DAWN FARMS TOP 9 | ISSUE 10| 2019

GLOBAL UPDATE ON CONSUMER, MARKET AND MENU INSIGHTS. 

1.  PARIS WELCOMES WAGAMAMA  

Fast-growing Asian-themed casual dining chain Wagamama recently opened its first location in France in partnership with French food service group FDC Croissance. The British chain is currently located in 23 different countries across Europe, the Middle East and New Zealand. The Paris menu features Wagamama’s classic rice/noodle dishes as well as its new plant-based menu. Wagamama was bought by TRG last October and last month it reported outperforming the UK restaurant sector in its second quarter to November 11, with turnover up 15.4% yoy £81.5m. Another UK operator due to open in May is Korean street food-inspired restaurant On the Bab, choosing Paris as its first location outside of London.  

2. MCD NURTURES DUTCH GROWTH  

McDonald’s Netherlands saw a 5% increase in guest foot traffic in 2018 which now has a total of 247 restaurants in the region. A Nasdaq report on the restaurant chain saw solid performance in the Netherlands calling it a high growth market. Consumers spent more on burgers, coffee, and breakfast items in 2018 - total sales rose by more than a tenth to 896mn euros. Contributing to this was a wider range - 17 new products added included 9 new premium burgers, while 40 new McCafés were opened to cater towards the growing breakfast sector. The chain is also expanding its sustainable initiatives and delivery services to reach more areas.

3. CASUAL DINING SHOW 2019 

At the Casual Dining Show this month the Azzurri Group, Wagamama, Oakman Inns & NWTC were among the winners of Restaurant and Pub awards. Dishoom was selected as Trailblazer of the Year, while The Florist in Liverpool won best new concept for its sensory approach to food and cocktails. The ‘well-travelled’ menu of Caravan won the innovation award. Talking about the Future of Foodservice 2030, Simon Stenning from MCA referred to a switch from casual dining to ‘social refuelling’, a world where technology is harnessed effectively, ensuring a fast, fun eating experience, as consumers try to fit more into busier lifestyles. 

4. BREXIT IMPACT ON UK GROCERIES

As Brexit frustrations continue to mount, consumer shopping intentions continue to be impacted. Nielsen data suggest consumers are being cautious with average spend per visit dropping 2% over the past month; partly due to buying less, partly deflation-led. Some 80% of British shoppers are concerned about price increases in the event of a no-deal Brexit (Kantar). The topic of stockpiling has also been picked up by consumers’ radar - more than one third of shoppers have started or are considering stockpiling food essentials. Kantar notes this behaviour has not yet been reflected in sales, with overall grocery volumes rising at a stable 1.2% in the four weeks to 24th February. 

5. DOMINO’S POINTS MEAN PIZZA

Domino’s latest loyalty scheme aims to poach new customers from other brands, including retail, with its latest app technology.  The promotion asks customers to sign up to their new ‘Piece of the Pie’ loyalty program which will award the customer with points every time they eat pizza and scan the image to the app. Once customers hit 60 points, they become eligible for a free pizza. Domino’s hit a big milestone this week as it opened is 16,000th store.  Dominos has grown rapidly worldwide in the past 5 years with an additional 4,800 new stores and no plans to put the breaks on, in the US a further 2,350 stores are planned by 2028. 

6. 19 TRENDING INGREDIENTS 

US menu analysts Tastewise have used AI technology to analyse menus, recipes and social platforms for real-time information on what’s currently trending on plates around the world. Some ingredients are enjoying a revival on the culinary scene as chefs find new uses for them. Among 19 of the most talked about trends in fine dining are ingredients such as truffle, harissa and pumpkin which could be attributed to seasonality. Pork belly, foie gras and wagyu are also luxury menu items trending worldwide. See more food trends that are on the rise this year here >>  

7. SANDWICHING THE GLOBE 

You can’t beat sandwiches when it comes to wrapping global flavours, craveability and familiar flavours into a handheld format. US website GetFlavor describes this as the “banh mi effect,” following the example of the Vietnamese favourite. From Mexican tortas to Indian flatbreads, there are a number of sandwich mashups to tempt consumers out of their habitual stupor. Why not try the Pambazo Idaho Potatoes Sandwich (Diced Idaho potatoes, crumbled chorizo, pickled red onion and Cotija cheese) or the Chicken and Grape arepa (shredded smoked paprika chicken, scallions, fresh grapes, crumbled feta). 

8. FROZEN FUELLING PIZZA GROWTH 

Pizza has been performing well in UK supermarkets, up 4.7% to over £1bn [Grocer/Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 4 November 2018] with frozen pizza growing faster than chilled despite a raft of innovation (13 new chilled ranges contributing £9.3m). Retail pizza is fighting back against the growing takeaway market – UK consumers ate 171 million servings of takeaway pizza in 2017 NPD Group. In January, market leader in frozen pizza Chicago Town announced plans to launch a pizza-to-go format for convenience stores. Asda’s joint venture with Just Eat is said to be early days but “working well” and is being rolled out to a total of 12 stores this month. 

9. DORITO’S REUSABLE BAG  

Dorito’s Israel has found a way to meet both a consumer need with the needs of the environment. Put simply, its reusable bag cleans your crumb-laden fingers. In January it launched the Towel Bag, a Doritos bag made of terry cotton which acts as a packet for Doritos, and doubles as a place to wipe hands afterwards. The snack brand partnered with Israeli video game retailer BUG to target gamers with the launch of the new bag. Click here to see Dorito’s lifechanging experience >>