DAWN FARMS TOP 9 | ISSUE 6 2018

GLOBAL UPDATE ON CONSUMER, MARKET AND MENU INSIGHTS. 

1. BE MY FAST FOOD VALENTINE

Love is in the air this February, with many QSR brands promoting special events for Valentine’s day in true all-day dining style. Leon’s Ludgate branch will be holding a speed-dating night while Taco Bell is offering the ultimate taco date to the winner of their love poem competition. Subway is offering a buy one 6”, get one free. Or why not enjoy a romantic three course meal under the golden arches hosted by selected McDonald’s outlets. Since only 29% of UK consumers (Mintel’s Eating Out Review) think eating out is affordable; these thrifty propositions should appeal to a sizeable audience.

2. PRET'S NORDIC DEBUT

This week we attended the MCA FTG conference where SSP provided insights to the dynamic food & beverage opportunity among “more determined diners” in airports, quoting for example 4.5mn bacon rashers sold in Heathrow each year and the fact air traffic is set to treble by 2040.  Pret is among those making strides in travel hubs; its first stores in Denmark opened this week in Copenhagen airport in partnership with Dutch based travel concessions specialists HMSHost International. It will compete with other new eateries such as 42RAW, WOK and Riccos coffee.

3. REGIONALITY DRIVES READY MEALS

Asian ready meals are booming in the UK; sales were up 6% in volume and 11% in value in 2017 (Grocer/Kantar Nov 2017). While Chinese, Indian and Thai remain popular as core mainstream cuisines, regional Asian dishes such as Japanese, Vietnamese and Malaysian are fast forging their own identity in a reflection of how the ‘street-cred’ of street-food is bringing authentic recipes into the supermarket. While own label is in the driving seat, innovative brands to watch include Hello Fresh, Gusto, Bol and Charlie Bigham’s for example Korean and Sri Lankan are considered ‘big hitters’. Overall both chilled and frozen aisles are enjoying increased spend with own label chilled lines attracting increased frequency of purchase.

4. MORRISONS YORKSHIRE PIZZA

From south east Asia to Yorkshire….British traditional dishes are very much on the menu. Morrisons is among those celebrating National Yorkshire Pudding Day with its Yorkshire Pudding Pizza filled with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Choose either classic pepperoni, or a meat feast topped with meatballs, spicy beef and jalapenos. Last autumn Aldi launched a Yorkshire pudding burrito while street food stand Yorkshire Burrito is taking trendy Soho in London by storm. Its specialities include a gourmet wrap with hog roast cooked in cider and stuffing, served with rosemary roast potatoes, spinach, crackling and apple sauce (£5-7.50).

5. NETHERLANDS WELCOMES 200TH SUBWAY

Subway has opened its 200th store in the Netherlands this week. The sandwich chain first entered the Dutch market in 2000 and since then the numbers have grown considerably with last year alone 17 restaurants opening in the region. Subway’s Dutch Director sees non  -traditional channels such as petrol stations and student campuses as further growth avenues in 2018 and beyond.

6. iGENS APPETITE FOR HEALTHY SKIN

Call them Gen Z, Centennials or iGeneration (~11-23-year-olds), they are making their presence felt in the US. Mintel highlights some macro trends to consider, for example, health goes beyond calories with this group – some 33% of iGens would like to see more menus featuring dishes that promote healthy skin (vs 20% on average). Lift-sharing is perhaps less known this side of the Atlantic – however it’s part of life for this young, mobile generation. Last summer, Taco Bell teamed up with Lyft to enable passengers to request a stop at a Taco Bell drive-thru during their ride.

7. NEXT SRIRACHA?

Gochujang (Korean) and berbere (Ethiopian) are two of the spices being heralded as the next sriracha, the hot Asian sauce that has filtered through to mainstream outlets such as McDonald’s. African is one cuisine tipped for growth in 2018 but how will an African twist on barbecue transfer to sandwiches for example? Is it a step too far? Click here to be surprised how accessible it already is >>

8. REVITALISING THE FRENCH STEAKHOUSE

French casual dining chain Hippopotamus has a new image and design, positioned as “steak house à la française”, for example check out its latest refurbishment in Paris Wagram (new décor, new menu). ‘A la braise’ refers to the emphasis on grilling, with main dishes from meat to fish and vegetables cooked on an open fire. Hippopotamus’s 190 stores form part of Groupe Flo which was sold early last year to Groupe Bertrand (Burger King France, Quick France, Au Bureau...).

9. STARBUCKS EXPANDS BREAKFAST OFFERING

Chicken for breakfast? Starbucks USA has introduced the new Chicken Sausage & Bacon biscuit to its expanding breakfast menu. Its take on this American favourite is a cornmeal biscuit base topped with chicken sausage patty, double-smoked bacon, country-style gravy and spiced honey butter. Chicken sausage is popular in the US, less so in the UK/Europe. We also note the term double-smoked bacon, referring to extra smoked flavour intensity of the bacon.