Caffe Nero, Costa, TGI Fridays and Fat Hippo are among the brands to release their festive menus. MCA rounds up the latest menu launches, exploring trends for indulgence, international flavours and some twists on classic Christmas dishes.
Costa Coffee
Costa’s festive drinks range leans on some iconic desserts for inspiration as it transforms the classic British pudding into a beverage with the new Sticky Toffee Latte and Sticky Toffee Iced Latte.
Further inspiration from flavours well-loved by the British public come in the form of Terry’s Chocolate Orange® Hot Chocolate and Inspired by After Eight® Hot Chocolate.
After featuring hazelnut heavily in its autumn menu, Costa has also introduced a new Roasted Hazel Latte and new Roasted Hazel Hot Chocolate to its Christmas drink offering.
Pork features heavily on Costa’s savoury lunch offering with a new Pigs and Blankets Toastie, featuring pork sausage, maple cured bacon, caramelised onion chutney, in garlic, onion and sage crumbed cheese-topped bread.
The new Honey Roast Ham and Wensleydale Ciabatta, brings a sweet and luxurious twist to the Christmas dinner dish, with Wensleydale cheese, mature Cheddar, honey and béchamel sauce, in a cranberry ciabatta.
Sweet treats include more traditional winter warmers including the Sticky Toffee Loaf Cake, made even more indulgent with caramel frosting, caramel drizzle, and fudge pieces.
All Butter Mince Pie and Vegan and Gluten-Free Mince Tart also join the ensemble alongside a new Christmas Cake Slice.
Caffe Nero
Caffé Nero has focused on dishes inspired by the coffee brand’s Italian heritage with a new Panettone Latte, inspired by the classic Milanese Christmas cake.
Meanwhile the addition of the Florentine Mocha, combines coffee with nutty, fruity, and chocolate notes of the Italian biscuit.
The traditional Mince Pie has also been turned up a notch with a hint of Amaretto, for an indulgent, luxurious twist.
Alongside Italian flavours, Caffe Nero is also drawing on some more British and American inspiration.
A Millionaires Hot Chocolate has transformed the popular sweet treat into a beverage with a rich caramel syrup, topped with a new chocolate cream, and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
The Turkey Feast Focaccia brings in a mix of flavour profiles with turkey, crispy bacon, stuffing, and a generous drizzle of cranberry sauce, in a soft rosemary focaccia.
Like Costa, the coffee shop introduces a trio of festive favourites with a Brie, Bacon & Cranberry Panini.
With Pigs in Blankets fast becoming the hero flavour of the season, the brand’s new Pigs Under Blankets Panini, has a delicious balsamic twist on the classic.
On to sweet treats, another brand to transform a well-known pudding, Caffe Nero introduces the Sticky Toffee Pudding Cheesecake.
Fat Hippo
Burger chain Fat Hippo is adding some indulgent, cheese-laden dishes to its Christmas offering.
The return of the ‘Hans Gruber-ger’ draws on classic American flavours, adding gooey American cheese, crispy maple-basted Southern fried chicken, cranberry ‘jello’ to its beef patty, pork stuffing patty, and crunchy ‘slaw.
For vegans, the ‘Fairytale of No Pork’ option also brings in similar tastes with a Southern fried plant-based patty, gooey deep-fried vegan halloumi, cranberry ‘jello’, maple ‘fakon’ and crunchy ‘slaw.
Both burgers are served with Festive Fries, attracting consumers looking for that indulgent festive treat, with loaded liquid cheese, thick gravy, and sage seasoning.
TGI Fridays
American casual dining chain TGI Fridays introduces a modern twist on a Christmas classic with the Festive Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail and joins other brands making Pigs in Blankets the star of the show, this time served with parsnip crisps and the brand’s ‘Legendary Glaze’.
It is also showcasing some classic Christmas dinner dishes including Stuffing Balls, drizzled in Friday’s Legendary Glaze.
Elsewhere, the brand has created a festive twist on some traditional burger combinations.
The Festive Glazed Burger is loaded with layers of Monterey Jack cheese, crispy bacon, and glazed Stuffing Ball.
Whereas the Festive Glazed Chicken Burger offers a lemon and garlic flame-grilled chicken breast, with additions of Monterey Jack cheese, crispy bacon, parsnip crisps, and glazed Stuffing Ball.
Also on the menu, a Christmas Combo Bucket filled with a half rack of baby back pork ribs, grilled chicken breast and a chicken wing, pigs in blankets, stuffing balls, corn on cob, fries, and parsnip crisps.
TGI’s festive drink range offers a citrusy, fresh accompaniment to its indulgent food menu.
The Raspberry Refresher mocktail mixes sweet raspberry, mint, lime, with elderflower and lemonade.
Meanwhile, the Lynchburg Lemonade includes Jack Daniel’s, Cointreau, lemon, and lime. There is also a classic Christmas cocktail on the menu, in the form of a Kir Royale of, with Chambord and Prosecco.
Another very festive tipple with a twist, the Baileys Choc Martini mixes the creamy liquor with vodka and cream, made extra luxurious with a chocolate rim, cream dome and crumbled flake.
