Gourmet Fast Food
Deserves Premium Sides urges Aviko
Gourmet fast food is a rapidly growing trend, according to Mintel*, which has found that consumers are showing an increasing appetite for posh burgers and premium hot dogs.
Its survey reports that 13% of UK consumers have tried the gourmet fast food increasingly offered by a new breed of restaurants such as burger outlets MeatLiquor and Byron (whose £7.90 burger was famously the subject of a tweet this summer by Chancellor George Osborne) and Champagne and hot dog bar Bubbledogs.
In addition almost half the nation would be prepared to try hot dogs made with fancy ingredients. This point is backed up by the recent Horizons Menurama report, which found that hot dogs with a gourmet twist were one of the fastest-growing items on the menu, and were now listed on 85% more menus than last year.
This new generation of top-notch burgers and hot dogs – sometimes served in brioche or ciabatta breads - have jettisoned the limp lettuce and sliced tomato garnishes of old in favour of exciting new flavours such as the Tex-Mex guacamole, salsa, sour cream and jalapeno combination, fiery Middle Eastern harissa, or the Oriental mix of kimchi and fermented read bean paste.
Operators looking to take their offer up-market however need to pay equal attention to the accompanying sides, advises Aviko’s General Manager, Mohammed Essa:
“With so much thought and effort going into the ‘gentrification’ of these fast foods, it would be a shame to let them down at the final hurdle by serving them with everyday fries. Premium burgers and hot dogs deserve to be partnered with premium fries to create a fully-finished dish – and Aviko’s Sweet Potato, Supercrunch and Superlong fries provide the perfect accompaniments to add that extra touch of difference and distinction.”
Indeed one operator reaping the rewards of offering fries with a point of difference is Roosters Piri Piri. Matthew Barratt, Manager at Roosters Fulham Palace Road, enthuses about Aviko’s product and its popularity with the Roosters clientele: “Aviko’s Superlongs are definitely the most popular side we offer on the menu. We must sell around 40-50kg a day – the customers absolutely love them. They have a more premium feel to most fries.”
With fries accounting for a massive 72.3% of the 1.86 billion servings of potato products in the out-of-home market^ and the average portion of chips generating a phenomenal gross profit of 1,215%** there has never been a better time for operators to trade-up their fries. Whether operators are looking for a point of difference through crunchier, longer, healthier or rustic – Aviko has a full range available.
Aviko Supercrunch Fries have a thin batter coating that guarantees a crispy, crunchy texture; it also means they retain their heat up to 50% longer than standard fries. They are available in 7.4mm and 9.5mm cut sizes, and are sold in 4x2.5kg cases.
Superlongs are also longer than average, meaning caterers will be able to get more portions per kilogram. Offering a more home-made, artisanal feel, they come in two variants - Original (in 7.4mm and 9.5mm cuts) and Skin-On (in 9.5mm and 11mm).
Sweet Potato Fries contain twice the fibre of regular spuds and are high in potassium, and Aviko’s holistic steam blanching production helps retain taste, crispiness and colour, as well as nutrients. For added visual impact, operators can also create Tiger Fries for children’s menus, by mixing Aviko’s vivid orange-hued Sweet Potato Fries with its deep golden-coloured Skin-On Superlongs.
Made from the highest grade potatoes, Aviko’s premium fries are supplied frozen and can be cooked to order and served in a matter of minutes, helping to speed up service and cut costly waste.
*Mintel August 2013
^ Foodservice Market Update, March 2013, Potato Council
**Data based on a portion of chips costing an estimated £2.50
For more information on Aviko please call 01442 239 536
or visit www.aviko.co.uk
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