Thanks to trends such as street food, the uptake of ethnic cuisine such as Chinese, Thai, Indian and Vietnamese food is growing as it becomes more widely available in appealing and affordable formats.
This trend has successfully shifted into the cost sector, where oriental and Asian food has helped keep menus vibrant, and more importantly, cost-effective and easy to produce.
One of the fastest-growing cuisines in this mix is South-East Asian. Last year, it was one of the hot trends in the Foodservice Consultants Society International UK & Ireland and Allegra Strategies’ ‘Taste of the Future 2020’ report.
The document, which forecast the key issues and consumer trends affecting the hospitality industry by 2020, predicts that there will be a significant change in popular food choices, with healthy eating, South-East Asian, British, premium chicken and global fusion categories taking the lead.
Occasions such as Chinese New Year help to keep Asian cuisine in the limelight. It kicks off on 19 February, offering a 15-day window of opportunity for cost sector operators to celebrate the Year of the Sheep, with themed days or specially created dishes for menus, intermingled with the paraphernalia expected of the occasion – the colour red, dragons, lanterns and lots of entertainment.
Last year, UK cities such as London, Birmingham and Manchester upped the ante, increasing their Chinese New Year activities and raising the profile of oriental cuisine even further.
Foodservice operators also place it high on their list of events to promote; Alliance in Partnership, for example, has already flagged up Chinese Day in its 2015 promotional and special day calendar for schools.
These operators can take their cues from the boom in street food, which Asian cuisine suits, and the fact that oriental takeaways are favourites with consumers.
In July, market analyst NPD Group’s report highlighted that oriental takeaway outlets were the most popular choice for consumers and represented 17.5% of all home takeaways.
Meanwhile, foodservice specialist Horizons’ survey in June revealed that operators have adapted menus to mirror high street trends, with some of them including Japanese katsu dishes on menus.
Caterers can capitalise on simple and authentic offerings from suppliers. For instance, ethnic snack specialist Daloon Foods’ range includes typical oriental nibbles, such as sesame prawn toast, spring rolls and dim sum, that suit sharing platters.
There are also plenty of companies – like leading brands Sharwood’s and Uncle Ben’s from Premier Foods and Mars Foodservice respectively – offering ready-to-use sauces and accompaniments that overcome issues such as shortage of cooking skills in kitchens.
Some companies have specifically targeted Chinese New Year. For example, Crown Foods’ Wat Kitchen brand of ambient pan-Asian meals has been launched in time for 2015’s celebrations.
Chicken and rice, and chicken and noodle combos feature classic flavours such as sweet and sour, and black bean, plus teriyaki and chilli, and Thai basil options, available in grab-and-go New York-style takeaway boxes.
Each meal includes sauce, and a rice or noodle pouch, which caterers can microwave in 150 seconds, and be ready to eat straight from the box or served on a plate.
“Ready-meals have evolved, and hardworking professionals are looking for grab-and-go world food that fits in with busy lifestyles,” says managing director John Pickett. “All Wat Kitchen meals are less than 353 calories, and low in fat and saturated fat. If there was such a thing as feng-shui food, this would be it.”
The latest value-added line from chicken specialist Plusfood is lemongrass and ginger chicken skewers, which it says are the kind of products that help take the pressure off kitchens.
They have been marinated in ginger and lemongrass flavours to liven up menus for busy caterers as they can be starters, sharing platters, buffets or main courses, served with noodles, fragrant coconut rice or a satay sauce. The bamboo skewers, which each hold a 30g chicken piece, can be fried, oven-baked, grilled or microwaved in minutes.
Susan Gregory, head of food at Nestlé Professional, comments that fresh, authentic Asian food offers many snack and meal possibilities for operators. “Chinese New Year is the perfect chance to shine the spotlight on Chinese food but also on cuisine across the South-East Asian region,” she adds.
“Thai cuisine is renowned for its strong, distinctive flavours, and red or green Thai curries are classic dishes that instantly add a taste of the orient. Alternatively, soup is one of the easiest ways of incorporating South-East Asian influences on a menu.”
She says that the company’s products can be used to make miso broth and noodle soup, and even jazz-up Japanese sushi rolls.
“Some chefs are put off by the expense and number of spices required in Asian food, which can also be hard to source in the UK,” she explains. “Maggi Asian concentrated liquid fonds is made from ingredients including ginger, turmeric and kaffir lime, so it provides a cost-effective solution in a convenient and versatile format.”
Simon Muschamp, head of marketing at Pritchitts, says that Asian food is tipped to be the fastest-growing cuisine in the next five years, thanks to its ability to meet the key consumer trends that are influencing the market – world cuisine, spice and health.
“To stay ahead of the competition and the growing Asian restaurant sector, cost sector caterers should be thinking about offering innovative dishes that combine authenticity and added value,” says Muschamp.
“Dishes like soup and curries are simple to make and an easy way to tap into this burgeoning and profitable market. However, the challenge for caterers is that when they make a fresh cream-based dish from scratch, they run the risk of the cream splitting.
“That is where our Millac Gold helps. Already one of our bestselling products, it helps to complement ingredients and flavours but never splits even when caterers add acidic ingredients like lemon juice.”