DAWN FARMS TOP 9 | ISSUE 6| 2021

GLOBAL UPDATE ON CONSUMER, MARKET AND MENU INSIGHTS. 

1. WENDY'S SPICY JALAPENO SANDWICH

Fast food chain, Wendy's, has launched a Spicy Jalapeno Popper Chicken Sandwich. The new offering features Wendy’s spicy chicken fillet topped with jalapeno cream cheese, three slices of Applewood-smoked bacon, cheddar cheese sauce, jalapeno slices and Pepper jack cheese on a premium bun. The concept is also available as a salad which features a lettuce mix, diced tomatoes, and crispy jalapeño and cheddar croutons topped with a creamy jalapeño ranch dressing. 

2. GEN Z DRIVING FROZEN FOOD SALES

Shoppers spent an extra £872 million on frozen foods last year in the UK, according to the British Frozen Food Federation’s annual report. Generation Z are driving this growth and are 23% more likely to buy frozen option due to its convenience and growing selection of products. Many households are also doing bigger food shops less frequently so are looking for products that will last between shopping trips. New product development is transforming the frozen category with many new flavourful and high quality pizzas, ready meals and produce offerings.  

3. KFC x WALKERS CRISPS

Following on from the success of the Nando’s Peri Peri flavour crisps, Walkers MAX has now teamed up with the Colonel to offer flavours from two of KFC’s signature meals: the original recipe chicken and spicy Zinger burger. Each bag comes with a 2 for 1 KFC meal deal offer until July 31. Meat flavoured crisps are on trend at the moment and earlier this year, McCoy’s launched a Fire Pit range that provides a smoky, chargrilled taste with flavours such as BBQ Rib, Peri Peri and Chorizo flavoured crisps. 

4. MCDONALD'S PACKAGING REFRESH

McDonald’s has unveiled its new packaging with a modernized design that uses simple yet colourful illustrations. The redesigned packaging will be rolled out to all markets globally over the next two years. It is the first time McDonald’s has changed its branding in five years. The brand is also providing eager chicken enthusiasts an early taste of its new chicken sandwich, through a limited-edition capsule on CHKNDrop.com. 

5. EXPANSION IN THE UK

Bakery chain, Paul, is set to expand its franchise in the UK. After opening its first UK location in Covent Garden 21 years ago, Paul now has 38 stores in the UK and aims to double their estate in the next 5 years. Camile Thai Kitchen also plans to open 15 new venues in suburban areas such as Twickenham, Epsom and Streatham this year. Its digital delivery platform has proven successful during the pandemic and accelerated their growth plans. 

6. CONSUMER SPENDING BEHAVIOURS

The current lockdown has increased food spending in supermarkets once again, with research from Kantar revealing that in January shoppers spent £1 billion or 12.2% more on supermarket food and drink versus the same period last year as the restrictions continued to drive at-home eating. In addition, older households have become more comfortable with online spending and increased spend on food and drink by over 200% year-on-year. NatWest research also found that respondents were splurging more on small luxuries and high quality items to treat themselves.

7. TOP EMERGING FOOD TECHNOLOGIES

Lux Research shared its annual report, “Foresight 2021: Top Emerging Technologies to Watch”, which takes a deep dive into the agri-food ecosystem and reviews what topics emerged and which technologies rose to the top during 2020. The report’s analysis of the newest innovation topics and best tech start-ups revealed that the top five technologies are: Bioinformatics, Alternative Proteins, Precision Agriculture, Biofertilizers and Ingredient Informatics. 

8. PACKAGING-FREE REFILL STATIONS

There is a renewed interest in packaging-free refill stations amongst convenience store and retail operators. The pandemic stalled the roll-out of these eco-friendly stations, but installations and inquiries have picked up in recent months. Along with all other business owners, retailers have considered new strategies and ways of adding to their business. Many operators are thinking of packaging-free refill stations to meet sustainability and consumer needs. The food remains sealed and can be dispensed in personalised amounts.  

9. NATURE'S FYND FUNGI PROTEIN

Nature’s Fynd, a U.S.-based company specialising in fungi protein, has launched a breakfast bundle that includes dairy-free cream cheese and a meatless breakfast patty. The company has created a versatile protein using fermentation of protein-rich fungus which they trademarked as ‘Fy’. The fungus has an adaptable taste and structure that resembles meat protein. The “Fy Breakfast Bundle”, priced at $14.99, sold out within several hours but the company plans to launch more broadly later this year.  

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