CASE STUDY: Responding to Changing Market & Consumer Demands for Healthier & Vegetarian Foods. Connie Goring-Morris, Assistant Brand Manager

Transcription

1 CASE STUDY: Responding to Changing Market & Consumer Demands for Healthier & Vegetarian Foods. Connie Goring-Morris, Assistant Brand Manager

2 Case Study: Carluccio s Carluccio's is an Italian restaurant chain founded in London in Founded by Antonio Carluccio, we have always been inspired by our Italian heritage, working by Antonio s life motto of MOF MOF -Minimum of Fuss, Maximum of Flavour. Produce 2 main menus/year & monthly specials as well as seasonal menus around Christmas, Valentine s Day, Mothers Day & Easter.

3 Growing Demands Market Trends MCA Menu & Food Trends Report (2017): Innovation is Important with vegetarian dishes at the forefront. Fastest 5 Growing cuisine influences over the next 3-5 years: Healthier Eating (1/5) & Vegetarian (3/5). Vegetarian expected to see the fastest growth.

4 Growing Demands - Consumers The number of vegans in Britain having risen by more that 360% in the past decade and with around one in very 118 people giving up meat*. *From a poll of almost 10,000 people carried out by Ipsos MORI for the Vegan Society and Vegan Life magazine, May 2016

5 Inspired by Antonio & our Italian heritage All my life I have eaten more vegetables than meat. This is how Italians are they do not have a meat and two veg way of thinking. For them, [vegetables] can be the stars of the show too. Although Italians love meat, they will eat whole meals made up entirely of vegetables simply because they do not assume a meal has to contain meat. Meat and vegetables are equally valued. Abridged quote, Antonio Carluccio, Vegetables, 2000

6 Where We Were SS17 2x Vegan Starters Tomato Bruschetta & Panzanella 2x Vegan Mains - Tomato Linguine & Stuffed Peppers 5x Vegetarian Starters 8x Vegetarian Mains For mains we were lagging behind some of our competitors. Seasonal Set Menus such as Menu Festivo & Valentine s did not have enough veggie/vegan choice to encourage larger bookings/work parties.

7 The Challenges How make light, fresh, veggie/vegan dishes in winter without using meat. How to make healthy exciting. How to develop vegan dishes that even a meat eater would enjoy.

8 The Process The Brief: To improve vegetarian & vegan options by developing dishes that even a meat eater would enjoy reflecting the shift towards a more flexitarian approach in dining. To improve current vegetarian & vegan options. How we met the brief: Enlisted the help of Vegetarian/Vegan food writer Anna Barnett to work with Antonio Carluccio bring new ideas to the kitchen. Held a veggie/vegan taste panel to test our new dishes.

9 Zucca con Verdure Arrostite The Result Orecchiette al Cavolfiore Spaghetti con Polpette di Pane Tomato Bruschetta Crostini ai Funghi SS17 AW17 VG V VG V Starter s Mains

10 The Result New vegan dishes (Oricchette & Polpette) account for 11% of the pasta category, with the veggie/vegan dishes around 40% of total pasta sales. Year on year, sales for veggie/vegan dishes has increased by 10%, now taking up around 42% off total sales. Cucina Verde Inspired by the Meat-free Monday campaign, we created a pop-up in our Covent Garden restaurant serving only our vegan and vegetarian dishes. This proved popular with increased bookings and lots of press coverage.

11 On-Going Vegetarian/Vegan Trend is growing, with vegan options expected as the norm shown through Christmas ranges at many supermarkets & grab & go outlets including vegan food. Xmas Menu/Valentines - making sure there are choices on the menu for everyone Specials - looking to include more V/VG dishes on each set of specials. SS18 looking to develop more plant-based seasonal dishes as well as looking further into vegan desserts.

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