Chefs and hospitality businesses are responding to the challenges of the current trading environment by making the most of fresh produce and innovative dishes.

The new Fresh Food Trends Report 2023 from Bidfresh spotlights ways the sector is using high quality produce to raise its menu game and persuade cash-strapped consumers to dine out.

After a challenging 2022 involving inflation, supply issues and new legislations, the Bidfresh Group with its three specialist fresh food businesses; Campbell Brothers (catering butchers).

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After another difficult year involving inflation, conflict overseas and plenty of new legislation, Bidfood, one of the UK’s leading foodservice providers has released the latest food and drink trends set to shape and inspire the industry for 2023.

Despite a tough few years, Bidfood’s latest research has shown that consumer demand for eating out remains strong. In fact, 7 in 10 say eating and drinking out is the treat they most look forward to.

To help support operators navigating the changes in consumer habits.

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Our insights whizz, Nichola Gallagher hot-footed it to the Food & Drink Expo 2022 at the NEC this week.

As well as the wonderful array of innovative brands and products, there were insightful sessions talking about the current state and future of the market.

Nichola's key take outs from the day include:
• A blurring of channels between Convenience & FTG with forecourts in particular developing their offer both through collaborations with big QSR brands and via own label branding

• Hot food and drinks over-index in this space and are seen as an area of further opportunity by the convenience operators

• The NPD that is leveraging this opportunity has a strong lean towards premium.

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With the industry slowly getting back to some sense of normality, Bidfood, one of the UK’s leading foodservice providers, has revealed the hottest dining and social trends set to shape the industry as we enter into a very different world in 2022.

Through exploring the impact of the pandemic and consumers’ ever-changing habits, Bidfood’s latest report is designed to help operators navigate the changing market, adapt their menus and delve deep into the latest flavours and cuisines dominating the industry.

The hottest food and drink dining trends
The Wow Factor: The main reasons people are going out for food and drink are all social or celebratory.

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Sarah Heward, co-owner of The Real Food Café in Tyndrum, has opened up about the lessons she's learnt during the pandemic.

I opened The Real Food Café in 2005, transforming a derelict Little Chef into an award-winning roadside diner with a turnover of £1.6million. I have faced many obstacles over the years, obstacles that taught me valuable business and life lessons. However, I have learned more in the past year than ever before.

Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, we were making record profits.

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Despite people spending more time at home than ever before, new research from Sainsbury’s reveals that just 28% of households are sharing the same meal in the evening, with an even lower 12% sharing breakfast.

The poll of 2,000 UK respondents found that a busy schedule is the most common reason families don’t dine together, with 55% of the population admitting to struggling to find the time. Nearly one in five (19%) Brits aged 25-34 said they often eat a totally different meal to the rest of the family due to working late. Almost a quarter (23%) of parents in this age group even admitted that their children eat meals in front of the TV or games console.

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Here at Caterlyst, we are conducting a survey on how pub and restaurant owners are coping during this lockdown period.

How will you adapt and change? Are you getting the support you need, and do you feel your business can survive?

It only takes 5 minutes to complete the survey, and we'd really appreciate it if you could take part.

Simply copy and paste this link to your browser: https://surveymechanics.

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As we enter a new decade, Bidfood, one of the UK’s largest foodservice providers reveals the food, drink and dining trends set to shape the industry in a new report.

An explosion of flavour is set to hit the UK food scene in 2020, driven by advances in experiential dining, a range of global flavours, developments in sustainability and technology, as well as unusual and authentic cooking methods coming to the forefront.

A range of sub-trends and ingredients have been distilled into five mega trends that operators should keep front of mind for the coming year:

Feed the senses
Following a food revolution in the noughties and the rise of casual dining and pop-up food experiences in the 2010s.

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With data from Allegra stating that consumers are willing to pay up to 12.4% more for a Christmas-themed drink, the benefits for pub, bar, cafe and restaurant operators of getting in the festive spirit are clear.

However, with such stiff competition it’s essential for operators to be organised to ensure that increased footfall and tricky to prepare innovations don’t lead to longer waiting times.

It’s also equally important for them to ensure that stock levels are maintained to keep consumers coming back for their favourite festive beverage.

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Prove It: The Great British Bakery Report, a new report from Délifrance, has revealed that artisanal experiences, health and wellness, new diets such as veganism, and demand for a larger variety of flavours, are shaping consumer demands for the UK bakery market.

To understand what consumers really want in out-of-home bakery products, the report drilled down into the key categories of bread, viennoiserie, pâtisserie and savoury. Research revealed nearly a quarter (23%) of the nation is eating more bakery products than before, thanks to increased variety and quality.

These discerning consumers are in search for new flavours and experiences across the categories.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI), zero waste and food implanted with nutrients are all front of mind for hospitality professionals when predicting the top industry trends in 2044 – just 25 years from now.

According to new, independent research of 750 hospitality professionals from Brita Professional, operating sustainably will be the norm for establishments with 81% believing that achieving zero waste will be the top sustainability initiative in 2044.

This is closely followed by kitchen technology that delivers smart cleaning and less water waste (72%) and product innovation that sees a total ban on single-use plastics (53%).

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The appeal for no and low alcohol beers is globally on the rise. According to Imbibe, “No-alcohol beer appears to be going craft, which shouldn't be too surprising considering figures suggest that 16-to-24-year-olds drink less than any other age group.

Recent stats revealed that 30% of customers sitting in a pub or bar are not actually drinking alcohol, which makes a drinkable no-alcohol beer the new holy grail.” Drinking low or no alcohol products has also increased amongst millennials, with the younger generation becoming more health conscious.

Robinsons Brewery.

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With it more important than ever to champion the pub sector and help keep the much-loved local at the heart of the community, Marston's PLC has unveiled its latest On Trade Beer Report to enable operators to drive beer sales in the year ahead.

Providing insight into the beer drinker, industry trends and category performance, the report offers practical advice on how pub operators can increase footfall, visit frequency and spend per head.

The report stresses the importance of operators understanding their drinkers to sell more beer.

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Catering Equipment Suppliers Association's Nick Oryino (pictured), the technical consultant, has highlighted in the following overview that alarm bells should be ringing over the safety of imported foodservice equipment.

The CE Mark: it’s so ubiquitous it’s almost become invisible. And that’s an issue, since on some catering equipment it IS invisible – because it’s not there. There’s a worrying trend in the foodservice equipment industry involving importing equipment from the Far East that doesn’t have the CE Mark.

Safety has to be at the top of every distributor’s and foodservice operator’s agenda – using equipment that doesn’t have the CE Mark should set alarm bells ringing.

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Brexit has helped accelerate us to become a mighty Staycation Nation as 2019 is set to be the strongest year for holidaying at home, according to new research out today by Travelodge.

This summer, 69% of Britons are taking their annual summer holiday in the UK which is an increase of 12% (57%) from 2018 with the average holiday being eight days.

This year, British holidaymakers are also splashing out a little extra on their summer break and spending on average £874. This is the highest spend since Travelodge started its annual holiday index in 2011 when the average spend was £399.

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Despite continuing uncertainty caused by Brexit, the foodservice equipment industry is optimistic about economic growth over the next 12 months, according to the latest CESA business survey. Most companies also reported that sales were up, compared to the previous 12 months.

Interestingly, the most important drivers for growth over the next 12 months are seen to be increased sales to new and existing customers and product innovation – while expanding into new geographical areas, a big focus for Brexit campaigners, is at the very bottom of the list.

The results of the survey.

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For businesses across the service industry, keeping customers satisfied is a top priority. In hospitality, going a step further to ‘wow’ customers could be the key to boosting revenue – something that’s never been more important than now, in a climate that has seen RevPAR decrease in regional hotels during the first quarter of the year for the first time since 2012.

The UK’s leading independent hotel management company, RBH, is putting the focus firmly on the ‘wow’ factor, with a renewed commitment to creating customer advocates – spearheaded by Chief Operating Officer, Neil Taylor (pictured).

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A survey of foodservice professionals reveals that sustainability concerns are changing the way the industry operates, with menus and kitchens reflecting more on the longevity of the industry and a desire to protect its future.

The report commissioned by Nestlé Professional Toque d’Or reveals that 40% of foodservice professionals see sustainable eating becoming mainstream as one of the biggest and most exciting opportunities for the industry in the future.

The trend is reflected behind the scenes.

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Accor Hotels has analysed 51,918 restaurants and 76 different cuisines across Europe’s capital cities in a bid to reveal the continents most favoured food.

New data from AccorHotels reveals that Italian food is Europe’s favourite, with the highest number of restaurants across the top 20 European capitals.

Whilst there are over 11,000 Italian restaurants across the continent’s capital cities, sadly, British pub grub is only loved by the UK, with only 1.8% of restaurants across Europe selling our national dishes.

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Chris Beckley, Managing Director of Sysco-owned Kent Frozen Foods (KFF), has revealed his top tips for caterers looking to become more sustainable in 2019.

‘Single use’ was declared by Collins dictionary word of the year in 2018, as sustainability and the need to tackle the ever-growing war on waste were firmly fixed in consumers’ minds.

The surge towards sustainability has undeniably impacted the hospitality industry, and with the appointment of the UK’s first Food Surplus Waste Champion at the start if January.

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