DAWN FARMS TOP 9 | ISSUE 45| 2020

GLOBAL UPDATE ON CONSUMER, MARKET AND MENU INSIGHTS. 

1. HOW FOOD SERVICE IS ADAPTING

Industry analysts believe consumers will continue to enjoy most fast-food meals off-premise as opposed to dining in. In anticipation, major restaurant chains are testing a variety of new service styles and technologies such as fewer seats, smaller buildings, more conveyor belts, drive thru windows, mobile ordering and omnichannel experiences. Some examples of this already in action include Taco Bell’s Go Mobile unit at half the size of their typical restaurant, Burger King’s conveyor belt system for drive-thru lanes and Chipotle’s digital kitchen designed for delivery and takeout.  

2. THANKSGIVING PO' BOY SANDWICH

While Thanksgiving celebrations were different in America this year, the traditional dishes remained the same. For those in New Orleans, a special tradition involved lining up for hours at Parkway Bakery & Tavern to get their once-a-year Thanksgiving po’ boy. This overstuffed sandwich is Thanksgiving dinner all in one with turkey, hot cornbread dressing, stuffing, cranberry relish and gravy in a French roll. To accommodate social distancing measures this year, Parkway Bakery & Tavern numbered all 90 parking spots so that customers can drive in, call in their order, pay by card, give their spot number and wait for a golf cart-ferried po’ boy to arrive.  

3. BURGER KING'S EXTREME BURGER

Burger King Japan have introduced a new ‘Extreme’ Burger which boasts more than 1 pound of meat. The loaded burger features four beef patties, tomato, lettuce, pickles, onions, and cheese with the outer beef patties serving as the burger buns. For those looking for burger buns, the Maximum Burger is a slightly more expensive version available for purchase. The Extreme Burger is priced at 1400 yen, or USD 13.50, making it more than three times the price of a regular Whopper in Japan. 

4. GLOBAL FOOD SERVICE TRENDS 2021

ADM has shared its view on food and beverage trends that will influence 2021. The first trend is ‘A More Proactive Approach to Nourishing the Body and Mind’. Consumers are buying products tailored for their health, moving towards bright food and drinks and products with familiar, nostalgic flavours. The other trends include ‘Sustainability Takes Centre Stage’, ‘The Gut Microbiome Emerges as the Gateway to Wellness’, ‘Plant-Based Food Boom Expands’ and ‘Transparency Builds Consumer Trust’. 

5. A MARKET-FEEL AT MORRISONS

Morrisons has opened its third Market Kitchen concept this year in Birmingham. The growing concept is part of the supermarkets’ strategy to capitalise on the growing demand of food-to-go and takeaway meals. The latest Market Kitchen offers freshly prepared meals served from a variety of counters under names such as ‘Char & Smoke’, ‘Bird and Baste’, ‘The Hot Pan’, ‘The Soup Kitchen’ and ‘Milkshake & Waffle Shack’ giving customers a market feel experience. Food options include wraps, curry, roasted chickens, pizza, pasta, soup, as well as coffee and milkshakes.  

6. HELLOFRESH ACQUIRES FACTOR75

HelloFresh, the world’s largest meal kit provider, has bought Factor75, which specialises in health-focused ready-to-eat meals, for $277 million. A Factor75 subscription service costs $12.38 a meal for eight meals per week and satisfy a range of diets from keto, paleo, low-carb, vegetarian, plant-based and high-protein. Factor75 will continue to operate as a separate company and forecasts their full-year revenue to reach $100 million this year. HelloFresh, which was founded 2 years earlier in 2011, saw global sales exceed $1 billion in its most recent quarter, up 120% compared to the same quarter last year. 

7. FOOD DELIVERY BOOM

The NPD Group has announced the delivery channel as the success story of food service in 2020. Comparing January to October of this year to last year, delivery is up 14% and has seen a 40% increase in spend. While the delivery channel was seen as a threat by many operators in the past, it has brought valuable business to many outlets in present times. NPD Group research also shows that consumers still prefer to eat out and will continue to do so as soon as they are able. 

8. U.S. MENU INSPIRATION

For some American menu inspiration, Bennigans have launched a Creamy Mushroom Bacon Swiss Burger which features half-pound beef patty topped with melted Swiss cheese, Applewood-smoked bacon and a creamy mushroom sauce on toasted brioche buns. Checkers & Rally’s now offer a Honey Buffalo Mother Cruncher Crispy Chicken Sandwich and Lemonade Restaurant have a Rosemary Garlic Steak which is sous-vide cooked with rosemary, garlic and red pepper chimichurri. The Mellow Mushroom has launched a Backyard BBQ pizza featuring roasted pork tossed in barbecue sauce with mozzarella cheese, poblano peppers, Peppadew peppers and finished with garlic butter and Parmesan cheese.  

9. BLACK FRIDAY DEALS TO SNATCH

Some favourite eateries around the world are offering Black Friday sales this year. Deliveroo will give 25% off orders over £20 and KFC is giving free side of gravy on app orders following the launch of their new gravy burger. Domino’s are offering 50% off on orders over £30 whilst Pizza Hut are selling their Christmas Feast of 3 large pizzas, 2 sides and 1.5L drink for £35. McDonald’s are giving away free Chicken McNuggets with every Big Mac in conjunction with Just Eat. Lastly, Subway are offering a Family Feast of two footlong subs, two 6-inch subs, 1.5L drink and four cookies for £17.  

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