How London restaurants are adapting to consumer trends in a post-pandemic world

06 April 2022 by
How London restaurants are adapting to consumer trends in a post-pandemic world

The popularity of local and plant-based products seems to be here to stay.

  • Next-generation foodservice supplier Collectiv Food saw a 1200% increase in plant-based volumes in 2021.
  • They predict this will continue to rise as plant-based options offer more stable and predictable costs.

Surviving the past two years has been no mean feat for hospitality, and we're not out of the woods yet: rising inflation and the crunch of the cost of living crisis on consumer spending are the tip of the iceberg. Nevertheless, the London restaurant scene has consistently proven its resilience, bouncing back with a growing number of new openings and a predicted year-on-year growth rate in value of 59% for 2022.

The key to survival? Innovation.

The pivots and evolutions from restaurants have been a clear indication of our industry's creativity, versatility, and drive.

Plant-based proves profitable

Take the rise of plant-based. With awareness of the environmental impact of meat growing, restaurants are widening their plant-based options to meet rising demand from vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians alike. Dirty Bones were one of the forerunners in a growing movement of entirely plant-based spin-off brands or sites – their Dirty Vegan concept launched in 2018. Its first permanent site followed in 2021, and this year has already seen Honest Burger and even Burger King exploring fully vegan sites.

Natalia Spinetto, Sustainability Manager at Collectiv Food, whose clients include Dirty Bones, said they saw a 1200% increase in plant-based volumes in 2021. They've increased their plant-based network from 2 producers to 14, with new opportunities arising on a weekly basis: "With so many options out there, the plant-based market can be a minefield to navigate. It's also an amazing opportunity though: our sourcing model allows us to have a wide selection of options whilst staying on top of newcomers to the market. Customers can choose and sample plant-based options which reflect the very best innovation in the category."

Ed Standring, CEO at Haché, sees plant-based as pivotal to their future growth and achieving net-zero objectives, and their menu offers almost as many plant-based burger options as steak burgers. They've been sourcing through Collectiv Food in order to consolidate their plant-based deliveries, saving costs and time.

Current market volatility when it comes to traditional proteins is a further reason for developing a plant-based offering. Natalia adds: "The other benefit for restaurants developing their plant-based offering is that these products are yet to be hit by the inflationary pressures being witnessed with proteins such as chicken. The impact on soy may filter through, but an increasing number of plant-based brands don't use soybeans, and this impact is also likely to be less extreme."

Supplier stories sell

A focus on local sourcing and supplier storytelling is another trend that continues to develop. The past 24 months have exposed consumers to the fragility of our global supply network like never before, and pushed a desire to support local businesses and source produce from the UK. Restaurants are accelerating their focus on local sourcing, developing menus with the story that customers are looking for.

London based ice-cream makers and Collectiv Food partners Hackney Gelato attribute much of their success with London's restaurants to their locality. Co-founder Sam Newman explains:

"London chefs we work with love the fact they can just pop in and discuss a new recipe idea with us in the kitchen, which wouldn't be possible if we weren't in the capital. For a London restaurant, being able to put a brand like Hackney Gelato on their menu also really helps them show that they champion and support local suppliers."

Harry Watmough, co-founder of London based tempeh brand Club Cultured, similarly attributes a chunk of their success to their London roots: "80% of our customer base is in London, and the fact that we're the only tempeh brand to be fully made in the capital definitely helps to secure business. Every block of tempeh we've ever sold was made in London - it's that direct traceability which helps us to stand out."

Collectiv Food customer Big Mamma are trailblazers in the locally sourced trend, having built their name on their authentic sourcing standards. As their Food & Beverage Purchasing Manager Mari Volkosh reveals here, working with Collectiv on their seafood supply has been invaluable in helping them to find the local producers they otherwise wouldn't have found:

Be it plant-based or locally sourced, there's little doubt that in the face of the current market challenges, refinement of menus is something that operators should consider. Jeremy Hibbert-Garibaldi, CEO of Collectiv Food, revealed that their restaurant, hotel and pub chain customers are increasingly asking for support in innovating their menus, reducing their costs, and finding products with more predictable pricing.

"With food inflation a while from peaking, evolving menus to work more favourably for the operator whilst meeting customer demand will be key. Be it local storytelling, catering to plant-based diets, or whatever the next trend may be, staying ahead of the curve and adapting to the market will be critical."

Run a professional kitchen and looking to save money, improve reliability, and develop environmental credentials through your food supply? Collectiv Food can help

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