Tag Archives: mass catering
26 Mar |
2026 Drink Trends |
If last month was all about food, then this month, it’s 2026 drink trends. Here there has been some good research done by Bid Food. It throws up some interesting challenges for traditional pubs as well as those, who might function as rooms for tea in their mass catering or restaurant establishment. So basically, anyone in catering!
Zebra Striping
The way we drink has changed considerably over the last 50 years. Drink-drive laws impacted on what could be consumed. While drinking at home became more common as a cheaper less risky option. Younger consumers are driving this further with a no/low alcohol trend. This is a long-term trend that caterers must not ignore. Research like CGA by Nielsen IQ noted that even more consumers chose these options last year.
It is not simply a case though of no alcohol at all. Rather it’s the increase of so-called zebra striping. This where customers alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Consumers say this keeps them in control of their alcohol consumption (55%) and helps them avoid getting drunk (44%). 41% are drawn to low and no alcohol options for their health benefits, 38% for their refreshing qualities, and 34% because they still feel like a treat.
Is this completely new? No, most of wine-growing Europe traditionally puts a water glass on the table alongside the wine glasses. What is novel is the deliberate choice is not simply water.
Simple Fruit Alternatives?
The challenge for all caterers is to find flavoursome alternatives that fit the zebra model easily. It needs to appeal immediately to being non-alcoholic, functional and hydrational.
While the offer of slice of lemon in your water is unlikely to suffice, it does point the way to sun-kissed fruit flavours that refresh the palate and implicitly feel to rehydrate. The immediate thought is tropical and global. Hence the growth of the likes of mangosteen, passion fruit and yuzu. Growing in 2026 are:
- Korean pear for strong hydration and wellness;
- pink guava for its simple colour, good for socials and sweetness;
- while Calamansi gives an alternative sharp citrus.
But perhaps there is another trend about to break? Hidden in the last few years by the increasing numbers of craft brewers and gin distilleries has been the growth of local producers of fruit-flavoured drinks. National names include Bradley’s Juice, Barn Farm Drinks, James White and the Berry Company. But have a look locally for the likes of Cotswold Juice Company or Day’s Cottage. Why? Because that also ticks the local feelgood box for the consumer.
Time for Tea
There are increasingly few homes that only have traditional brown tea in their cupboard. Partly as a result of picky guests, but also because the world of infusions has rapidly expanded beyond the traditional. Now there are a host of cold refreshing brews, exotic flavours and functional tonics. And that’s before we consider bubble tea that has seen a 20%+ increase each year in product launches in the last 4 years.
As with food, it’s a case of tradition meets global adventure with tea flavours. The familiar combines the adventurous and then adds to it with either indulgence or a nod to functional trends. The four flavours touted for 2026 are:
- Thai Tea – fusion of wellness and indulgence;
- Rooibos – caffeine-free and natural positioning;
- Oolong – premium heritage cues of vague recollection;
- Passion Flower – emerging, floral and globally inspired.
Now it’s probably time for a cuppa to mull over how to combine these 2026 drink trends with your business model for a profitable future.
Published Date: 26th March 2026
Category: Blog, Catering Business, Food Sourcing, Local food, News
Tags: Catering business, farm shop, Food producers, mass catering, Pubs, Restaurant
26 Feb |
2026 Food Trends to Consider |
As winter officially moves into spring and seasonal renewal comes to the fore, we usually look at the food and drink trends for the year ahead. This year, we’re going to take three bites at the subject. In this blog we’ll look at trends around food flavours; and next time drink. Lastly we’ll look at the trends for the wider industry in two months’ time.
We’ll share some experts’ views and projections. Some may be right, some will be wrong; and some seem to be stating what is obvious and/or contradictory. All are based upon research with chefs and consumers. Our aim is to allow colleagues to reflect on what they might offer to stay ahead in these difficult times.
Flavours for 2026
The global flavours trend continues to combine authenticity with boldness. It reminds diners of their travel adventures abroad to more exotic lands or their dreams. On trend, this year are the flavours from Malaysia, Korea, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela. Aside from the last, this reads much like the gap year destinations of the 2010’s! But it reflects the need for distinctiveness and difference.
The other continuing trend is the combining of spice with fruit and sweetness, the so-called “fricy” & “swicy” flavours. But flavour is no longer just about taste. It’s about experience, storytelling, and shareability such as:
- Crossbreed Fruits, hybrid flavours with built-in buzz. Half of global consumers say they seek out innovative flavours, while 64% are interested in trying flavour fusions and combinations. Crossbreed fruits answer that need. They blend familiarity with novelty and capitalise on built-in intrigue. Consider the likes of Pineberry, Tangelo, Melon Berry and the older blackberry/raspberry cross of the Boysenberry.
- Taste the Colour. This appetite for visual impact that look as good as it tastes, is being fuelled by social media and younger consumers. 47% of Gen Z saying they follow viral food and beverage trends. Pistachio perfectly captures this shift. Its vibrant green colour and indulgent profile have driven an almost 40% increase in UK product launches since 2021. Trending taste the colour flavours include ube, charcoal, black cherry and dragon fruit.
- Hedgerow Flavours tap into nostalgia, provenance and a growing desire for natural, authentic flavour stories. Again, significant growth in products and social media mentions since 2021. It goes against those who are tasting the colour but may fit more naturally for your style. These include flavours like damson; sea buckthorn; wild strawberry (nostalgia) and elderberry (health).
- Sophisticated Indulgence that provides affordable luxury and grown-up flavours. This is about quality ingredients, depth of flavour and treating oneself, not about showing off. Consider brown butter (rich bakery); dark chocolate (versatile); marcona almond (premium nut profile); and cardamom (sweet and savoury dishes)
2026 Food Types?
Not only are flavours coming to the fore, but also some specific ingredients have been identified as on trend for 2026.
- Cauliflower. Why, because of its versatility and fibre-richness. It is a main which works as a meat alternative or for vegetarian, plant-based and vegan diners or as sides like cauliflower cheese. Or it’s a carb-free alternative to rice, mashed potato or even pizza crust, especially useful for the gluten-free.
- Wild mushroom. Versatile, flavoursome and natural, wild mushrooms are on the trend towards plant-based and vegan foods, and foraged ingredients. They offer a variety of textures, umami flavours, and can carry a range of nutritional benefits. Again, a main or a side dish combining the known and the unknown.
- Miso caramel and salted caramel. These sweet and savoury flavour contrasts elevate dishes by adding depth, richness and complexity. Miso works well as a marinade or dressing. Whereas salted caramel tends to feature more on sweet treats or desserts and just keeps growing. Simple elevation.
- Hot honey. This scores on both chef surveys (46%) and consumers (30%) who both want to try in the next 18 months as a drizzle, topping, glaze, dressing or dip on all sorts of savoury dishes like pizza. Is this the new caramel?
- Pistachio. We can’t not mention pistachio, which grew from Middle East and Mediterranean cuisines and then was further boosted by Dubai chocolate. Where it will go this year? Who knows, but it’s not too late to join the crowd offering this.
Flavour goes to the core of all catering businesses. Considering the fit of catering trends with some perhaps minor additions, might be just what’s needed to increase the success of 2026.
Published Date: 26th February 2026
Category: Blog, Catering Business, Food Sourcing, News
Tags: Catering business, Hotel, mass catering, Pubs, Restaurant
05 Feb |
Number Challenges to Catering Business |
Challenges to catering businesses are this week’s news headlines for all the wrong reasons. The media have realised that the combination of the national insurance increases and business rates changes have created the perfect storm. The Chancellor’s announcements and exemptions have created further fuel for the media. This makes it appear worse than the physical effects of last week’s Storm Chandra on the West Country. Both storms require a practical response to go forward.
A Reeling Sector
Following Covid, inflation leapt in 2022 and 2023. This created the cost-of-living crisis and a reduction in demand in the catering sector. Food and drink business closures continued to increase.
Announced in the Autumn 2024 Budget, Employer Class 1 National Insurance increased from 13.8% to 15% from April 2025. By itself not devastating. That was the decrease in the threshold for payment from £9,100 pa to £5,000. This brought in significant numbers of part-time workers in lower paid sectors to Employer NI.
It was said that claiming the Employment Allowance increasing from £5,000 to £10,500 would mitigate this. While the numbers themselves look similar the effect is anything but, as most catering businesspeople could tell you.
Catering is a business based on planning. Every service for every hotel, pub, restaurant or mass caterer is planned to make it run smoothly and be flexible enough to cope with the demand. With the notice, a good number of catering businesses survived through 2025 by adapting or making fundamental change.
The Third Calamity
UK Hospitality estimates that the rateable value of catering properties will surge by over 50% from April 2026. This means that a caterer with a current business rates bill of £48K will need to find another £15K next year. In current profit terms an extra £40 per day, if open every single day of the year.
Simple maths equates this to a 2¾-hour shift for a 21-year-old on minimum wage. But most establishments can’t simply cut staff and maintain service. They already did that to survive the National Insurance challenge.
Currently restaurants employ 1.3M workers and pubs another 0.5M. But the number of closures is rising for pubs to one a day. The government was correct to respond earlier this week to mitigate the immediate effect on pubs and music venues with a support package of £80M pa for the next 3 years.
Short-term Support for Radical Change
That £240M of support however pales when compared to the £900M for just Heathrow. While the threat of increasing air fares to recoup, does not compare to the high street and social fabric loss of the local pub or restaurant across the whole country.
More positively, the support does buy time. Our sector must use that time to prepare and not lose sight of the fact that it will end in 2029. This will mean more radical adaption for whatever works in your area.
For some it will be opening more days perhaps for shorter time, but well-communicated to manage client expectations. For others, it will be the reverse of opening fewer days, when there is custom- no point in paying staff and food wastage for an empty room. It could be about creating more certainty with a weekly/monthly event to draw consistent clients and certainty of income.
For all, it will be about flexibility on ingredient availability. Perhaps working with more local suppliers able to predict more closely the shelf-life of crops, as both rely on profitable sales. It means then taking the dish off the menu mid-service to minimise waste. And countering this with customer preferences for local sourcing.
Focused Communication
Above all it’s about communicating effectively locally with your fellow caterers to the key audiences, like the Forest of Dean’s HOOP campaign
After all the only numbers that really matter are the satisfied repeat customers that enable us all to pay the bills and make a sensible profit. And plan effectively for next year.
Published Date: 5th February 2026
Category: Blog, Catering Business, News
Tags: Catering business, farm shop, Hotel, mass catering, Pubs, Restaurant
27 Aug |
Who Doesn’t Love Blueberries? |
The UK eats 53 tonnes of blueberries annually. M&S makes more money from blueberries than from apples and pears combined. While Aldi sells 3 times as many punnets as bags of oranges. Yet blueberries were not sold in UK supermarkets until the 1990s, nor at all commercially until 1916! And with the UK crop surging to over 5,000 tonnes from below a 1,000 on 2009, they can be sourced locally.
What’s not to like?
Is it a coincidence that blueberries were one of the original superfoods in the 1990’s? They certainly went from being only included in muffins and other baked goods, to a fruit in their own right. Consider the options if you want to get the beneficial effects of the antioxidant anthocyanin. Would you prefer beetroot, red cabbage or blueberries? This might explain why the over 55’s particularly pick them.
Given they’re small and don’t need peeling nor leave fingers sticky, they’re also a hit with parents with young children. A great way to get some of their five a day without too many tantrums. Ideal in smoothies or the finishing touches as a topping, they’re in favour with young adults as well. This is why blueberries are in 58% of all UK fridges.
The UK Future
A quarter of blueberries eaten in the UK come from Peru, while 10% now come from the UK. Back in 2009 we struggled to supply 5% of a much smaller market. Driving this growth is the demand for premiumisation. Tesco value range is £9 per kilo, it’s finest over £13. The difference is size; 14mm diameter is the smallest allowed, while 18-22mm is where the premium sits.
The good news is British farming is responding with new growers and programmes to produce better more consistent growth at the times when there is a market lull in early summer. A downside is the need for pickers as mechanical picking can’t currently sort between ripe and unripe fruit leading to a loss of up to 20% of the crop. Yet getting pickers is difficult as it’s not a highly paid role. Given time there will be more premium British blueberries with better picking machines to meet the demand.
Opportunities
Both farming and catering are sectors under threat from rising costs and difficult conditions. Both need to adapt to feed the nation. Innovation and giving consumers more of what they want is key.
It’s also about exploring the different. After all the blueberry was ignored as a fruit until Elizabeth White noticed them growing well in the boggy acidic soil of her family New England cranberry farm and decided to cultivate them. Are blueberries on your menu and are they sourced locally from the UK? Why not seize the opportunity?
Published Date: 27th August 2025
Category: Blog, Food Sourcing, Local food, News
Tags: Food producers, mass catering, Pubs, Restaurant, schools
30 May |
The Summit of Emotions |
The Summit of Emotions is not something that might trip off your tongue yet. But come July with the start of the Women’s Euros, then the 2025 logo might begin to embed. And if England manage to make the final again due on the 27th, then it probably will.
2025 Women’s Euros
The 2025 Women’s Euros will be held in Switzerland. It’s not surprising that the logo refers to the mountains the footballers have had to climb in order to compete. Given the history of funding, for many it has been an emotional journey.
Something the Welsh side will acknowledge on 19th June with their side due to be announced on the summit of Yr Wyddfa (previously known as Snowdon). As this is the first major football competition for the Welsh Women, they’re right to celebrate.
This year is also the 25th anniversary of Barclay’s support for grassroot sports. This has included Women’s and Girl’s football, rather than just the elite. There are some papers that have suggested that the Women’s Super League may be in trouble as attendance looks to have dipped this year by 9%. Yet given England winning the Euros in 2022 and getting to the World Cup finals in 2023, there was phenomenal percentage growth. While the average attendance might be 6,732, Arsenal Women have sold out the 60,000-seater Emirates twice!
In 2023, Mary Earps won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, after winning the World Cup Golden Gloves. Sadly, she has just decided to retire from international football with immediate effect. A good England run will re-ignite the supporters’ fire. With estimates that 80% of the Euros crowd will be Swiss, it’s clear that not many supporters will travel. They may be looking for somewhere else to communally watch.
Women’s Rugby World Cup
To boost attendance four WSL clubs trialled the provision of alcoholic drinks at games this season. Most saw a sustainable increase in numbers due to the hospitality provided. This won’t surprise rugby fans, where a drink and some food are typically a feature of a social matchday. This is good news for the South-West with games due in Bristol and Exeter for the Women’s Rugby World Cup between 22nd August and 27th September this year.
For those in catering whether it’s a round or oval ball, there is an opportunity to celebrate the wider participation in sports that have traditionally been seen as male. The successes of our national teams have been built on grassroots and local opportunities to play and watch. From there some individuals reach their personal summits while others just have fun; a bit like catering in some ways.
29 May |
Under Starters Orders |
Finally, the news we’ve been waiting to hear. No more dilly-dallying, we’re under starters orders to see who will come out strongest. The long-anticipated event to change the hard slog of reduced footfall and wet weather has happened.
Yes, the annual cheese-rolling has taken place at Gloucestershire’s Cooper’s Hill. Summer has started and with it the opportunities for catering businesses to join in with themed events and menus.
The Euros
Last weekend saw success for Manchester with United beating City in the FA Cup Final. This traditionally has been the end of the football season, when it was a non-summer sport. But the UEFA European Football Championship better known as the Euros literally kicks off on 14th June with Germany versus Scotland. England start on 16th against Serbia.
The quarter-finals, should any British team get this far, are on 5/6th July and semis on 9/10th. The Championship runs through to the final on 14th July. For those not following football and wanting to host another event, it’s Bastille Day. This celebrates the French national day and the French Revolution. Goodness only knows what would happen, if France gets through to that final! Either way a French-themed event for your business would be a safe bet; unless their opponents are England!
Paris Olympics
A century after it last hosted the Olympics, Paris will host its third from the 26th July to 11th August and then the Paralympics from 28th August to 18th September. The last time, in 1924, led to 2 movie legacies. The British runner Eric Liddell declined to run on the Sunday finals of the 100m. A story celebrated in Chariots of Fire. The other was Johnny Weismuller’s successes in the pool, before in the 1930’s he became Tarzan. Not a bad outcome, given he only began swimming on his doctor’s recommendation having contracted polio at the age of 9!
Paris will see 329 events contested for individuals and teams. The day for the largest number of medals is the 3rd and 4th August. A case of less the Super Saturday of London 2012 and more Whole Weekend. Interestingly each medal will contain an original piece of the Eiffel Tower. An inspired way to get rid of waste from regular maintenance.
Another Event
One other event is the General Election being held on 4th July. The weekend following is of course widely celebrated in America as Independence Day weekend. We’re not sure that was considered when the date was chosen!
For catering businesses, events and themed menus are a great way to create additional trade. They give a reason for promotion, which by experience, leads to returning customers. Planned effectively they bring in much needed cash to replenish reserves.
With the summer of sport, there are dates to avoid. Or perversely to push for those who don’t like sport. The latter could be linked through history, culture or local tradition. The choice is endless but could make your catering business, a winner by summer’s end.
Published Date: 29th May 2024
Category: Blog, Catering Business, Events, News
Tags: Catering business, Events, mass catering, Pubs
30 Aug |
Getting Catering Business Ready for the New ‘Old Normal’ |
The news for catering business is not great. Even the county daily e-newsletter is regularly reporting restaurant closures of established and new venues. Locally a celebrity chef forged ahead with the building changes for a new pub-restaurant; only to cancel the project on the point of opening. It’s now time for everyone to recognise that the last 10 years have been an aberration of low interest rates and high expectations. For the foreseeable future the old normal is back.
Bleak Catering News
Creed Food Services have produced an excellent report based on a survey of 150 UK Directors, General Managers, Assistant Manager and Chefs of hotels, restaurants and pubs. It’s called Plates to Profits.
The findings are stark:
- 86% of catering business surveyed said they’d close in next 3 years, if business costs did not reduce and they didn’t increase prices. Half said in a year!
- 23% did not consult their own wholesalers for cost saving advice. An own goal given the mutual benefits this brings.
- 43% are operating with fewer staff. Half have changed the menu to simpler dishes to respond to this.
- 39% are buying more pre/semi-prepared dishes while a similar percentage have reduced opening times or food availability on certain days
Customer behaviour has changed
Consumers face a long-term reduction in disposable income. Two thirds of customers have reduced the amount that they spend to eat out. But they will pay for good quality (86%) and pay more for such (75%) according to a Lumina study.
Plates to Profits respondents reported customers:
- Visit less regularly – 45%
- Reduce the number of courses they order – 43%
- Choose more affordable dishes and reduce the number of sides – 40%
- Not order tea/coffee at the meal end – 29%
- Not order alcohol, but chose soft drinks or water – 19%
- Book earlier timeslots or take advantage of early bird offers – 33%
- Choose food share options – 45%
The Economist, in July, published an interesting report through a collaboration with Visa internationally comparing catering customer habits pre and post pandemic in cities. While weekday lunches have held up, weekday evening events have dropped by almost 3%. Conversely Saturday and Sunday lunches have increased in popularity. Saturday afternoon is now the spending peak not Friday night.
Catering Business Action
Now is the time to take positive action to ensure survival and future growth in your catering business. Consider what your answers would be to the Creed questions or Economist/Lumina studies.
This will help your responses to the new old normal based on your data. Those insights will help you respond to the menu selection, staffing and cost challenges. Also consider what menu choices offer the biggest margins; and how you could do more on food waste by rethinking could happen such as vegetable peelings/trimmings and fruit as toppings or side dishes.
Plates to Profits offered 5 suggestions to consider:
- Maximise covers to streamline operations for peak time. Relook at your space inside and out and how it could be used.
- Charge for quality bread and butter. Consumers will pay for the quality and the unsold is easily turned into alternatives.
- Offer 2 or 3 course set menus. This reduces ingredients, streamlines mains and gives perceived value for money.
- Offer sharing experiences through encouraging sharing options. The faff of the second plate is offset by the responsiveness to customer cost saving need.
- Offer higher priced specials of mains, sides and desserts. Change frequently to reflect seasonality to manage costs, streamline menus and meet the proven desire for sustainability.
Like all catering businesses, A C Services is reviewing its operations to ensure it can flexibly meet the needs of its current and prospective clients in this changed economy. After all, following our success this year, we’re aiming to be crowned the best Service Partner for Rational in the UK again next year. This will only come by working sensibly together.
Published Date: 30th August 2023
Category: Blog, Catering Business, News
Tags: Catering business, Hotel, mass catering, Pubs, Restaurant
29 Mar |
Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Show |
For the last 87 years the place to be in March, has been the Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Show. For anyone in catering businesses there’s always some nugget to find in the UK’s largest gathering of the food, drink and hospitality sector. In 2022, it got even better when HRC joined forces with the Pub Show. It now includes all sectors and the entire supply chain for food and beverages.
Everything under One Roof
The Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Show is the destination to experience product innovation. Over three days visitors have the chance to meet and reconnect with over 1500 suppliers. These are from across food & drink, professional catering equipment, design & decor & hospitality tech. Anyone from the trade can discover, taste and test the latest products created specifically for hotels, restaurant & catering professionals.
The Show is organised into five main sections for food service, professional kitchens, design and décor, hospitality technology and the Pub Show. As a trade-only show there are opportunities to network (facilitated as well as freestyle); to hear noted speakers discuss the latest trend; and to get business advice directly from experts. Alongside this runs the UK’s most prestigious cooking competition – International Salon Culinaire.
Rational Attendance
At AC Services Southern, we recommend that anyone in catering attends HRC. If you missed this year’s put it in the diary for next year, now. When we attend, we always learn a lot about what is happening today that will affect our clients tomorrow. We need also to admit that we might be a little biased, as Rational always has a stand.
This year Rational demonstrated its iKitchen approach with its latest generation of cooking systems, the iVario and iCombi Pro. These combined cover 95% of all conventional cooking applications; at the same time achieving space savings of up to 40%.The cooking systems are made for cooperation, and when combined with the ConnectedCooking network solution, the intelligent kitchen is complete.
Seminar Variety
The seminars genuinely cater for all. For example, Hospitality 2023 a Global View in which IGD Insight and Economy specialists Nicola Knight and James Walton shared their predictions for 2023 on the impact of global pressures on the hospitality sector in the UK. It was followed by Successfully Interpreting Future Trends to Unlock New Revenue for Your Business. This had the subtitle of Ever Attended a Trends Talk and Thought There Was No Way Your Business Could Relate? The solution was a panel of hospitality champions discussing how they managed to interpret future trend predictions.
And they don’t avoid the basic new challenges such as Making Sense of Fat, Oil and Grease Management Responsibilities. This focused on the recent launch of an important guide to fat, oil and grease management in foodservice kitchen wastewater. This report brings together all that a site needs to know to make an effective evaluation of how it should manage its FOG disposal to prevent sewer blockages.
International Salon Culinaire
International Salon Culinaire has been regarded as one of the world’s top competitions for chefs for over a century. Over 100 live and static competitions across the three days provide a platform for chefs of all levels to go on to greater success in the industry.
Gold Medal Winners this year ranged from James and Alan Dougan of NHS Scotland GGRC in the NHS 4 Nations Chef Challenge to those beginning their careers, like Boe Trowbridge of City of Portsmouth College Monday’s winner of Butcher a Whole Chicken for Saute.
The 2023 HRC Chef Ambassador for HRC and International Salon Culinaire was Monica Galetti. She shares our view that:
“Now, more than ever, it’s so important for hospitality professionals and chefs to come together, network, learn and continue growing this fantastic industry. There’s nowhere better do to this than at the Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Show.”
Published Date: 29th March 2023
Category: Blog, Catering Business, Events, News, Rational
Tags: Care homes, Catering business, farm shop, Hotel, mass catering, Pubs, Rational Ovens, Show report
01 Feb |
5 Catering Trends 2023 |
We’re already a month into 2023, but it’s never too late to plan for the year ahead. Which is why this month, AC Services is looking at five emerging trends in UK catering businesses.
Menu Size Reduction
With the cost-of-living crisis, the message seems to be getting through that less is more when it comes to items on the menu. One of the consistent messages from Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant rescue programmes has always been reducing the size of the menu. Why, because a shorter menu is far easier for the kitchen to cope with. The consumer can have too much choice!
Shorter menus have significant benefits. They reduce waste as a smaller range of items need to be purchased. This also enables an increased focus on the freshness and availability of ingredients. In turn this allows better control of costs.
A 2023 trend is the 9 course a la carte menu, with only 3 choices each of starter, main and dessert.
Premium Side Dishes
Here the aim is to keep the mains to as low a cost as possible. Why, because consumers will calculate value based upon the advertised price of the main course. They then feel they are in control of deciding whether they want a side dish.
The side dish could be justified as a treat, sounds attractive or because they have decided it’s a necessary part of their meal. The last one is key. What is not happening here is cutting back the mains to say just the protein and charging extra for everything else.
This trend allows chefs to keep costs down for the core menu, but also show their creativity in this week’s side dishes with greater margins.
Flatbread Sharing
This trend is not for everyone perhaps, but flatbreads are increasingly appearing on menus usually as starters. They are a low cost option which are easy to make to order for most kitchens. With a range of toppings, dips and sauces they become an easy sharing course for groups or couples, who perhaps didn’t intend to have a starter.
It’s the warm flatbread, which is the trend. It harks back to the old tradition of offering a bread basket before a meal so the guest finishes the meal happily full!
2 Specialised Catering Trends for 2023 and 1 Certainty
An interesting trend to watch in 2023 is going to be the apparent upsurge in roadside dining. This had seemed to have died with the end of Little Chefs and Happy Eaters. The space in the market seems to be consistent menus with easily accessible dining rooms that aren’t fast food. The wider economic situation is of course similar to what fuelled the original trend in the 80’s.
A more localised trend is catering businesses asking their clients to help fund their development through crowd-funding. This comes in part from the various campaigns to save the local pub, which often use crowd-funding to raise necessary capital. The big plus of course is that it also builds the community clientele for longer term survival. And it taps into the support of those who dine infrequently, but want to do it locally.
Whatever the trends for 2023, the certainty you can rely on is that AC Services will be here to assist catering businesses in South West England and South Wales with servicing their Rational ovens.
Published Date: 1st February 2023
Category: Blog, Catering Business, News
Tags: Catering business, Hotel, mass catering, Pubs, Restaurant, schools
26 Oct |
Saving Catering Business Energy |
With the clocks changing and peak autumn colours reached, now is the time to review hotel and catering business energy costs. Doing it now will maximise profits of the coming festive season and be ready for the winter of 2023.
Many of the changes required on catering business energy will cost some money to implement. Given some sources estimate that catering overspent more than £100Mpa on energy before the cost acceleration of 2022 and is responsible for 8M tonnes of carbon; acting now is good for your future business profit.
Measured start
With any business change, it’s always good to start with measurement. Aside from the regular bill, how do you monitor use? Do you use and does your supplier offer a Smart meter? This gives ongoing readings of your total use. Plug appliance monitors costing £25-30 allow you to check on individual items which use mains plugs. Both enable positive action to reduce waste.
Another conversation with your supplier is whether they are part of the National Grid Off-peak scheme starting in November. Here smart meters enable consumers and businesses to switch some of their use to off-peak hours (typically 1.30-4pm and 11pm to 7am) and receive a substantial reduction on their cost per unit. It also balances the load more effectively to reduce the potential for national and local blackouts.
All caterers could also consider their menu choices based upon the energy required. This is both in the cooking, preparation and storage. Analysis by the Carbon Trust showed that preparation accounts for a quarter of energy use.
Heating balances
40% of total catering business energy use is typically heat. This is skewed upwards by the inclusion of larger hotels, but is key for all in the winter months. A 1°C reduction in temperature can reduce the bill by 8%. Ideal room temperatures are:
- Bars/lounges 20-22°C
- Restaurants 22-24°C
- Kitchens 16-18°C
- Corridors 19-21°C
Key savers are ensuring the boiler is serviced regularly and that thermostats are not badly placed so they’re affected by radiators or draughts. Another one often overlooked is ensuring there is a 5°C deadband between heating and air-conditioning; so that one does not work against the other.
Lighting and water savings
The simple fix is LED and energy efficient bulbs, which can halve the energy used in lighting and will last long enough for the future price increases.
The longer fix is the installation of occupancy sensors to ensure that the lights are only on when needed as there is someone there. The word of caution is to be sensible in areas like corridors and stairwells for safety reasons. These again typically save 30-50%.
Low flow aerators on taps use fewer gallons of water per minute of both hot and cold supplies saving energy and money. Forced air hand driers use 80% less energy due to their efficiency than traditional heated driers. And the simplest saving tip is to remove the scale build-up wherever water is boiled.
Equipment reviews
Refrigeration is a necessary cost for all catering businesses. Regular cleaning and defrosting of fridges and freezers should be a given. But how many of us remember to carefully clean and remove the dust from the coils/panel at the back? Clean panels allow the heat to clear quicker meaning less energy used.
The ideal fill of a fridge is ¾ as this allows air to circulate and food to absorb the cold. Once a fridge has chilled, it uses the same amount of energy whether full or empty. What massively affects energy usage is the door being open for long periods and the fluctuations. It’s worth reviewing:
- how the fridge and other equipment is used and
- optimising by turning off other equipment when not in use.
For equipment it is always essential to consider the whole lifecycle costs not just the cost to purchase. The cost to run a fridge is way higher than the purchase price. Consider the efficiency of all equipment. Tests have shown the two most efficient cooking technologies for catering businesses were induction hobs and combi-ovens. The Caterer estimated that the latter were 25-50% more efficient than the equivalent back in 2015. AC Services would say wouldn’t we, that for Rational efficient energy use has always been a prime consideration.
Act now
Catering business energy costs are set to stay at high levels for some time. Now is the time to act with a mix of easy changes based on reviews of use; and some investment in those that give a longer payback period for the money that needs to be spent.
Our final thought is about community. If your trade only half fills the restaurant, is there space for those who can’t warm their homes to positively nurse a coffee for a couple of hours? Could this be wrapped up into a pay forward scheme, where both are jointly promoted publicly? After all, Covid taught catering businesses to consider all options to survive and manage goodwill.
Published Date: 26th October 2022
Category: Blog, Catering Business, News
Tags: Catering business, Combi Oven, farm shop, Food producers, Hotel, mass catering, Pubs, Restaurant