Dishes which feature the best seasonal produce should be at the top of the Christmas list for catering businesses this year, advises buying specialist Lynx Purchasing.
Make the most of British produce
To maintain good profit margins, seasonal menus should make the most of good quality British produce rather than rely too heavily on imported produce. “The temptation to ‘push the boat out’ is very strong at this time of year as restaurants, pubs and chefs work to make their seasonal menus special,” says Lynx Purchasing managing director John Pinder.
“However, this often means menus which feature imported vegetables rather than the best British root vegetables or sprouts, which are in good supply and will offer excellent value this year. Equally, festive desserts which use soft fruit such as strawberries instead of British apples or pears could be storing up problems for caterers.
“A great deal of soft fruit comes from the Middle East at this time of year, and with the political situation in the region still unstable, prices could easily fluctuate between now and December. Operators who have already taken Christmas booking at set prices could easily find their margin eroded by rising prices.”
Food inflation forecast at 4%
Pinder’s warning comes as Lynx publishes the Autumn/Winter edition of the Lynx Purchasing Market Forecast. An overview of market and pricing trends for hospitality operators, the Market Forecast combines analysis of headline ONS inflation figures with exclusive insight from Lynx suppliers.
The latest edition shows that, while overall food inflation is forecast to continue at around 4% into the first quarter of 2014, better availability of British produce will help savvy caterers to manage their menu prices.
Pinder says: “Food remains one of the biggest input costs for caterers, and after a period of sustained food inflation, maintaining margins while continuing to offer customers good value is a challenge.
“When planning seasonal menus, it makes sense to focus on produce where prices sre forecast to remain stable. For example, while beef continues to be in short supply across all cuts, the price of British lamb is expected to remain fairly stable until the New Year, making it a better option for caterers who want to fix their festive menu prices.
“We’re also seeing an improvement in the supply of salmon, with smaller sizes becoming more readily available, offering caterers greater menu flexibility. As well as a much better crop of potatoes this year, vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, sprouts and cabbages are also offering good availability.
Planning festive menus
“With the peak banqueting and eating out season approaching, we’re working closely with many of our customers to help them plan menus which will offer consumers the very best seasonal produce, while ensuring that operators can also enjoy the festive season without any nasty surprises when their supplier invoices arrive in January.”
For more information, and a free copy of the Autumn/Winter 2013 Lynx Purchasing Market Forecast, see http://www.lynxpurchasing.co.uk