Queen's Jubilee and Olympics to put focus on 'Great British' cooking in 2012
"Events like the Olympics and the Queen's Jubilee, which in the same vein as last year's Royal Wedding, are expected to ignite national pride and interest in all things British," said Charles Banks, director of The foodpeople.
"As such, we should expect a new rise in popularity of traditional 'English food' like fish and chips and pies together with a more general demand for an overt British regional presence in dishes and ingredients."
In response to its prediction, the agency, which has teamed up with Nestle Professional CHEF, has come up with three areas it thinks restaurants, hotels and pubs serving food should be focusing on to be able to embrace the trend to its best effect.
Fun and informality
Despite big events happening in the UK this year, there is still the 'black cloud' of recession hanging over us. The agency believes that many diners are therefore looking for ways of getting the most for their money, but are also seeking ways to escape the doom and gloom when out.
"Consumers are looking for light relief in all areas of their lives - dining is no exception. They are looking to restaurants to create an experience they can enjoy with friends and family that they couldn't create for themselves at home," said Banks.
Value for money
As mentioned in the last point, diners are watching their pennies, so are more demanding and more discerning when it comes to the choices they make when eating out.
Banks said: "Quality - of service and food - taste, portion size and variety of choice are the key considerations in the value for money equation. In short, consumers want a better experience and better food for the same money."
Honesty and transparency
With increasingly food savvy customers coming through your door, who also demand transparency in all areas of their lives, there is a need for operators to be able to provide more and more information about the food being served and about the way they run their businesses.
Highlighting the provenance of ingredients, showing how sustainable your business is and offering information such as calorie and nutritional information to diners can all help in this way, suggests The foodpeople.
For in-depth suggestions on ways to deliver these three areas to your customers and for some suggested recipe ideas from Nestle Professional CHEF, download the free white paper from Nestle Professional CHEF here.
