Post Covid – July 2022 – where are we now?
The official start to ‘normal’ is always plagued with questions over ‘what is normal?’
In general foodservice trends – the overall tendencies are similar to what has happened in the past 3 years with a few accelerators as is shown below:
SNACKING AND COCKTAILS A CASA
Olive snack packs (with cheese and crackers). Home made cocktails featuring Sicilian Green olives or Italian Inspired Cocktails from Dan Murphys with a Maraschino Cherry.
Think of staying home and spending time over cocktails and canapés/tapas at a fraction of what you would spend in a bar! Catch a Netflix movie and enjoy time at home!
SMOKED FETA
Taking foodservice by storm!
Try a brekky of Smashed Avo with Crumbled Smoked Feta! This gives an added dimension and point of difference for cafes and suburban eateries. It can even be used in quiches, salads and shakshuka, as these are also on trend. BRUNCHES are becoming more popular every year as people look to moving to 2 meals per day.
VEGETABLES ARE VISIBLE!
Items like Zucchini, Sweet Potato and Roasted Pumpkin are featuring heavily as vegan options for sandwich and burger fillings. Grilled Zucchini is visually appealing and has great texture and caramelisation that has flavour and visual benefit.
BAG IN BOX IN ALL AREAS
Tins are making way for bag in box – lighter, cheaper and better for our planet.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is now in a 10lt Bag in Box as well as the entire MUTTI Pizza Sauce, Pasta Sauce and Passata range.
Sandhurst is moving away from 3kg and 4kg tins to 2.5kg foil packs that are easy to use and don’t require a can opener!
Balsamic Vinegar and Cooking Wine are now sold almost exclusively in casks where dispensing the product with a tap is easier and more beneficial for portion control.
Easier – Better for the Environment – Simpler!
ITALIAN RICE RULES
Arborio and Carnaroli are taking more market share as these are gluten-free options for Arancini and Risotto. Used with TRUFFLES and PORCINI MUSHROOMS these are normally fine-dining main courses that are surprisingly easy to replicate in the home. Think of the complete meal solution that takes 30 minutes to prepare and is tasty and nutritious.
Even kids will love a good Risotto!
BURGERS ARE STILL ON TREND
More pub and club dining focus on burgers, due to the huge costs of proteins such as seafood and beef. Flavour enhancers that are great in texture such as SANDWICH STACKERS – TOMATO RELISH – ROASTED RED PEPPER STRIPS are being used as well as for the vegan burger options. We’ve seen Basil Pesto used on Chicken Burgers as well as Olive Paste on a range of Greek and Italian inspired burgers. Perfect for operators that are looking for a point of difference that doesn’t involve a huge cost in ingredients.
MEXICAN STILL RULES
Flavours such as Chipotle are becoming more mainstream and used in Mayo as well as Rib Sauces. Black Beans and Tomatillos is still generating interest. Corn Kernels add flavour and colour as well as texture. We’re still seeing New Mexican Sauces such as Mole and Salsa Verde that have enormous appeal for modern foodservice solutions.
PREMIUM QUALITY
TERRA CRETA is a single origin – PDO Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the island of KRETE. The consistency and flavour of the oil makes it an excellent performer in salads and cooking and imparts a great finishing touch to all Mediterranean Dishes. You can really taste the difference on a Greek Salad or Tabouli when you use genuine Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil such as Terra Creta.
CAPERS and CORNICHONS
Both used in snacking boards featuring Smoked Salmon and Charcuterie – these have great colour and texture and add enormous benefit with a fraction of the cost of Salmon, Salami or Soft Cheeses.
BAKERY
An uplift in baked goods as people gravitate towards more comfort eating. Canned Apple and Apricot are still used heavily in AM dining which Australians are embracing as part of the trend to move into more ‘daytime dining’ as opposed to late night eating which is more European by nature.