DAWN FARMS TOP 9 | ISSUE 22| 2020
GLOBAL UPDATE ON CONSUMER, MARKET AND MENU INSIGHTS.
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1. CHIPOTLE LOOK OUTSIDE THE BOX
Chipotle’s CEO, Brian Niccol, believes the ‘new normal’ phrase is associated with complacency and should not be used as the company looks toward out-of-the-box ideas to drive the brand post-pandemic. He believes the company needs to advance technologically as this will be the greatest driver of growth. Other areas of improvement include menu innovation with more alternative options including cauliflower rice and plant-based products, coupled with more drive-thru Chipotlanes for greater convenience. Chipotle is persistent in moving forward through a flexible business model and not simply returning to old practices.
2. NEED PIZZA ASAP
Next week will see the opening of new gourmet pizza takeaway, ASAP, in London, run by Michelin-starred restaurant chef, James Low, and renowned baker, Pam Yung. Here, sourdough pizzas will be made with heritage British wheats, on both red and white bases, with a focus on high-quality suppliers. The menu includes their own take on a classic ‘Hawaiian’ with pickled scotch bonnet, red onion, grilled pineapple, cured pig's cheek, allowing consumers to customise with a variety of other decadent ingredients.
3. PRET’S £1 COFFEES
Pret A Manger are back with a bang. The 500+ chain is enticing consumers back with a coffee promotion, enabling them to buy a card for £20, which will treat them to 20 coffees. The brand encourages consumers to share the love with others by tearing the card in half to divvy out the ten coffee tokens. Over 300 Pret locations are now open, with extended delivery services via Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats. With over 8,000 members of staff, Pret have appointed consultants to review their operating model in order to comply with the latest COVID-19 guidelines, safeguarding both staff and consumer safety.
4. MORE M&S FOOD BOXES
Due to popular demand, M&S has added three new options in its food box range, currently available to consumers for delivery. Sales have been so strong that certain options have sold out since the launch in March, with an impressive 146,000 boxes purchased to date. The latest additions to the range comprises of Traditional Meals, with their much loved Beef Casserole and Shepherd’s Pie, their M&S Indian Takeaway Big Night In, with meal options for a family of four, and a Seasonal Fruit and Veg box with potatoes, avocados, carrots, bananas, apples and grapes. Costs to consumers range between £25 and £40. Customer feedback has been crucial in the reformulation of their meal boxes, with M&S removing some sweeter items and replacing them with staple essentials such as oats, sugar and jam.
5. POPEYES’ MAKEOVER
Keen to elevate the brand to entice new audiences, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen revealed a newly refreshed brand identity. Incorporating a revised logo, iconography and colour palette, the upgrade will be rolled out across all food packaging, staff uniforms and retail merchandise. In addition, the interior and exterior of the store outfit has also been revamped with the new pilot look and feel being trialled in Marrero, Louisiana. Internationally, they have launched a store in the new design in Shanghai. The refreshed identity aims to appeal to audiences seeking to dine at a clean, modern establishment, once closures ease further, allowing more comfort and peace of mind to consumers.
6. HONEY BUTTER COMING UP
If you’re looking for a new and craveable ingredient, honey butter will do the trick. This trending condiment is popping up on menus across the US with its sweet and rich flavouring. It pairs well with savoury dishes from crispy bacon to BBQ ribs. A restaurant in New York offers a Fried Chicken Sandwich topped with jalapeño honey butter, white gravy and coleslaw, while a West Coast restaurant provides Pork Chops with shaved fennel and orange, pistachio and chorizo honey butter.
7. SUPERMARKET FLUCTUATIONS
Product availability in UK supermarkets shows stock levels are recovering, during a two-week period ending 31 May, after a sharp increase in demand since lockdown commenced. Morrisons recorded a 3.5% rise in availability, increasing its price reduction promotions by 24% during this two-week period, the highest since lockdown. Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s, took to increasing its promotional levels at the start of May, and has since reduced promotions by 33% in the past week, returning to levels seen at the beginning of April.
8. PLANT-BASED BOOM
Many shoppers are choosing plant-based alternatives during the pandemic, with sales expected to increase in the coming months, according to the latest data. In the U.S., plant-based foods sales were 25% higher than total retail food sales and were faster growing during peak panic buying in mid-March. Some consumers are turning towards natural and organic options that boost health and immunity during these unprecedented times. Visit our Plant Deli website for further information on Dawn Farms’ range of plant-based protein options.
9. JJ FOODSERVICE ADJUSTS
With sales of £4.2 million last week alone, JJ Foodservice has revealed its sales are now meeting pre-lockdown levels. This is due to its direct-to-consumer (DTC) offering totalling 35% of its numbers, up £152k prior to March 2020. The company’s Head of Operations equates this success to its technological advances and investments over the past year. Within a few days of the UK lockdown, the foodservice wholesaler launched its DTC operation impacting 95% of its client base. Focusing on family-friendly quantities marked a huge success, with an increase of over 200 new SKUs of retail packs of their most popular goods. Further investment in vans enabled the roll-out of their next-day delivery service across the UK.
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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