Happy St. Patrick's Day From Everyone in Dawn Farms 

1. GUINNESS IS GOOD FOR YOU

In honour of Saint Patrick and anything Irish, Barburrito will offer a limited-edition Guinness burrito for the special holiday which features Guinness-infused beef brisket with a spicy sauce and a variety of fillings. This is joined on the menu by a Spring Chicken Tinga burrito with slow-cooked and shredded chicken with a tomato chipotle sauce. Another St. Patrick’s Day treat can be found at Hard Rock Café where they have crafted a Guinness and Bacon Jam Cheeseburger. The cheeseburger includes a half-pound burger topped with Jameson bacon jam and a Guinness cheese sauce. Meanwhile, those looking for cocktail inspiration this holiday weekend, click here >>  

2.  EATING OUT HABITS VARY GLOBALLY  

Eating out habits vary around the world. According to the USDA, Americans now spend significantly more on eating out weekly than they do on food at home. Hong Kong and Taiwan are among the top countries for eating out at least once a day and particularly from street food vendors. Indians and Ukrainians spend the most time in the kitchen (+13 hours/week) while Swedish and German consumers take less than half that time. People are least likely to order food for home delivery in France and Russia whereas those in Indonesia and the Middle East order multiple times a week. 

3. URBAN EAT’S SUMMER SAMMIES  

While Spring is on the menu for most, Adelie is getting set for summer with 2 new sandwiches, available from the end of April to 18th August. They’ve brought back the colourful ‘seaside beach hut' packaging to make the sandwiches stand out on shelf.  The new additions include a Wiltshire Ham & Applewood Smoky Cheddar sandwich on soft grain bread and a Chipotle Chickpea & Avocado sandwich on malted bread. It’s the brand’s first time to use fresh avocado in a sandwich. 

4. ZA OPENS ITS DOORS

Za, the new fast casual concept child of PizzaExpress has officially opened its doors in the busy Fenchurch Place, London.  Pizza is core to the concept – whether it’s pizza sold by the slice; breakfast Luna Breads (pizza dough filled with eg ham, egg, spinach) or Pizza Wraps topped with favourites such as the American Hot, Padana and Pollo ad Astra. Other food-to-go favourites such as coffee, seasonal hot soups, pastries are also on the menu as well as beer, wine, or a cocktail (on-site). The new concept takes inspiration from its founder, Peter Boizot’s original service of selling pizza by the slice. Get a feeling for the new Za range here> 

5. BEER-INFUSED INNOVATION

Aiming to attract Millennial consumers (80 million consumers and $600 billion spend in the US - Accenture) from the beer aisle to the prepared meat section; premium pork brand Coleman’s has partnered with Budweiser on a new line of beer-infused bbq/grill products (eg St. Louis Style Pork Spareribs, Pulled Pork, Jalapeno Cheddar Brats). This follows in the footsteps of brands like Guinness and Jack Daniels who have also ventured into meat joint ventures. 

6. BURGER KING GOES GOURMET

Burger King has launched a new smoky Black Angus burger to its menu in the UK. It is a more premium version of the brand’s popular Angus classic burger made from 100% British and Irish Black Angus beef with a juicy marbled texture and is topped with smoky barbecue sauce, Emmental cheese, crispy bacon, freshly sliced onions and lettuce in a brioche bun. As extra incentive to try their new burger, on March 12, the day of the launch, the restaurant gave away free burgers to anyone called Angus and also has a competition to win VIP tickets to the TRNSMT festival.  

7.  DOMINO’S PLOTS IRISH GROWTH

Domino's is planning 25 more Irish stores, bringing its total storecount here to 50. Ten of these are planned within the next 4 years. In 2018, Domino's acquired a 15% stake in its main Irish franchisee, for €12.5m, which will position it for accelerated growth in line with the buoyant casual dining market and shift towards online shopping. Domino's Ireland saw a growth of 4.4% last year and a 15% growth in online orders.  

8. GALWAY FOOD TRUCK HERO

Lonely Planet has launched a new book, ‘Around the World in 80 Food Trucks'. Making the ‘Top 10 coolest food trucks’ list is Galway’s Misunderstood Heron, run by husband and wife duo on the banks of Killary Fjord.  They locally-source ingredients and of their most popular dish is spicy lamb samosas which brings their Irish and Chilean roots together. Other top 10 mentions go to Mama Rocks Gourmet Burger in Kenya, or Heisser Hobel in Berlin (specialising in South Bavarian speciality cheese spatzle). For the rest of the Top 10 Coolest Food Trucks click here >> 

9. US BREAKOUT BRANDS 

Who are the emerging restaurant chains in the US, based on menu innovation, social cause and authenticity? Hot Chicken Takeover started off in Ohio offering spicy Southern-fried chicken and a strong social justice strategy when it comes to employment practices. HomeState is all about serving up Lone Star State versions of Mexican food, with a dose of Texas charm. The tex-mex menu is named after rivers, counties and street names in Texas. Its signature breakfast tacos come with scrambled egg, beans, chorizo, brisket, potato and bacon. See more breakout brands that are not following but creating trends here >>