Orchid, the managed pub operator, has identified eight food trends that it believes will be popular over the coming months.
It comes as the company releases its summer menu. The trends are:
1) Retro food. “Retro food means ginger beer, BBQ sauce on everything and lashings of custard with desserts,” said Orchid. “A highlight is Ginger Beer Chessecake at Do Drop Inns. These flavours hark back to the good old days, bringing back fond memories and allowing customers to re-live their childhood as they eat.”
2) Diner chic. “Milkshakes and hot dogs are all the rage and coming to Free House Dining pubs,” Orchid said. “Orchid ‘hawt dawgs’ are the best they can be and come fully loaded with chilli, cheese, sour cream and American mustard. Pizza Kitchen Bar pubs are also introducing Dough Dogs - a twist on the classic hot dog, cooked and served wrapped in dough instead of a bread roll.”
3) Demand for dairy. Orchid said: “There have been some high-profile campaigns highlighting that many ice-creams contain no cream. Orchid pubs are proud to serve real dairy ice-cream; they always have, and always will. This is just one of the ways that the pub company demonstrates provenance and provides reassurance for customers.”
4) Old flavours, new ways. “Favourite tastes are being used in new and exciting ways to ensure customers can still enjoy the classics but in a dish relevant to the season. For example, the Bakewell Suet Pudding has morphed into a Bakewell Ice-Cream Cake for a fresher, cooler take on dessert. And the flavours of a Ploughman’s Lunch have been injected into a tart for a lighter starter.”
5) My food, my way. Orchid said customers are becoming “more demanding” and “expect to have everything just as they want it when spending their hard-earned cash on eating out”. “Giving them customisation options, such as heat level, toppings and sides in the Spice It Up section at Pizza Kitchen Bar allows them to shape their meal.”
6) Big and Mighty. “Those with bigger appetites do not want to be left hungry at the end of a meal, so the Big and Mighty menu section at Free House Dining pubs caters to them. This summer there is a new Mega Chip Shop Platter with battered saveloy bites - a new twist on fish and chips.”
7) Sharing Platters. Orchid said: “Long summer evenings are best spent with friends and family, and food is also best shared among a group. Sharing platters remain a big theme and are expected to account for a substantial proportion of sales during hotter days. The new Italian sharing platter is one of the additions, and is perfect for nibbling over a bottle of rose.”
Sarah Thomas, head of food at Orchid Group, said: “We’re seeing all sorts of developments take shape in the food industry.
“There is still a big call for retro dishes, and this is only going to increase, and provenance remains an important issue. Customers increasingly want to know where there food comes from and be reassured that each dish uses the best possible ingredients, that are fresh and locally sourced so far as possible.
“Along with bigger meals for those with hearty appetites, classic tastes of the US and using favourite flavours in new ways, there is plenty to tickle the taste buds when eating at Orchid pubs this summer.”
