How Convenient!
Though current stay-at-home orders and dining restrictions vary around the world, the need for convenience has become truly universal.
On the retail side, consumers are stocking up on essentials with fewer shopping trips and supplementing their purchases with premium-quality meal kits inspired by their favorite restaurants. The shopping experience has become even more convenient with the rise of virtual brands and ghost kitchens.
One restaurant group in Chile, for example, has launched a digital market where consumers can purchase their most popular menu items (hotdogs, burgers, barbecue and snacks) to cook at home. In Indonesia, a Taiwanese café offers ready-to-cook family-style portions of traditional dishes alongside their carryout menu. And in China, a popular hot pot chain sells its broth bases in packaged formats for consumers to experience from the comfort of their home.
Operators continue to make dining more convenient and safe for guests, offering curbside pickup, dedicated walk-up windows and seamless digital ordering. Of course, with reliance on carryout and delivery comes the need for tamper-proof packaging that’s lightweight yet durable, affordable and environmentally friendly. An Egyptian startup is working to connect consumers to local fruit and vegetable vendors via WhatsApp, with deliveries packed in paper to minimize plastic waste. Innovation in the “plant-based packaging” space may uncover new solutions that maintain the integrity of delivery dishes while demonstrating an operator’s commitment to sustainability.
When it comes to delivery, packaging solutions and portability, attention to detail is everything. Chef Jonny Tomlin shares how our solutions, such as Flavor Glaze and Creative Coaters, can help products maintain their crisp and crunch while adding bold flavor that holds up during delivery.
QSR/FOODSERVICE:
Speed and delivery have been greatly accelerated due to COVID and will increase convenience expectations for the years to come.
PROTEIN PROCESSORS:
Protein can help satiate consumers conveniently and quickly in snacks and customizable protein powders—or provide even more satisfying fuel in ready-to-go meals.
SNACKING:
CPG snacks are an easy and obvious path to convenience. The next level of convenience will consider multi-compartments and mix-ins, verging on mini meals.
Culinary Inspiration
Get inspired by these on-trend concepts to create innovative offerings using Griffith Foods products. Please contact your Griffith Foods representative to learn how this trend can be customized to your product portfolio.
Ropa Vieja Empanadas
Empanadas are the ideal convenience food—handheld, easy to transport, can be consumed hot or at room temperature and filled with endless flavor combinations.
This version takes a classic Cuban dish as inspiration. Tender braised beef, slow-cooked for hours with peppers, tomatoes and olives, is wrapped in a carefully crimped flaky pastry and baked to perfection. Serve with a tangy herb, citrus and olive oil dipping sauce.
Poke Meshi Cone
This unique handheld item is inspired by traditional sushi hand rolls and poke bowls.
It features a crisp waffle cone dusted with spicy togarashi seasoning, filled with warm sushi rice and topped with salmon, shrimp and calamari. Finish with a drizzle of soy sauce and toasted nori sheets.
Certification from the Forest Stewardship Council, or FSC, ensures that products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.
In 2020, 92% of the paper or fiber-based packaging for bags and corrugate boxes used by Griffith Foods was FSC certified. We are working to achieve 100% FSC certification, as well as to make sure that those packaging materials are 100% recyclable.
Culinary Perspective
Join Chefs Siddharth Raghavan and Ryan Flick in the latest episode of our podcast, “The Blend by Griffith Foods.” They’ll be discussing the rise of convenience-focused innovation during the pandemic—from packaging to meal kits—and sharing their thoughts on which ideas have staying power for the long-term.
Sources:
Mintel, 2021 FlavorIQ® Global Trends and Insights Report, January 2021
