Higher quality, made-to-order food is a major trend in forecourts as more and more consumers begin driving electric vehicles, according to Jo Hayward, VP Convenience, Europe, for BP.

Speaking at MCA’s Food to Go conference, Hayward said many of the challenges of curating a food offer for EV drivers are the same as those for non-EV customers – except dwell time is significantly longer for the former.

“The dwell time is 15-25 minutes, so how to we offer a food mission that’s slightly different?” Hayward said. “For us the challenge is how to take our five-minute pick-and-go offer to a made to order, fresh, quality offer.

“All our customers are time-pressed and on a mission to do multiple things at one time. They’re becoming more used to having everything digital.

“So we need to think about a multi-mission, frictionless interaction that removes challenges and barriers for the customer.”

The idea is to offer a “slightly more advanced” proposition for EV customers but keep it simple despite the added complexity of a different supply chain.

“We need to keep it simple for the customer but manage the complexity behind the scenes,” Hayward told delegates.

Digitisation, such as allowing customers to pre-order via the app, is one way of delivering made-to-order food while retaining the convenience factor, she explained, adding that forecourts and travel hubs have historically been slower to digitise than high streets.

BP’s Wild Bean Café concept has been developed to fill this gap, with items on offer including fish finger sandwiches and egg and halloumi baps, with eggs cooked according to customer preference.

“Customers will choose to charge their EV in a place that offers them something differentiated from what you get everywhere else,” Hayward said.

BP is also trialling a ‘mini market’ concept offering self-serve coffee, pastries, and savouries, intended to suit different missions for different customers.

While health-led food trends feature in forecourts, indulgence remains important for many.

“Customers are still looking for a treat when they travel. A lot of people are not as health-conscious, especially when they’re on the road for a longer period of time.

“We sold over 3 million sausage rolls last year.”

Hayward also pointed to the addition of seating as a potential future trend to cater to customers with a longer dwell time.

“We want to create the space and comfort for people to eat on the move without feeling rushed, and to solve all their missions at one time under one roof.”