GLOBALSnack-spiration

According to a recent report by Mondelēz International, 71%1 of consumers around the world snack at least twice a day. With consumers replacing regular meals with snacks, we decided it was time to peel back the lid on the category and shed some light on how operators can meet this appetite for a lighter bite.

Turbulent Times Are Driving Demand

As consumers become increasingly concerned about the rise of inflation and draw their purse strings tighter, surprisingly, the demand for snacks has remained essential. Three quarters2 of consumers in a recent report stated they still always find room in their budget for snacks. Clearly, in tough times, snacks are a dependable friend, helping consumers take their mind off their worries. Whether it’s a bite of indulgence or a healthy bridge between meals, snacking is set to remain a daily staple. This is great news for operators, but with just over 50% 3 of consumers looking for more snack-spiration (or snack inspiration) in their lives, the pressure for developing new menu items is on.

One Snack Does Not Fit All

From care home residents and hospital patients, to children and adults seeking a bit of quiet time, everyone has different nutritional needs and snacks play a vital role in meeting them. Savoury snacks such as cheese scones, bellinis or mini tartlets provide crucial nutrition for care home residents throughout the day. However, never underestimate the power of an indulgent snack to boost wellbeing too, it is well-known that a little chocolate is good for the soul after all!

In the out of home sector, consumer trends are drifting away from set mealtimes throughout the day. Diners are increasingly replacing meals with snacks, in fact 55% 4 have reported to opt for a snack across all three standard mealtimes. As a result, approximately a third of all new snack bars launched in the grocery sector in 2020 claimed to be high protein in a bid to serve this burgeoning market.

Alfajores

Churros

There is still a huge opportunity for operators to play in this space, especially at breakfast and weekday lunchtimes. From simple free-range boiled eggs and spinach pots to traditional South African beef jerky, we suggest going global for some great snackable flavours.

GIVE YOUR SNACKS SOME LOVE

Every country around the world has their own take on a snack. In South America, Alfajores are hugely popular. These crumbly biscuits filled with dulce de leche or jam have been adopted by Argentina as their unofficial biscuit of choice! However, move slightly further north to Brazil and you will find crunchy, soft coxinha on the menu – a teardrop shaped snack of shredded chicken and cream cheese, encased in a dough and coated in breadcrumbs.

Arthur MacNair, Head Chef at Koya Ko, London looked to Japan for his inspiration, combining a traditional rice porridge dish called okayu with sustainable cooking techniques. Arthur says; “We get our chicken from a farm that produces proper free range chickens. The bones make a beautiful stock and reduce our waste as well. Our toppings change with what we have but the pickled egg has remained; it’s an homage to the proper chip shops and pubs where I’ve spent many happy evenings.”

Asia is a goldmine for snacks, choosing just one is impossible. Whether you opt for the sweet-filled rice cakes of Japan, the savoury scallion pancakes of Taiwan or the deep-fried Filipino Lumpiang Shanghai (akin to a Chinese spring roll), there is much to explore from the region.

Heading into Europe, we have the Dutch stroopwafel, which always goes down well with a cup of coffee, churros from Spain and the Polish pączkis - a pastry that looks like a doughnut, but is made from a rich dough and is often infused with alcohol before being filled with plum jam.

Tune in to trends

Whatever flavour profiles you choose, make sure your snacks meet the growing appetite for sustainable options by incorporating plant-based ingredients too. Over 55%5 of global consumers are making an effort to eat less meat and 49% are making an effort to eat less dairy. Serving this market will certainly reap its rewards.

It is also worth keeping an eye on what is happening in the grocery market. The snack category is developing at a fast pace and consumer demand for world flavours, combined with a desire for excitement and experience has led to a number of websites popping up that supply surprise snack boxes. Delighting people with tasty morsels from around the globe, they have become increasingly popular. Operators can replicate this idea with sweet or savoury mystery snack boxes for key events such as Easter, or weekly specials presenting consumers with a trio of different bite-sized delicacies that can be enjoyed with a cup of coffee.

Despite the consistently high levels of demand, snack menus are often neglected in favour of developing new dishes for main meals. With so much scope for introducing variety that will keep consumers coming back for more, isn’t it time you showed your snack menu a little love?

There are a number of tasty savory treats to be inspired by too. Following his time at Casamia, Joel Breakwell, Executive Chef at Casa developed his take on the parmesan tartlet he used to cook - a brick pastry tart shell filled with parmesan custard. “I came across the idea for the fried semolina by putting scraps of semolina pasta dough straight into the fryer. After rolling our desired shape it puffed up in such an incredible way that I knew we had to do something with it. With a little playing around and tweaking techniques, we ended up with a beautifully crisp sphere of deep-fried pasta. I knew then exactly what I had to fill it with…. Parmesan! Although it had been done before, it felt very relevant, as we are of course very much an Italian inspired restaurant,” says Joel.

With a little bit of creativity, snacks can also help reduce food waste, using left over vegetables and meat to make dumplings or combining yesterday’s croissants with Nutella to make a luxurious take on a bread pudding.

If you choose your snack menu wisely, it is possible to produce options that do not require much preparation or cooking – saving time and your energy bills too. Donkwa from Nigeria is a classic example. A mix of chilli, cornmeal, cloves, ground peanuts, sugar, oil and water, they are simply rolled into balls and eaten.

While cafés and restaurants can curate a snack menu that fits their style of cuisine, educators and care homes can inject a bit of fun into their menus, taking residents and students on a journey of exploration, visiting a different country every week. Dishes such as shredded beef empañadas, pork potstickers, mini samosas, hush puppies and nachos are all great options which are also handheld items.

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