenge facing the global food and drink industry. 80% of companies consider it to be an investment and 3 in 4 businesses having verified sustainability measures in place.
3. CAFFÈ CARLUCCIO GROWTH PLANS
Boporan Restaurant Group recently announced plans to open 500 Caffè Carluccio locations in the UK over the next five years. It is targeting travel hubs, city centres and neighbourhood spots offering Italian coffee and freshly made sandwiches. In addition, Carluccio’s Counter, a hot and cold deli, will launch later this month in Sainsbury’s Leamington Spa store.
4. WAGAMAMA COOK AT HOME RANGE
Wagamama, the pan-Asian restaurant chain, is launching a range of products in supermarkets for consumers to cook at home. The range, including meal kits, Katsu pastes and pad Thai sauce will be available in Waitrose, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Ocado in coming weeks. All the profits from the range will be donated to YoungMinds, a mental health charity partner. Other restaurant chains, such as Pret a Manger and Leon, have also launched supermarket ranges to expand their strategy after being impacted by pandemic closures.
5. RANGEME PRODUCT DISCOVERY
RangeMe, an American-based product discovery platform, is launching in the UK and set to transform buyer’s sourcing experience. It is the world's largest sourcing tool that originally launched in 2013 and is used by more than 12,000 retailers in the U.S. In the UK, retailer buying teams will have the choice of 750,000 products to fill their aisles to meet consumer demand. The platform is also an opportunity for British suppliers to showcase their products in front of retailers.
6. MEDITERRANEAN PIZZA FOR SUMMER
Pizza Guys, a 60-unit strong franchise located throughout America’s West Coast, have launched a Mediterranean inspired pizza to appeal to consumers’ craving for adventure. The Mediterranean pizza is made with creamy pesto sauce and topped with mozzarella, tomatoes, green olives, marinated artichoke hearts and spiced Italian salami. This latest launch speaks to the consumer need to escape through their food during restricted times. Dawn Farms recently introduced a range of products, called Taste the Mediterranean, bringing inspiration for Spring/Summer 2022.
7. ITSU ENTERS CHILLED CATEGORY
Asian-inspired fast-food chain, Itsu, has announced it is broadening its channel strategy by moving into the chilled category with a trio of food-to-go products. The range will feature a katsu dish, bao buns and gyoza dumplings – all inspired by Itsu’s restaurant menu. The food-to-go products will roll out with select retailers such as Tesco & Waitrose. The move comes as sales of Itsu grocery products surpassed the £20 million-mark last year, a 59% increase on 2019.
8. TIKTOK FOODIE SPOTS
TikTok is putting some of London’s lesser-known restaurants into the spotlight. Along with trending food dishes like feta pasta, TikTok offers video suggestions for unique foodie spots that consumers are unlikely to be recommended anywhere else. The food trends featured in some of these restaurants include Korean hotdogs, Japanese pancakes, chunky saucy chips, and fresh pasta served in a wheel of cheese.
9. TESLA ENTERS RESTAURANT SERVICES
Tesla has applied for a trademark in the United States to use its brand elements in relation to restaurant services. CEO Elon Musk previously hinted at entering the food industry at electric car charging stations, so it seems that dream is now becoming a reality. There are more than 25,000 Supercharger stations around the world with electric car owners spending about 20-30 minutes at these stops.
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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