Bidfood puts health and wellness onto menus

Foodservice provider Bidfood has hosted a virtual advice session for operators as they prepare to welcome back their customers.

The session focused on how to help businesses tap into growing 2021 trends to shape their menus and drive footfall, as well as homing in on the importance of incorporating health and wellness into menus.

Consumer’s attitudes and behaviours have dramatically shifted since the pandemic towards a stronger focus on wellbeing, with mental health very much top of mind. In Bidfood's research, 75% of consumers said eating a healthy diet is important to them and over two-thirds said the pandemic has made them more concerned about their health overall.

Bidfood’s ‘wellness my way’ session highlighted how operators could develop healthier food choices for these consumers when eating out, through insights, guides and recipe ideas.

Craig Miles, development chef at Bidfood, showcased several recipes ideas incorporating 'mood-boosting' foods, such as a hidden veggie beetroot brownie, a baked vegetable bhaji and coconut fluffy pancakes alongside a lighter lunch option using Bidfood’s new Pier 7 fish range and a grab-and-go healthy chicken wrap using Farmstead products.

David King, senior customer marketing manager at Bidfood, added: “From a recent survey, we can see that 75% of consumers feel their food choices affect their energy levels and moods, so will therefore affect their diet and lifestyle choices. Reflecting on this, we wanted to support our customers as best we can by giving them an insight into ways in which they can appeal to this consumer mindset when designing their menus.

“These are really challenging times for everyone, so we wanted to provide customers with the tools needed to ensure they leverage the trends to help drive footfall, while showcasing our passion for food and trend-led ingredients in an engaging and fun way.”

For more information and recipe inspiration, click here

Photo: Martin Eshelby and Craig Miles, Bidfood development chefs at the Bidfood Kitchen