Nothing says Summer like festive food planning
If, like most of the UK, you’re still basking in the heatwaves we’ve been recently, then you’re probably thinking more ‘sweating like a pig’ than ‘pigs in blankets’ right now. However, if you work in foodservice and food retail then there’s only one thing on your mind right now and that is festive food, party treats and winter flavours. It’s true we’re already prepping for a sensational seasonal period and after a lacklustre holiday period in 2020, owing to last year’s changing restrictions, we think everyone agrees that for 2021, we go big!
Whether you celebrate or not, once Halloween ends, winter brings more gatherings, nibbles and drinks opportunities and as a result, we see a rush on party packs and festive treats to mark any holiday, or even just join in the spirit. For 2021 things kicked off even earlier than normal as Aldi promised us ‘June-mas or Christmas in June’ as a chance to get together, eat special food and recoup some of the things we were denied last year.
Feasts to rival all Christmases past
Across all marketing, not just food, we can see a trend for nostalgia – we love to look back and remember good times, so we’re expecting for 2021 that we’ll see most brands in our sector and beyond aim to recapture to magic of Christmases past, and a focus on helping us make this one more special than ever.
Cadbury is jumping on the bandwagon with the return of the iconic and much missed chocolatey treat, ‘Puds’ just in time for the 2021 buying season. Elsewhere, supports the idea of going big this year as it says 2021 is an ‘opportunity for brands to help consumers ‘recoup’ lost holidays and celebrations’. Could this mean the return of the Vol-au-Vent? A big surge on salmon mouse and prawn rings? Let’s take a look at the early signs from some of the sector’s biggest names.
Looking at some of the big supermarkets, it is clear to see those desires to make up for lost time and reclaim grand celebrations. There’s lots of gold, hearty mains take centre stage from classic turkeys to fish wellingtons and beef and bone marrow pie. These impressive centre pieces provide a real sense of occasion, grandeur and ring of Dickensian festive feasts.
Bring on the ‘Wow’…
As ever, the theme is strong across the festive treats section, with candy cane sausage rolls, golden dusted chocolate pinecones and santa themed cheesecakes all being offered up for our seasonal tables.
It is clear that we can expect a truly indulgent year and of course, with an increased interest in celebration and maximising our time off and around the table, means spending! Christmas is a time when we all traditionally increase our outgoings across the board, but our seasonal food bill is always a big one. On average U.K. consumers will spend £32 on decorations and £225 on food and drink for the season – we think based on some of the tempting treats on offer, we could see this year break some records and push that average up as we make up for lost time!
Our teams are already busy working on their own additions to festive menus and shelves, so keep your eyes peeled on our Instagram for some sneak peaks, where you can also let us know what your favourite festive treat is!