New Food Trends & Menu Ideas

• As consumers seek to lower their carbon footprint, hyper local celebrates ingredients that are grown or brewed on site. This gives them a key USP (Unique Selling Point) that can help with their marketing and social media presence.
  
  
• The demand for plant based meals and the ‘no chicken kiev’ is rapidly rising. Be bold with your offerings and consider cauliflower steaks and wings, mushroom tacos, corn fritters or charred onion burger on an artisan bun.
  
  
• “Box friendly” could be the way to go. Offering your diners, the option to take home their left over food is not just a nice gesture but serves as a tool to reduce your food waste charges. Just remember to be mindful of your use of single use plastics when offering box friendly services.
  
  
• A dog is man’s best friend- visitors are in search of establishments that are pet friendly. Have you considered going dog friendly to attract this market?
  
  
• Single person households and busy schedules have removed the stigma around solo dining. The empty space of a large table can make a single guest feel more aware of their solidarity.  
  
  

Menu Ideas

• Drop the seafood chowder for a one fish chowder e.g. North Atlantic smoked haddock & sweetcorn chowder & warm bread made with Whitewater Brewery beer. This can increase margins as it cuts down on fish purchasing.
  
  
• Seasonal produce sees translation onto menus with hip terminology like “dug to-day spuds” & “picked today berries”. “Salad leaves straight from our walled garden or allotments”.
  
  
• The rise of small plates sees low cost produce yielding high gross profit for the astute chef. Lamb belly is a cheap but delicious local dish waiting for exploitation.
  
  
• Trusting your gut is not only a hunch but also a new trend driven by the movement in food and wellness. Kefir & Kombucha drinks may sound foreign but are totally doable in a creative journey into fermenting in house.
  
  
• “Seacuterie” is a worthwhile investigation for any chef wishing to stand out from the crowd. Smoking with tea or hay, can give smoked salmon a run for its money. Using either fresh from the lake, eel or trout, and a more wide range like brill, turbot and hake.
  
  
• The great sandwich comeback makes it mark with freshly baked sourdoughs served warm with melted local cheese & crispy bacon or charcuterie.
  
  
• Chicken has 239 calories per 100g while Goat meat comes in at 143 calories per 100g. Explore goat burgers in an Ulster floury bap!  
  
  
• Menus with more dietary options. Due to the rise in eating habits and varied diets, food outlets will have to cater for consumers seeking high quality gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, and keto options.
  
  
• Sophistication of children’s menus. Discerning parents want to expose children to different kinds of ingredients and flavors.