Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of the Leon restaurant chain and chair of the National Food Strategy, was commissioned by government to execute an independent review on how to achieve a sustainable and fair food system. The terrible health crisis that took over the world in 2020 has shown with alarming clarity the damage being done to our health by the modern food system. Diet related illness is one of the top three risk factors for dying of Covid-19 and has cemented the need for the UK government and businesses to take bold action and revamp its National Food Strategy Plan.
“I’ve got good news and bad news…which would you like first?”
We all know it takes a special kind of psychopath to ask for the bad news ahead of the good, but today’s Arena ‘From Re-Opening Roadmap to Recovery’ webinar really was a tale of two acts, top-loaded with bad, but tinged with some thumbs-to-the-troposphere optimism, arriving a little while after the interval.
It’s been a long road, but despite the threat of a third wave, the roll out of vaccinations does mean there is light at the end of the tunnel for the hospitality sector, which has been devastated by the past 16 months. 2020 saw 11 weeks of normal trading and 41 weeks of restrictions, not to mention the joys of Brexit uncertainty. This led to a total market decline of -47.8%, with an outlet percentage decline of 1.2% in 2020. However, as we head towards the second half of 2021 hopefully things are looking up.
As part of Public Sector Catering’s fantastic Plant-Based Week, the jellybean team was in high attendance at the publication’s ‘Future of Plant-Based Meals’ webinar, where industry experts weighed in on the key issues around plant-based eating in the public sector.
As a leading food and drink agency we make sure we stay ahead of the game when it comes to the latest foodie trends. So we always look forward to see what trends The Food People predict will be shaping menus and shopping baskets. We may be nearly half way through 2021, but with a rather stuttering start to the year due to Covid, now seems as good a time as any to take a look at what they are tipping to be the next big foodie trends. So, here we go…
The latest in Arena’s #AskArena series featured a panel discussion focussed on re-opening right when it comes to B&I contract catering. With a stellar line up including Allister Richards, COO, CH&CO; Hamish Cook, Head of Group Food Services – Global Operations, ISS; Rajat Chawla, Commercial & Business Excellence Director – Northern Europe, Aramark; Phil Sanders, Out of Home Commercial Director, Britvic Soft Drinks and JP Kloppers, Managing Director, Yoyo.
Pre-Covid the food to go (F2G) sector was outstripping the market. A hub for innovation and an ever-growing sector with players as diverse as McDonalds and LEON. MCA’s latest Food to Go Conference looked at how the sector has been affected by the past year and its prospects for recovering in 2021 and beyond. Here are our top takeouts from the day:
The second session of the Lumina Food Strategy Forum focused on a more informal panel discussion around some of the key topics around reopening hospitality with Vita Mojo, MCA & Lumina. Here are our top take-outs:
As the leading foodservice agency, we are proud members of the Lumina Food Strategy Forum, and as such regularly attend their insight debriefs to ensure we are up-to-the-minute when it comes to foodservice trends. The first of two sessions this week looked at the post lockdown landscape in the wake of Covid and how both industry and consumer behaviour will be affected moving forward with a specific look at the restaurant sector.
As the leading foodservice agency, jellybean is proud to have partnered with Arena to sponsor an exclusive boutique online event gathering foodservice sales and marketing professionals together to exchange insights around the challenges of the past year, and those of the months ahead.
With an uncertain year ahead, it’s more important than ever to keep up-to-date with industry news and the ever-changing needs of today’s consumer. Arena’s latest virtual event ‘Growing into 2021’ provided valuable insight and thought-provoking discussions around the post-pandemic consumer and the future for foodservice. If you missed it, fear not! We’ve noted the key take outs below:
If you missed the last Arena event ‘Hospitality – The Road to Recovery’ with Kate Nicholls OBE of UKHospitality, along with a panel discussion from leading industry figures, worry not. As a leading out of home agency we were there and here are some of my key take outs:
The MCA Restaurant Conference is always a great event, and despite the current times, this year was no exception. Indeed, more than ever there feels a real need for the industry to come together to share learnings and insights in order to help navigate the choppy seas ahead. As most are currently closed or operating only take-away or delivery boxes, I suspect the virtual conference attracted even more attendees than in normal times. The line-up featured a who’s who of the restaurant world and tackled head-on the current issues and concerns about the future. As a leading foodservice agency, we were there to hear the latest, from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.
It is unquestionable that hospitality and foodservice are amongst the industries that have been hit the hardest by the pandemic. Yet many pubs, restaurants and cafes have adjusted with an ‘adapt or die’ mentality of gritty determination that has seen them through two lockdowns and everything in between.
It’s fair to say that this year has not gone as predicted, but as we look forward to 2021 and the positive steps towards mass vaccination, Lumina Intelligence shared with us their insights on how this has gone and what might be in store. Here are my top take outs from their comprehensive presentation available to Forum Members:
What’s happened in eating out:
Simplified menus post lockdown 1 with dishes down 21.6% overall. Allowing for Covid safe back of house service, cost management and easy online ordering.
Price increases up 1.9% overall with pubs up 5.2%, whilst chain restaurants were only up 1.2% showing how pubs can justify a higher price point based on their high-quality offer.
Digitisation of menus and service across the board as operators look to implement contactless Covid safe ordering and payment and leverage the market for delivery.
Customisation with 83% (4 in 5) dishes being customisable/adaptable – although these tend to be pizza, burger and Burrito or wraps. This is also where vegan options come into play with customers offered the option to choose a meat free alternative.
Fewer sharing dishes due to the danger of cross contamination. With a drop of 15% down to 3.4% of dishes. Whilst fast food seems to have embraced them with a +229% increase based on at home sharing.
Gluten Free & Veggie/Vegan on the rise with now 1 in 10 mains able to be made gluten free. Whilst 14.3% are vegetarian and 8.3% are vegan.
NPD is in decline understandably as operators look to adapt to highly challenging times, with only 5% of dishes on the menu being new. However, this is only a drop of 2% from 7% last year so some are still innovating and will have used lockdown time to innovate.
Menu Engineering – with menu simplicity signaling a premium establishment. Indeed, shorter descriptions also signal a more fine dining menu. Whilst price points are also telling with round figures indicative of premium establishments with others left digit price anchoring and 99p or 95p endings to entice customers.
Quality of food is the no.1 key consumer decision maker at 28% with a focus on premiumisation and provenance. Equally, instagramable food, high quality drinks and atmosphere also up across 18-24 & 25-35 age groups.
Sustainability may have taken a back seat to safety in Covid times but is still high on the priority list with consumers, with 43% looking for sustainability. So, once safe we are likely to see this important trend re-emerge. Buying and supporting local is also a big trend with 78% believing that supporting local is important or very important. Whilst consumers are also still keen to reduce single use plastics.
Who we dine with has also changed as we see smaller group sizes due to restrictions, more pet friendly options in response to the rise in dog ownership during lockdown, as well as more solo dining.
Outside dining has also offered operators a life-line with 25% more investment in outdoor dining options from pods to marquees or simply patio heaters and awnings.
Experiences have moved in-home, with cocktail making kits and take home drinks on the rise.
Partnerships have emerged to pivot in these challenging times including Biff’s Kitchen and Punch and Yo! Sushi and Co-op in order to diversify revenue streams.
Healthier lifestyles as a trend has been amplified by the current crisis with 6% of all out of home meals involving a vegan dish. Ingredients such as Seitan and of course Gold & Green Pulled Oats offering great tasting vegan options. Whilst lighter and low and no alcohol have driven a number of NPD launches in the drinks market, notably Guinness 0.0. and Hard Seltzers like Keepr’s, as consumers look for alternatives to alcohol or high sugar fizzy drinks.
Delivery has continued to do well and is likely to remain a habit the UK keep long after Covid. The good news being that research indicated that it won’t cannibalise eat in but rather grow the market as the main alternative is seen as staying in and cooking. Good news for those operators who have invested in pivoting as they will want to get the most from their investment longer term.
Meal Kits have also seen a boom with restaurants offering an at home experience either direct or through platforms such as Dishpatch. Often proving so popular they sell out in minutes, as seen with Honest Burger kits.
Other trends we are seeing include heat and spice continuing as well as classic and indulgence as consumers may eat out less but chose to indulge when they do.
Of course, Covid has put pay to some trends as restrictions and the focus on Covid safe service and hygiene mean there is less experiential dining, we have more time but limited social interaction and can no longer use reusables like keep cups.
Opinion is divided amongst industry decision makers as to how 2021 will go with a possible no deal Brexit, 39% are positive whilst 47% expect a deterioration next year. With high unemployment and Brexit, matched with a lack of clarity over possibly supply chain implications, 2021 will bring its own challenges. On the positive side operators expect to benefit from pent up demand however this may well be dampened by a further drop in consumer confidence.
But hopefully as the industry comes back online in 2021, we’ll see opportunities around both the Euros and Olympics, especially if we have another hot summer allowing for outside screenings. It would also be great to see the return of things like spirit festivals at pubs and more experience-based events when it is safe to do so.
I was recently asked by The Grocer magazine to feature in an article about how lockdown and CV-19 has impacted the way buyers and sellers do business. As an agency, like everyone else, we have had to adapt and pivot during these strange times. Together with our valued clients we have been able to navigate through unchartered waters and find new ways of working and new ways of selling. In the feature I discuss many of the strategies and examples of things we have been doing to help our clients find their sweet spot and achieve success with their virtual sales pitches and marketing campaigns.
I can’t imagine when Kate Nicholls accepted the role as CEO of UK Hospitality, the association tasked with representing and lobbying Government on behalf of the hospitality industry, that she thought that anything could be worse than Brexit. But then Covid happened and in order to preserve the education of our nation’s children, hospitality has effectively been sacrificed not once but twice. Cue months on end of Tweeting, letter writing, lobbying, ministerial meeting and generally fighting for the support to keep hospitality businesses and their associated supply chain going during these (yes I’m going to say it) unprecedented times.
The latest Around Arena Webinar saw CGA Insights take centre stage with their wraparound consumer, operator and market view on ‘Out of Home – The Next Phase’. As a leading foodservice agency we logged on to hear what’s ahead for the world of hospitality and foodservice.
As part of the MCA’s recent series of webinars, the insight experts looked at how different factors will impact key foodservice sectors – creating winners and losers. With consumers worried over the imminent recession and job security once furlough ends in October, as well as very real concerns over Covid safety and hygiene when eating out, some operators find themselves in a better position than others. Of course, as has been the case for the last few months, it is an ever changing scene, but as of July 2020 MCA predict the following…
