Food trends

Pub brunch and breakfast trends revealed

31-May-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Eggs, Millennials and food-to-go are the latest trends operators need to look out for in their brunch and breakfast offer, according to foodservice bakery company Kara.

Optimising menus is key to combat rising food costs

24-May-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Customer analytics can help pubs make more money in an environment of rising food costs, according to private equity firm Livingbridge.

Premiumisation of Mitchells & Butlers sites results in sales boost

17-May-2017 By Helen Gilbert

Mitchells & Butlers has credited an "innovative agenda" including vegan meals, low-calorie Prosecco and its Miller & Carter steakhouse format for the rise in food and drink sales across the group.

Cooking with Red Stripe: pub to launch Caribbean menu

11-May-2017 By Helen Gilbert

A soon-to-open London pub is to debut chicken wings cured in Red Stripe lager as one of the choices on its Caribbean-themed menu.

Fuller's pub and Italian restaurant 'menu swap'

11-May-2017 By Helen Gilbert

A London pub is ‘swapping menus’ with a neighbouring Italian restaurant to offer customers more choice. 

Slug & Lettuce targets vegetarians and sharers with new menu

09-May-2017 By Helen Gilbert

Stonegate-operated pub chain Slug & Lettuce is expanding its vegetarian and sharing plates offer.

Beef overtakes chicken on pub menus

05-May-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Beef is now the most popular protein for pub diners, the MCA Menu & Food Trends Report 2017 has shown.

Beefeater launches new menu with dishes as cheap as £5

04-May-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Whitbread steak pub arm Beefeater has unveiled a new Daytime Saver menu with dishes available for £5.

Ale house launches 'first' crackling menu

04-May-2017 By Helen Gilbert

A London alehouse has debuted what it claims is the UK’s first ‘crackling menu’ aimed at complementing the venue’s craft-ale offering.

Coeliacs shun pub food in favour of restaurants

04-May-2017 By Helen Gilbert

Coeliacs are shunning pubs in favour of restaurants, The Morning Advertiser (MA) has learned.

Slow food tops 2017's culinary trends

02-May-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Reducing food waste and slow-cooked food are the two main trends operators must keep an eye out for this year, according to research from Mintel.

Food Hygiene Ratings now more important to consumers

25-Apr-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Cleanliness and hygiene are major influences on where consumers choose to eat out, according to a report from the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Fall in consumer demand for out-of-home breakfasts

21-Apr-2017 By Ma Freelance

The number of consumers choosing to eat breakfast outside the home on a daily basis has dropped by 11% since 2015, according to purchasing company Beacon.  

Keeping it simple is key to good desserts

03-Apr-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Whether you’re a baking whizz or a beginner, desserts in pubs are an important course for punters and shouldn’t be forgotten. On all accounts, though, keeping it simple is the best way forward. Nikkie Sutton reports.

Mounting costs pose real threat to on-trade growth

23-Feb-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Increasing food and drink prices, as well as business rates revaluations, pose immediate threats to on-trade growth this year, new research shows.

Pub restaurants increased prices for festive menus

30-Jan-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Pub restaurants offered a wider range of Christmas meal options for consumers and increased prices for the 2016 festive season, new research from The Morning Advertiser’s sister title MCA has revealed.

Salmon prices could double as parasitic sea lice ravage global supply

16-Jan-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Salmon prices are expected to reach new highs thanks to bloodsucking parasites affecting fish stocks. 

Food forecast

From Brexit to breakfast: what does 2017 hold for pub food?

03-Jan-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Is it all doom and gloom for food in the pub sector, or is there a light at the end of the tunnel? 

Trends

Mintel: top six global food trends for 2017

14-Nov-2016 By Nikkie Sutton

“A year of extremes” is on the cards when it comes to food trends over the next year, claim leading market intelligence specialists.

Free-from food

Extra '£5k profit' in pubs from vegan food

26-Oct-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

A meat and dairy alternative company that is growing in popularity in UK pubs has launched a ‘joint of lamb’ and ‘chorizo sausages’ specially for eateries, following an uptick in demand for vegan and vegetarian products in pubs.

Food

Food sales at ten year high, reports ALMR

22-Sep-2016 By Finn Scott-Delaney, MCA

Food sales among multiple operators of licensed premises are at a 10-year high, according to a comprehensive annual survey by the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR).

MENU TRENDS

Snacks, sides and nibbles key focus for pub menus

15-Sep-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

UK operators are boosting customers’ average spend by increasing starter and dessert prices as well as focusing on side dishes and snacks, new research claims. 

Food trends

More than just a gourmet burger? The proliferation of 'premium'...

22-Aug-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Trends have ruled the hospitality industry’s decade with an iron fist. “Serve more quinoa” and “fish and chips” was so last year, the commentators scribbled. 

Trade figures' advice on food and drink pairings

27-Jun-2016 By Nikkie Sutton

“We need to educate people to let them know that it is OK to drink beer and cider with your food” said drinks educator and beer sommelier Jane Peyton at Publican’s Morning Advertiser’s (PMA) Future Trends: Beer and Cider event.

Research

Pub Market Report: Optimism for on-trade growth

23-Jun-2016 By Mike Berry

The majority of licensees expect their turnover to increase during the next 12 months hinting at growing optimism among operators.

Risotto report

10 things you need to know about risotto in pubs

14-Apr-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

There are few dishes that offer operators high GP, the opportunity to create gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan variants while also being tasty, but the risotto appears to tick all of those boxes. Here are 10 things about risotto you should consider when...

Supplier profile

Flexitarians push Paramount 21 to boost veggie offer

09-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Frozen fish and vegetarian foodservice supplier Paramount 21 is preparing to boost its veggie and gluten-free offering following rising demand, the firm's chairman and director Ali Hannaford has said.

Events

Exciting new trade show - The Bar & Pub Show - launches

02-Mar-2016 By Mike Berry

A new event dedicated to the bar and pub sector will run alongside this year's Restaurant Show at Olympia bringing together the best suppliers in the business with top operators that are transforming the UK’s on-trade.

Twisted Burger boosts the Yard’s food sales by 50%, but could rise to 300%

29-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Food sales at Yorkshire pub the Yard, Ilkley, have rocketed by more than 50% since the franchise Twisted Burger launched there in early February, the Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA) has learnt.

Food trends

International cuisine and chicken cooked in cola top consumers’ 2016 wish list, says Premier

23-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Dishes from the Mediterranean, Mexico, Thailand and Vietnam top a list of foods consumers want to try, while a desire to eat more pulled meats – including chicken cooked in cola – also made the list, according to research from Premier Foods.

Vegetarian

Meat off the menu: consumers opt for veggie dishes over health fears

18-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

More consumers are shunning meat in favour of vegetarian alternatives, with concerns about health as the main reason, new research from a NatCen Social Research survey claims.

New opening

Fuller’s opens newly built pub on the Thames

17-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Fuller’s has opened its latest new-build pub on the River Thames, the Sail Loft on Greenwich Reach, with room for 300 customers and a nautical-themed menu designed by ex-Duck & Waffle chef Jacek Zywa.

Sponsored: Pizza Report

Sponsored - VIDEO: A masterclass in pizza making

11-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Pizza is quickly becoming a popular dish in pubs as more operators turn to the quick, easy and tasty food to entice new customers into their businesses. Watch this video to see how the masters create delicious pizzas.

10 things you need to know about selling vegetarian food

21-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

More people are considering meat-free dishes when they eat out and want to see more choice on the menu. Here are 10 things to consider when putting vegetarian options on your menu.

Trends

The top pub food for 2016? Jamaican Jerk and 'dude food'

04-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Turtle Bay’s planned rollout across the UK will drive demand for Jamaican Jerk in pubs, Spirit Pub Company’s former menu development executive Carl Newey has predicted.

Trends

Top 12 food trends for 2016, reveals Mintel

04-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Alternatives to meat and dairy will be the top of consumers’ priorities this year, according to market researchers Mintel.

Analysis

Flexitarian diets set to rocket in 2016

10-Dec-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

The popularity of flexitarianism is set to reach new heights in 2016, following recent figures from consumer analyst Mintel that showed 35% of Brits now identified as ‘semi-vegetarian’.

Carlsberg UK Consumer Insights Report

Report: Pubs challenged by cafes as consumers moderate drinking

03-Dec-2015 By Oli Gross

Consumers are spending more than ever before in the on-trade, but pubs face a challenge from cafes and restaurants as people look to moderate their drinking, according to the Carlsberg UK Consumer Insights Report.

Could these new venues be killing pubs?

24-Nov-2015 By Nigel Huddleston

From cafes serving beer through to niche outlets where standard pubs don't answer the need, The Publican's Morning Advertiser looks at differing business models - the threats as well as the lessons.

London chefs team up for “offal extravaganza” at Islington pub

20-Nov-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Chefs from across the capital converged on a London pub this week (19 November) for the pub’s third annual “Glandstonbury” dinner.

Legal advice

The licensing challenge of 'home chefs' in your pub

18-Nov-2015 By Poppleston Allen

The latest trend to put the public in touch with 'home chef' clubs has interesting licensing issues.

Top chefs help Britain to become Great Food Nation

03-Nov-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Some of the country’s brightest food pioneers are joining forces with the government to help Britain become a Great Food Nation.

Pub chefs should look to street food traders for lamb inspiration, says AHDB

29-Oct-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Pub chefs should “absolutely” look to street food traders for inspiration when it comes to using different cuts of lamb, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has urged. 

Food safety

Rare burgers ‘not worth the risk’, warns expert

26-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Serving rare burgers is “not worth the risk or cost” to operators, a leading food safety advisor to the hospitality sector has warned.

Pubs miss out on free-from food market

13-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Big pub chains are failing to cater for thousands of UK consumers looking for free-from food options on menus, an expert in the field has claimed.

Eating insects in foodservice ‘not safe yet’

13-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

More research into the potential allergenic, microbiological and chemical risks of eating insects is needed before they become commonplace on menus across Europe, experts have warned.

Double pub food sales with neurogastronomy?

06-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Encouraging diners to use more senses than just the taste buds could boost your profits. Nicholas Robinson explains how neurogastronomy can be used to enhance every diner’s experience

‘Stop imported steak culture’ urges supplier

06-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Pub chefs must source more British meat and use alternative and more profitable cuts to ensure animal protein does not become an overpriced luxury, a leading supplier has urged.

Top chef urges others to ‘buy British’

21-Sep-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

A top chef has joined forces with royalty and government ministers to urge food businesses to be more supportive of local produce by displaying the provenance of the food on their menus during British Food Fortnight.

SRA: food operators unengaged with sustainability could put businesses at risk

16-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Food operators who don’t engage with sustainability issues could be putting their businesses at risk as new research suggests diners have become increasingly likely to pick eating out locations based on their sustainability credentials.