The restaurant industry recovery can’t come soon enough for dining devotees and the operators who serve them.
Most adults across all generations say they aren’t eating at restaurants as often as they would like, according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2021 State of the Restaurant Industry Report. Eighty-five percent say going out to a restaurant is a better way to spend their time than cooking (and cleaning) at home. And nearly 8 in 10 say their favorite restaurant foods deliver flavor and taste sensations that just can’t be duplicated in the home kitchen.
“There is an abundance of pent-up enthusiasm for going out to dine in a restaurant,” confirms Chef Greg Ische, at Boar’s Head Brand®. “Takeout has been the lifeboat of many operations, but nothing replaces the in-restaurant dining experience.”
Against this backdrop, consumers are more than ready to trade home cooking and carryout bags for in-restaurant dining and hospitality. Operators can win them back by reintroducing them to the exciting global flavors they were exploring before the pandemic disrupted their dining routines.
Eating globally
“Global flavors were in high demand prior to COVID, and they will [continue to be] desired flavors as we resume some sense of normalcy,” Ische says. “The easiest way to have a cultural experience without traveling is to dine out on different cuisines.”
Research from San Francisco-based hotel and restaurant consulting firm af&co and its partner agency, Carbonate, confirms this. According to Do the Hustle, their 2021 hospitality trends and insights report, Chinese-American will be the cuisine of the year, and regional Indian, Afro-Caribbean, Singapore/Malay and Jewish cuisines are all on the rise. “Some of these are rising particularly in specific regions of the country, and we expect them to take some years before they expand the local or state level,” the report notes. “Others have more national traction, and we expect to see them take hold and continue to grow.”
Baum + Whiteman, a Brooklyn, New York-based food and restaurant consultancy, also annually forecasts what will be hot in food and beverage in the year ahead. Its 2021 Trends Report cites dukkah, a “smoky-salty” Egyptian flavoring mix, jerk seasoning from Jamaica, and berbere, a “high-fragrance, high-heat blend” of chilies and spices from Ethiopia, among the “exotic ingredients from faraway places” that chefs will be leveraging in their dishes to satisfy pandemic-weary consumers’ desire for adventure (culinary and otherwise).
Premium ingredients with varied, authentic flavors attract flavor cravers. Chefs can tap into the flavors of India, for example, with Madrasala® Curry Chicken Breast, which features an aromatic blend of turmeric and garlic and the gentle heat of red peppers. Salsalito® Turkey Breast, meanwhile, captures the spirit of Southwestern cuisine with jalapeño peppers, onions, sundried tomatoes and cilantro. For unparalleled flavor, consider BourbonRidge® Uncured Smoked Ham, which is crafted with bourbon and smoked with charred oak bourbon barrel chips.
Creative applications
Operators looking to win the business of these “flavor cravers” can also find inspiration in lesser-known but very worthy American regional cuisines. As reported in Datassential’s trend forecast issue of FoodBytes, Gullah, Sonoran, Appalachian and Cal-Mex are among the regional tastes appearing on more menus. Datassential also encourages operators to stretch the definition of “comfort food” beyond the familiar pizza, burgers, and mac and cheese. Offering “modern comfort,” it says, means using a wider variety of options—including global flavors.
Wherever operators look for inspiration, Boar’s Head Bold® meats have creative applications. “We’ve used Boar’s Head Bold® items in every type of menu application, from breakfast scrambles to pasta fillings,” Ische says.
To elevate a chicken pot pie without elevating your workload, substitute Boar’s Head Bold® Madrasala® Curry Chicken Breast for standard chicken. Already fully cooked, Bold Madrasala® Curry Chicken Breast “takes away much of the work,” Ische explains. “You’re just combining the mirepoix with the chicken breast and velouté sauce to make the pot-pie filling.”
Looking for other creative applications? To prepare an on-trend Asian-inspired noodle bowl, cut Ichiban Teriyaki® Style Chicken Breast into strips and combine with beef broth, soba noodles and vegetables. Or create a hearty Farmer’s Market Pasta by adding diced Bold BourbonRidge® Uncured Smoked Ham to al dente pasta with grilled asparagus, sugar snap peas and zucchini.
More versatility, less labor
Operators have a head start in developing appealing items like these when they use Boar’s Head Bold® meats, which are fully cooked and ready-to-use—thereby sparing them the labor and consistency issues of scratch-cooked proteins. Better still, these whole-muscle meats “can be manipulated in any way an operator can use a cooked, whole protein,” Ische says. Think sliced, diced, cubed, chopped, pulled, shredded or cut into medallions.
Such versatility is especially important for operators who have had to reduce their kitchen teams, simplify their menus and use ingredients in multiple ways to minimize food and labor costs.
Having premium, fully cooked, ready-to-use meats like those in the Boar’s Head Bold® lineup on hand frees up chefs for other tasks. “I don’t worry that a cook will overcook the turkey breast or season it poorly,” Ische explains. Instead, “I can focus on all of the other things that I need to do.”
Want to attract flavor cravers back to your restaurant? To receive a sample of Boar’s Head® products, visit boarsheadfoodservice.com/takeflavorfurther. Find product information, menu inspiration and recipes, and more at boarshead.com/products/bold.
