A menu made with craftsmanship and premium-brand ingredients sends a clear message to consumers: the restaurant operator is committed to quality and a memorable dining experience. Learn more about lunch and dinner menu ideas for restaurants that offer the quality ingredients that customers are looking for.
For generations, operators have communicated that message to consumers by highlighting Boar’s Head® products on their menus. From its founding in 1905 to this day, the family-owned company has been known for master craftsmanship in premium delicatessen meats, cheeses, charcuterie, hummus, spreads and condiments.
Boar’s Head Brand’s standards for quality have never wavered and it continues to use the highest level of craftsmanship to create products of superior quality, freshness and taste. For example, many Boar’s Head® menu items and premium deli meats are made with whole-muscle proteins that are trimmed by hand, seasoned with top-caliber spices from around the world and prepared in much the same way a chef does in the restaurant. Similar craftsmanship is evident in Boar’s Head Hummus, made from chickpeas steamed until fork tender, blended with premium ingredients ranging from roasted artichokes to dark chocolate and flavored with sea salt, olive oil, tahini and savory spices.
The point is, the guiding principle of the Boar’s Head® menu items product portfolio is quality, not shortcuts. Using Boar’s Head fully cooked, whole-muscle meats simplifies menu planning and execution for busy restaurants. And the time and labor saved by using Boar’s Head products as a platform for menu development can free operators to focus on other vital aspects of business, such as hospitality, marketing and training.
Meeting higher expectations
Today, with dining demand skyrocketing and competition mounting, operators must show what they stand for. The right lunch and dinner menu ideas for restaurants can highlight quality ingredients and keep customers interested.
“Customers have extremely high expectations for quality,” says Caleb Taylor, culinary development chef at Boar’s Head Brand. “It’s essential to have an exciting and innovative menu and to be consistent in your execution.”
However, creating a menu that is engaging yet operationally practical is no easy task for operators struggling to hire enough staffers. To stretch their labor budgets, many are shortening menus, simplifying recipes and cooking with high-quality, ready-to-use ingredients. “You’re seeing more products with quality, innovation and uniqueness in use,” says Taylor. “Look at the varied flavors in the Boar’s Head Bold® line that are great for chefs to use.”
Bold expressions for flavor cravers
The Boar’s Head Bold® line of premium deli meats and cheeses, with flavor profiles inspired by culinary destinations around the world, appeals to the many flavor-craving consumers today. This is a great lunch and dinner menu idea for restaurants that are looking to emphasize quality.
It is important to note that Boar’s Head Bold® meats, like other Boar’s Head whole-muscle, fully cooked and seasoned deli meats, can be sliced, diced, chunked, shaved or pulled as the chef desires for maximum versatility in menu applications. When the innate craftsmanship of such products comes into play with the chef’s talents and inspirations, the path is paved for unique signature menu items.
For example, take Boar’s Head Bold® PitCraft® Slow Smoked Turkey Breast, smoked over mesquite wood chips and seasoned with an authentic dry rub that includes Mexican chilies. As a ready-to-use springboard for smoked meat and barbecue applications, it saves substantial labor and time and ensures consistency. “Because it’s whole muscle, it pulls apart easily,” says Taylor. “It’s a great convenience product and the flavor satisfies barbecue lovers from different parts of the country.”
Likewise, craftsmanship is built into Boar’s Head Bold® BourbonRidge® Uncured Smoked Ham, crafted with bourbon and smoked over charred oak barrel chips for zesty flavor. Taylor suggests nestling slices of Bold BourbonRidge® Uncured Ham and Boar’s Head® Blanc Grue® Gruyére Cheese between pieces of French toast for a twist on the classic Monte Cristo sandwich.
Versatility of hummus
The same quality, convenience and versatility is evident in other Boar’s Head® products. Consider Boar’s Head® Hummus, offered in flavors ranging from Traditional Hummus to Fire Roasted Artichoke & Spinach Hummus to Apple Pie Dessert Hummus and Dark Chocolate Dessert Hummus.
Taylor notes that the savory hummus flavors are versatile for pizza and flatbread toppings, pasta sauces, sandwich spreads and grain-based vegetarian patties. “Using hummus as a pasta sauce is very simple to execute,” says Taylor, citing Boar’s Head® Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and Roasted Pine Nut Hummus as examples. “Just combine the hummus with a little of the pasta cooking water to create the perfect consistency.”
When it comes to sweet applications, Boar’s Head® Dessert Hummus flavors can star as unique pastry ingredients, ranging from Apple Pie Hummus Cheesecake Bites to Dark Chocolate Hummus Cannoli to Dark Chocolate Hummus Heart Sandwich Cookies.
In the ultra competitive post-pandemic restaurant industry, operators need any edge they can get. A menu that communicates craftsmanship and premium brands can be a vital advantage.
For more ideas about winning customers with lunch and dinner menu ideas for restaurants and the craftsmanship of Boar’s Head® menu items, visit https://boarshead.com/about/foodservice.
