American trends are set to continue as more US operators open in the UK so why not extend your current offering and celebrate Thanksgiving with American-style treats?
Some facts;
- Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday in November (27th November 2014)
- Burgers are the UK’s top main dish
- Hot dogs have appeared on 86% more menus than last year (Source: Horizon’s).
- “Smoked”, “Blackened”, “Pulled” and “Slow cooked” are growing menu descriptors
- Provenance is key, “Slow Cooked Tennessee Whiskey Pork Shoulder”.
Waffles are a growing trend, the most popular sweet flavours are banoffee and chocolate, served with vanilla ice cream and a variety of sauces/syrups; maple, chocolate, caramel, butterscotch and toffee; the most popular savoury waffle is chicken with maple syrup, another growing menu item. Waffles (sweet or savoury) are a high margin, low cost product.
Ice cream sundaes are prevalent at the moment; increase of 121% compared to 2013 with virtually every menu having a selection, many having a separate Sundae option (Source: Macphie Chef; Adrian Winfield, Summer 2014 Menu audit).
Lauri Duthie, Macphie Market Analyst, “Sundaes are great because they are multi-purpose; create sundaes based on classic desserts, for example: chocolate fudge brownie can be sold by itself or as a sundae inclusion. Macphie OTT can be used to finish off the sundaes or as an ice cream topping, dessert topping or plate decoration. High margin, low cost – The average sundae is priced at £4.39, a dessert sharer sundae (for 2 people) is £6.82”
Another popular American trend that has seen continued growth is the Red Velvet Cake whose name derives from its smooth and velvety texture. Red Velvet Cake dates back to the post-Civil War period (1877).
Macphie Red Velvet Cake is perfect for special occasions such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine’s Day with its light moist crumb, subtle chocolate taste and trademark, red appearance. This versatile mix makes a wide variety of baked applications including cupcakes, whoopie pies, loaves and round cakes. For an irresistible treat, finish with Macphie Rainbow Cream Cheese Frosting and a sprinkling of the cake crumb or crushed candy canes left over from Christmas to add a colourful and delicious decoration. A Red Velvet Cake audit in cake shops and bakeries was conducted; the average price of a regular cupcake is £2.16, mini cupcake £1.45, some shops sell boxed cupcakes in 6 or 12 packs, priced at £15 and £30 respectively. (Source: Lauri Duthie, Macphie Market Analyst, Red Velvet Audit).