The festive period is fast-approaching, and this year is shaping up to be a banner year for the foodservice industry. That’s why it’s time to gear up and get prepared for the seasonal surge, as the well-known saying suggests it’s time to ‘eat, drink and be merry’.
Hospitality technology partner Zonal have released their findings for the 2024 festive period, with bookings for restaurants and pubs already up 54% on 2023!* And its even better news for group bookings of over 10, as reservations for these large groups of diners is trending up 38% on 2023, and currently account for 26% of total reservations for December!**
A busy festive period is great for those restaurants and pubs who have an eye on maximising the increased footfall in December by offering seasonal delicacies to entice consumers into their establishments.
With that being said here at Meadow Vale we have concocted some essential ‘Festive Flavours’ that will not only give your food business some added inspiration for the Christmas period, but for the colder months as a whole as we look to fill your customers with delicious hot and tasty chicken dishes!
Heart-Warming Hot Sandwiches & Wraps
After a long day of Christmas shopping or enjoying a few festive tipples, there’s nothing more satisfying than stepping into your favourite pub or restaurant to be greeted by the warmth of delicious hot food.
Hot sandwiches and wraps are a bonified way to maximise your profits throughout the festive periods, as people will be willing to pay a premium for some hot food to warm them up! The need to fuel up with hot food coincides with your body craving warm/rich foods to keep energy levels high, leaning brilliantly into the idea of adding hot sandwiches and wraps to your festive menus.
When thinking about the contents of a hot sandwich or wrap you’ve got to look at offering something that feels familiar, yet enticing enough to convert the sale. That’s why we’ve created our delicious Piri Piri Grilled Chicken Ciabatta Sandwich featuring our award-winning Sizzling Piri Piri Chargrilled Chicken Boneless Thigh as well as our Chargrilled Chicken Shawarma Toasted Wrap featuring our double-award-winning Sizzling Shawarma Chargrilled Chicken Boneless Thigh.
Each of these dishes feature our latest range of fully cooked and IQF chargrilled chicken, and offer a healthier alternative to traditional coated chicken products. The flavour profile of each product suits the festive season, and they also give you enough of a scope to add some festive flavours like a cranberry sauce or brie cheese to really make it stand out on your menu.
As well as these classics we also have a delicious hot BBQ Shredded Chicken Sub Roll featuring our Homestyle Crispy Shredded Chicken. Here we’ve taken one of our best-selling products and tossed it in a tangy BBQ sauce, which brings the sandwich to life. Once again this dish gives you full automation on the customisation of the sandwich, meaning you can add festive flavours like maple syrup, spiced apple sauce or even some mulled wine gravy to the dish to cash in on this special time of year!
Festive Flavours
The ability to fully customise your menu to incorporate festive flavours will allow you to create a seasonal menu that will both wow your customers and help drive footfall and ultimately profits to your business.
We have long spoken about the need for ‘Instagrammable’ food when it comes to gaining additional footfall for foodservice business, and at Christmastime more than ever that need is paramount.
Whilst all the big restaurant chains have their festive menus fixed from around the beginning of November, it’s the local pubs, independent restaurants and food truck operators that can really go all out for Christmas! By offering weekly festive fixtures to your menus can be a great way to get customers coming back to your business during the busiest time of the year.
It’s not only the ability to be on the front foot business wise that comes from the addition of festive flavours to your menu, but how you can also play on the nostalgic feelings that the season brings to boost sales too.
It’s a common fact that calories don’t count in December, which means people will be a lot less conscious about what they eat. This in turn means they’ll more than happily ‘go-large’ when it comes to decadent menu ideas, especially if they’re festive inspired, providing satisfaction in equal measures for consumers and business owners.
Sharing Is Caring This Festive Period!
When we think of the festive season most people will automatically think of socialising more frequently, and spending more time with friends and family. This extra time with our friends and family will boost the serotonin levels in our body that is so evidently lacking in the colder winter months!
Eating out in large groups is common practice throughout November and December, and adding sharing platters with a festive twist is a great way to boost profits whilst you’re busy. Enjoying good company and lively conversation, gathered around a big table is the best way to spend the festive season. With the addition of great sharing platters, you can capitalise on people’s frivolities.
Here at Meadow Vale we’ve created the ‘Perfect Party Season Platter’ that takes some of our classic sharing offerings like the brand new Meadow Vale Crunchy Chicken Wings, our Homestyle Breaded Strips and the Meadow Vale Pickin’ Chicken range and added them to a sharing platter with a twist.
People are on the hunt for bargains this winter, and by splitting the bill 3 or 4 ways on a big chicken dinner is a great way to increase customer satisfaction. By tying up this concept with the introduction of unique and on-trend festive flavour is a certain way to get people through the door and money in the till.
This plater has all the chicken staples you need for success, but the dish is complimented by the addition of festive dips like cranberry sauce, spiced apple sauce, hot honey & cinnamon sauce, a sage & onion stuffing dip, maple mustard mayo and the piece de la resistance a camembert wheel for good measure!
This dish is both a feast for the eyes as well as a feast for the soul, and will definitely have people flocking to your establishment if put on the menu!
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town!
Weather you’re the biggest believer of the big man there is, or a run of the mill Ebenezer Scrooge who says ‘bah-humbug’ to the season, one thing is for sure and that’s that this festive period is going to be massive for the foodservice industry.
Plan ahead and take steps to prepare yourself now, to ensure you come into the New Year beaming with a new resurgence of positivity for 2025!
If you have any specific questions you’d like answering on anything you’ve read above, or want help finding your local wholesaler who is stocking your desired Meadow Vale Chicken lines then please feel free to contact one of our development chefs today!
*Source, Restaurant Online article
** Source, Restaurant Online article
