DAWN FARMS TOP 9 | ISSUE 10| 2021
GLOBAL UPDATE ON CONSUMER, MARKET AND MENU INSIGHTS.
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1. INDULGENT BEEF SANDWICHES
Some interesting indulgent beef classics are being served up on menus. In China, McDonald’s has launched a Big Meatball Burger which features beef meatballs paired with a slice of cheese, lettuce, mayo and tomato sauce, all sandwiched between a sesame seed bun. In the U.S., Brueggar’s Bagels offers a new spin on their fan-favouite Western Breakfast Sandwich with the introduction of a brisket version. The new Western Brisket Sandwich features smoked brisket, green and red peppers, red onion and chipotle mayo in a Gourmet Five Cheese Bagel.
2. STARBUCKS CATER TO ALL GUESTS
Starbucks are using advanced technology to cater for blind and low-vision customers. Starting in the U.S. and Canada, customers can download the Aira app which describes the restaurant layout to them and reads the menu aloud. As part of this initiative, all Starbucks’ menus will be available in large and braille print. This is part of the global chain’s ongoing initiative to improve its services for all guests. The chain already has nine Signing stores where all employees are proficient in American Sign Language.
3. ICELAND'S SWIFT FORMAT
Iceland has opened the doors of its first Swift convenience supermarket format in Newcastle, the first of over 1,000 stores set to open in the UK if the trial is successful. Swift stores will offer a greater range of products and aims to break down the traditional barriers between chilled and frozen food to offer a complete range of meal solutions. The new format has a focus on being fast, fresh and local to provide the ultimate customer convenience.
4. PIZZA HUT'S MEXICAN FIESTA
Pizza Hut Delivery has revealed its new Mexican Fiesta Range consisting of 6 menu items. These include some returning favourites such as the Chicken Fajita pizza loaded with chunks of Mexican fajita chicken, cheese and peppers and Fajita Chicken Chunks coated in fajita-style breadcrumbs. New innovations in the range include the Filthy Steak Fajita pizza, Nacho Cheese Stuffed Crust and Loaded Chicken Fajita Doritos Nachos.
5. QUESADILLAS FLAVOUR POSSIBILITIES
Flavour & Menu magazine reveals how classic Mexican quesadillas can bring a wide range of possibilities to any menu. There are endless creative approaches for a flavour makeover by exploring alternative carriers, fillings, folds, oils and exterior flavours. The familiar, portable favourite is diverse in its ability to accommodate many cross-cultural ingredients. A great example is from fast casual Curry Up Now which offers an Indian spin with its Quesadillix, a paratha stuffed with potato, mozzarella, a choice of chicken, lamb or paneer and served with pickles, chaat masala yogurt and chutney.
6. EXPLORING PROTEIN SOURCES
Protein sources are a hot topic as consumer appetites are moving towards clean eating and sustainable ways to feed the world's growing population. Food Ingredients First looks to nutritional yeast, algae-based seafood, nut powders, whey and sweet designer proteins. Nutritional yeast is used to enhance salt perception while algal proteins are used as fish and seafood alternatives. Defatted almond or cashew powders are found to have a neutral flavour unlike other plant proteins. Sweet designer proteins are designed using software to act as sugar substitutes without impacting the sensory profile.
7. FOOD DELIVERY BOOM IN FRANCE
The food delivery industry in France has grown by almost 50% since 2018, with a turnover of just under €5 billion, according to Food Service Vision. 7 out of 10 orders are now through delivery platforms with 36% via smartphones. More areas are covered by the delivery network as greater investments were made to boost capabilities in recent years. Even after restrictions lift, 75% of dine-in restaurants will continue to offer delivery to their customers, which 47% claimed saved their business.
8. PERKS OF FOOD LOCKERS
Food lockers have boomed in popularity since the beginning of the pandemic, allowing consumers to collect food items from temperature-controlled boxes via an app or passcode. Food lockers provide contactless transactions, convenience to customers and reduced labour and footprint costs. Several fast-food chains such as KFC, Burger King and Smashburger, have started to introduce the concept.
9. PLANT-BASED SALES SOAR
Domino’s Greece has seen an increased demand of plant-based toppings in the lead up to their Easter celebrations. Consumers are opting for the meat-free pizza range including the Vegeroni featuring plant-based pepperoni slices, VVQ (Varvecue) featuring plant-based mince and Shawarma featuring plant-based chicken shawarma strips. In France, several fast casual chains have introduced the Plant Deli Chik’n Strips to their menus. French operators such as Ankka, Pita Pit, Happy Feel and Simply Food are now offering the chik'n strips for their food to go options.
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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