Using a range of global seasonings on your menu can provide a couple of important benefits: It can help you reinvent a protein or an entire dish while keeping your inventory simple – and in doing so, it can add the kind of variety and frequent change to your menu that will keep guests interested. Take one of the proteins or starches you have as an inventory staple and consider how you might transform it in multiple ways with the help of global flavors. Your menu can act as a passport – the only one your guests are likely to be using right now.
As consumers’ busy lifestyles blur the boundaries between day parts, your menu of snacks and small plates can make you a favorite spot for a quick bite. Sliders are always a win on the menu – they’re eye-catching, shareable (if table mates are feeling generous) and can satisfy a burger craving while providing just enough food to take the edge off. Chefs can get creative with sliders too – use them to test out new condiments, toppings and sides or to experiment with some Instagrammable presentations.
The plant-based protein trend appears to be one with staying power ― sales of plant-based meat grew 37 percent between 2017 and 2019, according to the Good Food Institute, and demand seems set to increase further. Still, differences are beginning to emerge from operators weighing the pros of adapting their menus to the trend vs. the cons of integrating a processed product into the menu. The Spoon reports that Chipotle, for one, unlike many of its competitors, has decided against offering plant-based meat because it is processed (and therefore conflicts with the brand’s interest in knowing/sharing where its food comes from). Does your brand pride itself on offering fresh food and being transparent about its origins and ingredients? If so, how are you accommodating consumer demand for plant-based protein?
Meat replacements are getting a lot of attention lately. But the recent EAT-Lancet Commission report compiled by top nutrition science experts has put a specific target on the amount of meat consumers should eat each week for optimal health and minimal stress on the environment: 3.5 ounces, or just one serving of meat per week. The report also calls for less consumption of poultry and dairy — and says replacing those foods with nuts, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes could prevent as many as 11 million premature deaths per year. As guests clamor for the Impossible Burger and other plant-based proteins, consider working in some of these Mediterranean staples as additional health-focused menu options.
What will your menu look like in 20 years? If new research from the global consulting firm AT Kearney is on target, there will be significantly less meat on it. The study predicts that by 2040, 60 percent of meat will not come from slaughtered animals but will instead be grown in labs or derived from plant-based products that look and taste like meat. We’re already well on our way. On the Spoon’s recent list of the 25 companies creating the future of food, six of the companies represented are involved in developing some kind of alternative to conventional meat. The companies run the gamut, ranging from startup companies making cultured protein (like Shiok Meats – watch for it to crack open the cell-based protein market in Asia) to more traditional protein brands like Tyson. Even though Tyson is the largest meat producer in the U.S., the Spoon reports, it has invested in cell-based protein companies and Bloomberg reports that it will soon be launching a beef-and-plant hybrid burger consisting of half pea protein and half angus beef.
There is a new reason to source your protein from farmers that don’t feed their animals routine antibiotics. The bank HSBC recently issued a report predicting that the use of antibiotics in meat production could lead to 10 million deaths annually by 2050, making antibiotic resistance a more common cause of death than cancer. The report indicated that more than half of the world’s antibiotics are currently used in agriculture, with the U.S. using antibiotics in 70 percent of its agricultural products and China using them in 60 percent of its agricultural products.
Restaurants that serve meat currently face a range of ethical questions: How was the animal fed and raised? How local is the farm? Was the farm impacted by foodborne illness outbreaks? How does the farm administer antibiotics in livestock production? Now lab-grown meat, which is made from stem cells extracted from poultry and livestock and eliminates many of the concerns surrounding conventional meat, is a step closer to becoming a mealtime staple for consumers. Representatives from the USDA and FDA, which recently announced they would oversee production of lab-grown meat, say they would have the authority to regulate it. This would eliminate the need for additional legislation, Newsweek reports. That could mean big changes for how restaurants source the protein on their menus — and how quickly that can happen.
At a time when consumers are becoming more vigilant about the use of antibiotics in the meat they consume, industry watchdogs are ready to call out businesses that aren’t sufficiently vetting their suppliers. In a newly released report card that rates 25 burger chains for the degree of antibiotic use in their meat sources, all but three businesses received failing grades (and one of those three received a D-minus). Restaurant Business reports that the Chain Reaction report, which was authored by the U.S. Public Interest Group and co-authored by Consumers Union, the National Resources Defense Council and other public interest groups, found that most chains lack meaningful policies on antibiotic use in their beef supply chains. Shake Shack and Burger Fi came out on top, scoring A’s for sourcing beef without antibiotics. If guests asked you about your beef supply chain, what would you say?
Plant-based foods are having a big moment right now — and even lab-grown alternatives are generating some buzz as potential options on future quick-service menus. Still, many consumers are seeking the positive aspects of eating meat, such as the flavor, aroma, heat and heartiness, while minimizing the negative ones. Research from Mintel suggests operators can achieve this by applying cooking methods used with meat — such as curing, grilling and smoking — to fish, vegetables or plant-based options like Ahimi. Using pastrami spices or other seasonings normally reserved for burgers can help to provide an experience that will ensure guests don’t miss the meat. One Green Planet also suggests creating a spice rub of chili powder, oregano, cumin, coriander, mustard powder, brown sugar, salt and pepper for a steak-like taste.
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