Bringing culinary innovation to the table is a surefire way to stay ahead of the competition in today’s foodservice industry. Saucing is a cost-efficient way to add new, exciting flavours to the menu and keep customers coming back. Incorporating trends in sauces isn’t just about preparing palatable dishes, however — it’s also about knowing what your customers are looking for and staying on top of current trends.
Discovering a Trend
Consumer tastes are constantly changing and saucing trends vary based on region, seasonality, and demographics. The best way to get started with a sauce trend is to use data-backed insights to make informed decisions. By using foodmarket analytics from Brizo, foodservice providers have much more than customer surveys and focus groups to determine what menus can do better — they can capitalize on real-time data such as top-selling items, customer preferences, and trending ingredients in order to create the most successful meal options.
By accessing a range of data, using the right benchmarks, and understanding customer preferences (region, age, purchasing habits, etc.), foodservice providers can establish a clear understanding of what their customers are seeking when it comes to saucing. The data can be used to identify regional trends in the saucing industry, understand which ingredients are a hit or miss in certain areas, and compare favourability with various menu items. These insights can be used to inform menu decisions, adjust pricing, and craft targeted promotions, making the foodservice provider’s customer experience even better.
Savvy Sauciness
When people think of sauces, they often think of ketchup and mayonnaise, but these days, sauces range from healthy to indulgent — from miso to aioli (or garlic mayo) — to zesty chimichurri. Sauces add layers of taste to the finished product and can be used to transform the simplest meal, such as a grilled steak, into an explosion of flavour. By utilising market analytics such as in-depth menu data and restaurant tech coverage, foodservice providers can identify more complex, unique ingredients that will enhance customer experiences.
Foodservice providers must also take a strategic approach to crafting sauce recipes. For instance, if a customer favourite is a mango-infused curry, there could be an opportunity to serve mango curry sauce to up the deliciousness of a variety of dishes. When creating a new sauce using a customer-favourite, test the offering in a limited number of markets before expanding the sauce’s reach. This will allow the foodservice provider to gather real-time data on the effectiveness of the new recipe and make the necessary adjustments if need be. It’s also important that the foodservice provider understands what is realistic to put up for sale — for example, it won’t be possible to craft an array of exotic and rarely available ingredients.
Unlock Earnings Potential
The right sauce can not only elevate the customer experience, it can have a positive effect on the bottom line as well. Creative saucing opens the door for foodservice providers to offer high-end dishes that can easily be added to any menu and increase gross sales. Sauces also provide an opportunity to save on costs, as they can be offered at different price points and used to add value to items the restaurant already has in stock. Furthermore, sauces are an area where foodservice providers can capitalise on the “street food” trend in which dishes from the street are elevated in a sophisticated way. This trend is especially popular in an industry where “ethnic cuisine” is more of an asset than a barrier.
For the foodservice provider, understanding the saucing trends within their market is a great way to make sure their offerings match the demands of the current market and stands out to customers. With real-time data-driven insights at their disposal, foodservice providers don’t have to guess what’s long gone in the sauce aisle anymore.
