DAWN FARMS TOP 9 | ISSUE 5 2018

GLOBAL UPDATE ON CONSUMER, MARKET AND MENU INSIGHTS. 

1. COSTA & CO OP CORRIE TV DEBUT

Who said TV was dead? This week Domino’s UK credited its best sales performance of the year on the night of the X Factor Final (sales were up 25% compared to the average Saturday). Also keen to tap into the family audience is Costa UK, who is planning its first product placement campaign on ITV soap Coronation Street (along with the Co-op). Expect to see Costa store fronts, posters and maybe even recyclable cups from Spring onwards. Despite weak footfall and inflationary challenges, the coffee chain recorded robust total sales growth of 7.2% in its Q3. It credits more consumers drinking more coffee, and its increased presence in drive-thru/travel locations, particularly Costa Express.

2. TELEPIZZA'S BBQ QUARTER POUNDER

Pizza chain Telepizza has launched a new BBQ Quarter Pounder Pizza on its Spanish menu. The new addition is made up of a quarter pound of crumbled beef, marinated chicken strips, smoked bacon, mozzarella and drizzled with a bourbon BBQ sauce. Telepizza first opened in Madrid in 1987, and currently operates over 1,400 outlets in over 22 countries. It plans to build on its first UK store (opened in 2017) with a target of 80 stores over the next 10 years. Iran, Malta and Saudi Arabia are also firmly in their sights with plans to enter over the course of 2018.

3. HAPPY MEALS FOR KIDULTS

You “Don’t have to be minted to enjoy some MEAT…” Deliveroo and MEATliquor are coming together to launch an adult version of a kids meal box. The Ecstatic Meal consists of a ‘Dead Hippie’ mustard-fried burger, hash browns, a drink and a toy (£2.69). The range of gifts or toys varies from a unicorn to a hungry shark stressball. This limited-edition treat has been available from 26th January on the Deliveroo app, intended to celebrated pay day/end of Dry January. The Dead Hippie burger was ranked in Deliveroo’s top 100 dishes globally in 2017.

4. FRANCE TACKLES PRICE WARS

French consumers have had it tough recently – November marked the worst butter shortage since World War 2, bad news for croissants and of course le jambon beurre. However the latest wake of mini riots sparked by cut price jars of Nutella, nappies and coffee has prompted the government to intervene and tighten rules on supermarket promotions. The new draft law would mean this type of 70% discount from Intermarché will be limited to 34%, and “buy one, get one free” deals will become a thing of the past.

5. SHROOM BOOM

This year’s Winter Fancy Food Show highlights 8 trends to watch, among them Shroom Boom. This refers to the raft of new speciality products harnessing the umami flavor and functionality of fungus in new food and beverage products (from New Primal’s date and rosemary free-range chicken jerky to mushroom lattés). Another is dates’ rising profile as an alternative to sugar, honey and maple syrup as more consumers seek natural sources of sweetness. A now recurrent theme is the growing popularity of Middle Eastern spices harissa, cardamom and za’atar, with some regionality coming to the fore eg Afghan spices. For moringa and more, click here for highlights from the WFF show >>

6. NEW WAVE OF HOT CONDIMENTS

We love the new generation of portable, individual-use, premium condiments elevating lunch to go. Hak’s salad dressings include spicy Thai, sesame ginger and miso while Mike’s Hot Honey (chilli-pepper infused) is now available in single serve sachets. Joyloop Foods offers portable pouches of chopped pepper mixes in medium and hot varieties, described as “a hot sauce flavor with a coleslaw crunch” and recommends pairing the products with sandwiches, salads, pizza and avocado toast.

7. KFC BITES ARE BACK

Mini bars and bites are still on trend according to the Winter Fancy Food Show; Sugar Bowl Bakery offers a more savoury and dense alternative to breakfast muffins with its Breakfast Bites made with whole grains and dried fruit. However a different type of ‘bite’ comes from KFC UK/Ireland who has brought back its range of bold-flavoured boneless Southern Bites. In portions of 4, these are smothered in either Kansas BBQ or Nashville Hot Sauce.

8. INNOVATION CRUCIAL FOR MID-MARKET

Mid-market casual diners (£15-plus) face a challenging year, according to Christie & Co. The consumer quest for new dining experiences is testing the limits of brand loyalty of gourmet burger chains such as Byron Burger amidst an influx of 3,000 new businesses over the last 3 years.  The fast casual and high-end casual sectors will continue to benefit from Millennials’ enthusiasm for eating out, although spend per visit is expected to fall. The average transaction spend in UK restaurants dropped by 7.4% in 2017 vs 2016 (Barclaycard). Success factors are likely to be operators who embrace social media and dining apps, and respond to consumer demand for healthier food and sustainability.

9. PIZZA HUT LAUNCH IN ZIMBABWE

Pizza Hut’s first store in Zimbabwe opens in Harare on the 2nd of February in partnership with local Zimbabwean company Silicoade Capital which owns the franchise for Pizza Hut and Ster-Kinekor Zim. The pizza chain has made strides in Africa after launching its first store in South Africa in 2014. Franchises have opened in Ghana and Ethiopia in the last 2 years. Elsewhere, Pizza Hut Singapore celebrates Chinese New Year by launching a pizza sprinkled with gold flakes for good luck. Pizza Hut Blossom features blossom-shaped cheesy stuffed crust pizza speckled with breadcrumbs and topped with chicken ham, turkey bacon, orange slices, mushrooms, capsicums, cream cheese and real gold flakes.