My shout: 'American cuisine is more than burgers and hot dogs'

There is a wealth of flavours, food concepts and dining experiences turning the heads of consumers right now. Add the challenge of reduced disposable income and it’s clear pubs and restaurants haven’t got it easy.

In fact, some 45% of people say they’re actively reducing their leisure spending. To be in with a chance of standing out against stiff competition on the high street, outlets need to carve out a point of difference. Despite the flood of new cuisines emerging on the scene, it’s interesting that the popularity for American food is showing no signs of abating. Americana is somewhat of a food trend ‘veteran’. In fact, a recent study revealed that consumers rated ‘the taste of America’ as one of their favourite barbecue options, with 59% of respondents ranking it as their top choice.

American cuisine is much more than traditional burgers and hot dogs, it’s evolving on a super-sized scale with regional flavours becoming more popular than ever.

These concepts are swiftly being taken up by UK outlets looking to grab a slice of the action. Stand-out regional flavours such as the taste for Latin American and Caribbean cuisine are influencing an explosion of street-food options, with burritos, street fries, wraps, tacos and many more inventive handheld dishes continuing to evolve and grow. To help, Bidfood offers a number of products that can help pub and bar operators to introduce this trend, such as Farmstead Diced Goat for use in Caribbean-style curries and Premium Selection Pulled Beef Chilli, to add a Mexican dish to the menu.

Versatile products, such as sauces, offer a low cost and easy-to-introduce option that can serve as everything from marinades and glazes to dipping sauces and toppings.

Another element of American cuisine to watch out for is the burger bun. Examples of ‘lighter’ bun options include avocado, beetroot and lettuce leaves. However. Bidfood’s recent survey revealed 60% of people eat out to treat themselves while 21% want menu choices that help them meet healthy eating goals.

Spanning the breadth of world cuisines, veganism continues to top the food agenda. Pub chefs would be missing a trick to exclude this as an option from their offering, in fact, mentions of vegan are up 72.3% on menus in the last year. When it comes to Americana, jackfruit is a chef’s best friend. It’s a vegan ingredient that serves as an excellent meat alternative to fill tacos or burritos. Pub chefs can’t afford to miss out on regional Americana cuisine, not least ensuring they’re also catering for a wide spectrum of diners who are on the hunt for lighter bites, indulgent options or following a vegan diet.