Markets & Trends

INSTANT AND SAUCE


Recently, restaurants have had to take on a new challenge: rising commodity prices. Prices for beef, pork and eggs have increased throughout the year, leading to a few developments in foodservice. First of all, restaurants are introducing more low-cost, margin-friendly chicken options to the menu. Therefore, instead of introducing entirely new items, operators are using sauces, marinades and seasonings to bring new flavor profiles to traditional dishes and to entice customers.
Staple or classic sauces have become everyday flavors. Sauces that top the list year-after-year, such as tomato and barbecue,
illustrate the versatility and consumer acceptability of popular sauces and their flavors. Traditional sauces, such as mayonnaise, tomato and barbecue, continue to thrive through renewed interest in traditional applications and flavor profiles--such as barbecued pulled pork sandwiches and flatbread pizza. While traditional sauces still have appeal for both restaurant operators and their customers, there is still room for creativity. For many restaurants, just adding an extra flavor moves a sauce from traditional to contemporary and can even add a signature flavor profile to the menu.