Grab and go offerings need to be fast and fresh

It's got to be fast and fresh, but your menu and meal deals matter too for enticing customers to grab-and-go

Faced with rising inflation, cost-crunched customers and staff shortages, operators need to be smarter than ever to mop up the grab-and-go trade. And that means being there when hunger strikes, be that morning, noon or night, offering the right products and promotions, all delivered at speed.

So, how do you get it right? What are the big crowd-pleasing items? What demographic should you target with your grab-and-go? And what sort of promotional strategies work best?

It makes sense to target younger consumers, analysis from IGD ShopperVista suggests. Future spend in grab-and-go will be driven by customers under the age of 44, with the 18-24 age group the most likely to purchase more in the coming months, its data indicates.

Speed of service has become more important to food-to-go customers, and operators should be investing in processes and tech to drive efficiency, such as ordering apps, the same research concludes. The potential upside is that staffing costs could also reduce.

The digital revolution brought about by the pandemic also affects what customers will be ordering and when, wholesaler Bidfood's Food & Drink Trends 2022 suggests. According to Bidfood, rapid digital innovation and the lasting impact of the pandemic "is likely to drive demand for all-day menus, brunch occasions and more snack-type meals", so grab-and-go choices will need to be diverse and operators will be seeking out products that provide versatility across all day meal occasions, as well as delivering quality, it suggests.

Meanwhile, world food, healthier eating and plant-based trends remain key overarching trends. The Food People has identified shawarma, Asian slaw, Chinese sweet chilli, Jamaican jerk and Japanese teriyaki as some of the most popular flavours to be reflected in grab-and-go.

Lara Bicknell, head of sales at Creed Foodservice, says: "Asian flavours are really coming through and Japanese food is huge this year. It typically contains less sugar and fewer colorants than other Asian cuisines, which works well as health is a higher priority than ever before."

Dishes such as poke bowls are also popular, as are innovative salad bowls, allowing caterers to offer different flavours and ingredients, and to change their offering seasonally.

Plant revolution

Healthy eating and special diet trends have already led many restaurants to review their menus and streamline them with allergen-free options that please everybody. John Want, sales, marketing and R&D director at bakery specialist Rich's, says: "Looking ahead, plant-based bakery is still on the rise, with many outlets switching their core ranges or products to plant-based as standard – although of course customers expect these to taste and perform like their regular counterparts."

There is a returning interest in healthier sweet treats, he says, but the need for indulgence outweighs health in the bakery and snacking occasion. However, adding ingredients such as nut and seed toppings will give a higher health perception, he suggests.

Want is confident that a bakery treat will be seen by consumers as an affordable item even as belts tighten: "We're still a nation of bakery lovers, and while value will be important to shoppers in the year ahead, sweet grab-and-go is an area we expect to continue to perform strongly."

However, customers want a higher level of "experience" to justify the spend, he observes. "There's an expectation for hyper-visual, ‘Instagramable' products, meaning bold colours, and hidden flavours. From a grab-and-go perspective, items that stand out on shelf, especially when placed near the till, are more likely to catch the eye."

Coffee and cake

Want suggests there is a real opportunity to upsell around coffee, and Ali Anderson, sales manager at Notes Coffee, says coffee plays a huge part in the grab-and-go market.

The Notes coffee range is ideal for cross-selling alongside other growing categories such as cakes, muffins and pastries, for instance, she says. Operators can entice customers into buying these coffee products by offering free samples or discounts, including the likes of half-price refills.

Anticipating the economic challenges this winter, simple serves that maximise margin are the key to success, Pete Evans, Lamb Weston's UK marketing manager believes.

Fries are always popular and can offer a significant mark-up when you compare the cost per portion with the potential sales value, he says. Experiment by seasoning with peri-peri or harissa, or send a dish upmarket by serving fries with Parmesan and truffle oil, or rosemary and pink Himalayan salt, adding a 40% margin, Evans says.

"Our top tip would be ‘build your own fries to go' – give customers a choice of sauces, toppings and extras that can change regularly to offer something fresh and new, but all built around good-quality fries. Charlotte Perkins, trade marketing manager at foodservice supplier Pan'Artisan, says that for busy operators the versatility of pizza makes it a winning option, as it can be tailored to address different dietary needs. Data collated over the past 10 years from Just Eat shows pizza as the most popular takeaway choice too, she says.

"The ‘just-baked' aroma and freshness afforded by bake-off items is a big attraction and allows operators to easily serve up freshly prepared pizzas, either from pre-made pizza bases or by utilising our range of premium dough balls to create bespoke bakery goods," she says.

Menu items that can be pre-prepared or offer quick cook solutions are ideal for the grab-and-go market, Greta Strolyte, brand manager at Lucky Boat agrees, with customer demand for world foods and Asian dishes remaining high.

"There are a few safe bets too; the cuisines that draw in customers time after time. Asian classics, such as stir-fries and noodle soups are not only popular but speedy to prepare and transport well for a grab-and-go scenario, and are a great option for delivery and takeaway too."

Hot dogs are another well proven food-to-go offer as they appeal to all ages, are simple to serve and requiring no real kitchen support, suggests Jorg Braese, managing director at the Sausage Man, which has just launched a Sausage2Go unit, a hot-hold solution for caterers wishing to offer hot dogs as a quick-serve or grab-and-go option, he says. The unit uses air recirculation technology, retaining heat with no moisture loss.

Mark Prior, product development chef at KFF, says that loaded sandwiches filled with lasagne or curry, are popular: "Much as we crave innovation, we still love the simple things when they are done well: we have seen homemade chicken parm sandwiches trending, and tuna meatball sandwiches are still a thing, but now come with the added message of sustainably caught tuna," he says.

Visual appeal

Point of sale, presentation and getting the food to the customer in optimum condition are all crucial to boosting grab-and-go sales.

Everything starts with a well-presented menu, and the same goes for those offering a delivery or takeaway service, says Kevin Hughes, country manager UK&I for La Lorraine Bakery Group: "Don't underestimate the power of a well-designed menu. They can offer plentiful upselling and cross-selling opportunities. Think about introducing a specials or a promotional menu to help encourage customers to order something new."

Meal deals are a tried and tested means of boosting add-on sales. Bicknell says: "The traditional British ‘sandwich, crisps and drink' meal deal – although still holding a place in the market – doesn't excite and delight. However, the approach of the meal deal and giving consumers value at every turn is key, even more so in light of the rising cost of living."

Caterers should look at offering a tiered approach, where consumers are encouraged to add items to create different levels of meal deal, she recommends.

And Richard Cooper, senior brand manager at Chicago Town, Dr Oetker Professional, says hot options in meal deals are in demand. "This is particularly pertinent with evening meal deals, which are often successful if they replicate high-street chains, for example: pizza, wedges, chicken strips and a drink." Customers are more likely to try something new if they think they are getting a bargain, or even better for free. "Loyalty programmes also feed into this idea – giving customers the incentive to try something new because they might as well," says Anderson.

It's a wrap

"A crucial element to tempting a purchase in a retail or foodservice environment is making your food look irresistible," says Gary Thacker, sales director at Fri-Jado UK. Whether that is by using eye-catching packaging or writing tempting menus, the buying decision will ultimately rest on how easy it is for the customer to see the product, he believes.

Fri-Jado UK offers Modular Convenience Counters, which are designed to offer a 360° view of foods, providing up to 30% more display surface and up to 75% more product visibility, he says.

Packaging also makes all the difference to grab-and-go options, particularly those bought to eat later on: "What you really want is the customer to pick up your dish to take away and be so impressed with the presentation and taste that they are inspired to visit your venue for the full dine-in experience," says Kevin Barker, national account manager at Duniform Specialist.

Whether you go down the self-pasteurisation route, chilled or modified atmosphere packaging, there are attractive and eco-friendly products available. Packaging can now extend shelf life and give hygiene benefits, on top of the aesthetic value, he says.

Once you have a size and style of packaging selected you can opt for traditional sealing methods or for heat seal technology to give a stronger, tamper-proof seal. With allergen legislation in place, keeping food safe before sale is vital as well, and kitchen staff need to understand how and when to separate foods. Steve Hemsil, sales director UK & Ireland at Welbilt says it offers colour coded accessories for keeping different products separate in prep areas: "Accessories such as trays and liners are available in various colours to make separating menu items easy for staff, green can be used for vegetarian or vegan and Merrychef has introduced purple accessories for allergies."

It is getting the details right that will make the difference between success and failure in what promises to be a difficult time ahead for grab-and-go. According to the latest IGD figures, the faster than expected recovery in the post Covid food-to-go market is set to be dampened by rising inflation. This year it predicts that the UK food-to-go sector will be worth £18.9b, 3% more than its pre-Covid value in 2019. However, gains in 2021/22 will be offset by lower growth in 2023/24 as the rising cost of living impacts discretionary spend, it predicts. Inflation is set to be the main growth driver over the next 18 months, with a minimal increase in volume predicted for 2023.

There may indeed be an uphill struggle ahead, but one of the lessons everyone has learned from the pandemic is that, good or bad, no-one really knows what the future holds.