Author: Lionsdeal

An Insider’s Update on Outdoor Catering

Discover the latest ideas in outdoor catering strategies to meet demand.

Great news for caterers! With the popularity of cafes, casual restaurants, and outdoor dining on the rise, there could not be a better time to be in the foodservice business. Whether you already work in the industry, are embarking on a new career as a professional caterer, or whether you want to expand your restaurant operation by going mobile, now is the time to be in-the-know and learn how you can capitalize on the opportunities to seize the market.

The Proliferation of Catering Venues

If you are looking for a lucrative opportunity in the competitive food-and-beverage space, this is it! Over the past few years, the range of events being catered has exploded, including adult and children’s birthday parties, sweet 16 celebrations, corporate catering, sporting events, art exhibits, music festivals, street food events, beach parties, and more. Moreover, in addition to craving new culinary experiences, consumers are hungry for unusual locations that stand out from the crowd, leave an indelible memory, and that are Instagrammable to boot. While terraces, patios, gardens, and parks remain popular outdoor catering picks, some of the new kids on the block include the likes of famous art museums, landmark historical buildings, private yachts, and even the zoo!

Catering Headline News

To give you a taste for what’s been cooking on the grand-scale, elite side of catering, check out the following headline news items. Then sink your teeth into some more practical, down-to-earth tools and strategies that you can use to promote your small business or local catering company.

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The Wonderful World of Ginger

Feature sensational ginger in your recipes and discover how to incorporate it in your recipes.

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Ginger! In both its raw and powdered forms, ginger has been named a ‘superfood,’ and for good reason. Well-known for its usage as a savory spice and as a medicinal plant, ginger is not only one of today’s top herbs for cooking and baking, it has also played a prominent role in Chinese medicine and Ayurveda nutrition for over 3,000 years where it hailed as both a potent anti-inflammatory and flavor enhancer.

From its origins as one the first spices exported to Europe from the Orient during the spice trade, and up until today, where ginger’s sharp, pungent taste and aroma is a star ingredient in many main course and dessert recipes – there are countless reasons why ginger should be at your chefs’ fingertips and why ginger recipes should feature prominently on your restaurant menu.

Ginger Quick Facts

Although the ginger plant has been around for millennium, its plethora of benefits continue to astound, so let’s indulge our taste buds with some juicy ginger facts.

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Snacks Take The Food Industry by a Storm

Update your menu to cash in on the booming snack and all-day breakfast food market

If you’re wondering what’s new in U.S. foodservice these days and what popular items are filling consumers’ plates – well, you can start by putting the plates aside because it’s snack time, America!

Indeed, snacks have become one of the largest and fastest growing segments in the food-and-beverage biz with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Replacing traditional meals are small grab-n’-go items, portable cups and bowls, single serving-size eats and treats, and miniature – well – just about everything.

And there’s more. The estimated $100 billion-plus snack market is anything but conventional. While the traditional fanfare is still holding its own (think potato chips, pretzels, nuts, and popcorn), the once narrowly defined market has expanded to include the likes of microwaveable soup cups, fruit kabobs, yogurt parfait cups, cut veggies, smoothies, and pancakes on a stick as consumers reach for small snacks that offer big taste and anything that can be marketed as portable. The largest percentage of snackers are Millennials at 66%, with Gen Z and Gen Xers close behind. However, since all age groups and demographics enjoy snacking, a plethora of service opportunities are now available to providers.

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What’s New In Coffee Flavors?

Learn about the best coffee flavors, blends and brews and how to incorporate them into your biz.

Looking for the best coffee flavors around? Since there are literally hundreds of varieties of coffee from around the world and new blends, new combinations, new flavors, and new twists to the traditional being concocted all the time, there is no definitive answer to which cup of java takes the top spot. However, if you work in the food-and-beverage business, one thing is for certain: No matter what type of eatery you work in be it restaurant, catering service, bar, bakery, pizza shop, food truck, or fast-food venue, a cup of coffee is always on the menu!

So, let’s pull back the lid on what’s been brewing in the world of coffee and get a taste for some of today’s most popular picks, including what the experts and java-lovers claim are the best coffee flavors to sample and savor.

All About Coffee

So how much do you really know about coffee? For example, are you and your staff up to speed on the four types of coffee beans and coffee bean roasts? Are you aware that today there are myriads of espresso variations in as many delectable flavors? Do you know how to prepare Turkish coffee and what makes this Middle Eastern beverage such a hit among black coffee lovers?

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New in Smoothies 2019 – Just in Time for Summer

New smoothie ingredients add flavor to foodservice menus this summer.

Smoothie season is here! With summer upon us, now is the perfect time to update your restaurant and foodservice menus and learn all there is to know about what’s new in the smoothie industry. And one thing we know for sure is that the smoothie market is flourishing. With food trend predictions forecasting sunny skies for the future of smoothie sales, what began as an obscure concept and simple fruit juice and ice drink in the 1930s, has become a booming business and a modern-day success story.

Smoothie Expansion

Offering lucrative growth opportunities for industry players, smoothies continue to gain traction and are riding the wave of popularity as:

  • a healthy snack option;
  • bona fide meal or breakfast replacement;
  • an energizing pick-me-upper;
  • a versatile, alluring, fun, and decadent dessert.

Moreover, 2019 smoothies are comprised of an expanding smorgasbord of ingredients. From pureed raw fruit (mango, strawberry, banana, blueberries – to name a few), mixed with crushed ice and sweeteners (honey, sugar, syrup, and stevia) to the addition of vegetables (carrots, spinach, seaweed, and even hot peppers); dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese), and non-dairy alternatives (oat, pea, and coconut milks), the selections abound.

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Your Complete Foodservice Guide to Dragon Fruit

Dragon Fruit popularity continues to rise in U.S. restaurants and food venues.

Attention all Foodservice Professionals! If you are looking for a business-booster and menu game-changer, set your sights on what is promising to be a rising star in the food-and-beverage industry: Dragon Fruit.

Even if you have never heard of dragon fruit before or have never prepared a dragon fruit recipe, now is the time to get on board because as this standout ingredient continues to gain traction in the U.S. and abroad, this is one business opportunity you do not want to miss out on.

So take a load off your feet, clear your trays, and prepare your palates for the full scoop on one of the coolest, strangest-looking, nutritious, and delicious tropical fruits on the planet.

Adventurous Consumers Love Dragon Fruit

If you work in the biz, you know that today’s daring diners are hungry for exciting and exotic tastes, for foods and beverages from around the world, and for ingredients with a wow factor. Moreover, they are willing to pay top-dollar at restaurants and food venues that provide them with unique experiences and dishes that they can post on Instagram and share online.
If ‘off-the-wall’ and ‘off-the-charts’ are what your customers are clamoring for, you can easily satiate their appetite by introducing them to the enticing world of dragon fruit.

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How to Cater to Your Keto Customers

In response to demand, U.S. restaurants create ketogenic-friendly menus.

If you’re looking for information on how to make your restaurant keto-friendly, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you own a catering service, fast-casual restaurant, pizza shop, bakery, food truck, hotel, or fine dining establishment, the popularity of ketogenic diets is soaring – and so is demand for menus that cater to the keto community.

Read on and help promote your business by learning all you can about keto-friendly foods and beverages, what is allowed and not allowed on the meal plan, and what menu choices will serve the needs of your keto customers.

The fact is that for most people, keto is more than just a diet; it is a lifestyle. And given the limited number of appropriate eating-out accommodations currently available, your restaurant can become the service they rely on, which will have a positive impact on your brand reputation and hopefully pave the way for a loyal, returning customer base. Moreover, since the majority of today’s diners do their food research online, you can further cash in on this opportunity by posting keto-friendly tips and menu selections on your website or Facebook page.

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What Is Adaptogen – Facts, Guides and Recipes

Adaptogenic ingredients now trending in the food-and-beverage industry.

Adaptogen Guide for Foodservice Pros

Hungry for food-and-beverage industry news? Then adapt yourself – and your restaurant menus – to the following ingredients and latest buzz words in the biz. If you haven’t yet heard of amla, ashwagandha, ginseng, maca, maitake, holy basil, and cordyceps, it’s time to evolve and learn all you can about adaptogens and adaptogenic herbs.

They may be new to the U.S. market, but adaptogens are actually ancient herbs and roots that – as their name suggests – help the body ‘adapt’ to a wide range of stressors and events. Used for millennium in Ayurveda healing and in traditional Chinese medicine, adaptogens are now being infused into coffees, teas, juices, power bars, chocolate bars, chewing gum, gummy bears, granola, soups, salad dressings, and even burgers. Available as powders, liquid extracts, or consumed raw as part of a meal, today’s wellness-seeking consumers are gobbling up the goods and chefs, restaurant owners, and suppliers are updating their ingredient lists to include these super-herbs.

Adaptogen Benefits

So, what exactly do adaptogens offer your customers? The number one purported benefit of the revitalizing plants is stress relief, followed by a large serving of adaptogen benefits that include: helping regulate emotional states and hormonal responses, restoring homeostasis (overall balance), facilitating sleep, improving brain function, supporting fertility, boosting immunity, enhancing endurance, and more. In a nutshell, adaptogenics are a natural means of helping the body cope with any number of physical, chemical, biological, emotional, and environmental stressors. And for a consumer base that is thirsting for products that help them calm down, perk up, and achieve optimum health and happiness, adding adaptogens to your restaurant’s menu may be the perfect recipe for modern-day business success.

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Bold Ingredients for Daring Consumers

New ingredients give customers a 'wow' eating-out experience.

The name of the foodservice game is always innovation. Now, more than ever before, consumers are clamoring for new ingredients, unusual food pairings, bold and exotic tastes from around the world, eye-catching dishes, presentation with a flair, and anything that offers them a ‘wow’ eating-out experience. The very concept of ‘the adventurous consumer’ is where it’s at, so let’s find out how your restaurant, catering service, bar, bakery, food truck, pizza shop, ice cream parlor, or fast-food joint can spice things up and deliver what daring diners are seeking.

In the quest for exciting and novel food experiences, the rule of thumb in the food-and-beverage industry is: The bolder, the better. So, what pioneering ingredients are you offering your customers? What pièce de résistance can your chefs conjure up to ensure that what you are serving is a game-changer? To help stir your culinary creative juices – and boost your biz – here is a generous serving of menu ideas from around the world.

Globe-Trotting Consumers Seek International Flavors

International foods are most definitely on current menus. Thanks to the Internet and sites like Instagram and Pinterest, customers are aware of what’s being served around the globe and they are ravenous for a piece of the action. Furthermore, Global Data surveys reveal that millennials (today’s largest dining-out demographic) view eating as a means of exploring the world, and Innova Market Insights’ director of innovation, Lu Ann Williams, adds: “Food is now entertainment, in and out of the home. Nowadays, you can experience eating like Marco Polo along the spice route in a London restaurant, try tasting menus, or have anything you want be delivered at home.”

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New in Ice Cream – The Full Scoop

Get the scoop on trending ice creams and far-out flavors to add to your menu.

Ice cream is once again making food industry headlines, with old flavors being reinvented and an entire menu of new dairy-free, fat-free, and low-cal options generating excitement – as well as controversy. On the table are questions such as: Are the so-called healthier alternatives really better for you? Can you trust what you read on the label? And how can you update your foodservice menu to meet demands for fabulous, far-out ice cream flavors served in unusual cones or new-fangled dishes?

As foodservice pros, it’s critical that you follow industry trends to know what’s hot and what’s not in the food-and-beverage landscape. This guide to what’s new in ice cream was specifically designed to give you the full scoop on what manufacturers are delivering and how consumers’ taste buds are responding in the land of frozen desserts. So let’s take a peek inside the freezer to see what the 2019 world of ice cream has in store.

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