Food
Tuck in! Zoe Fryday considers how bar operators can tempt and impress customers with premium snacks
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s Brits emerge from their homes and return to their favourite drinking establishments to celebrate the last bit of summer, they’ll be expecting quality and indulgence. Now, more so than ever, is the time to entice patrons with an exciting, creative offering – one that will encourage them to stay in venues a little while longer and, ultimately, put more cash in the tills. This can be achieved by serving second-tonone tipples accompanied by appetising, premium bar snacks that are convenient, cost-effective, and, most importantly, bang on trend. Operators looking for premium snacks that are quick and simple to prepare and serve can explore the growing variety of pre-prepared frozen products available to the hospitality sector. Gordon Lauder, managing director of frozen food distributor Central Foods, believes that now is the opportune moment to discover these ranges. “Pre-prepared frozen food is supplied in a consistent shape, size or
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portion, which helps with presentation and cost controls, and this may be particularly important as pubs and bars open up and operate in the new landscape. Fewer people are needed to prep and serve the food, and they don’t require such a high level of skill, meaning that other kitchen staff can be freed up to concentrate on what they are best at – creating the freshly cooked items.” With more and more consumers opting for plant-based or vegan food, and an increasing number requiring gluten-free options, Gordon and the team stress the importance of catering to customers’ different dietary requirements. “There are some fantastic tasting, pre-prepared frozen snack products that are both vegan and gluten-free, which means they will be suitable for the vast majority of customers. Cauliflower is currently a foodie favourite, and Middle Eastern and Persian flavours are also on trend, so why not opt to serve the KaterVeg! Moroccan-style Cauliflower Bites.” Another option, Gordon proposes,
polarbröd’s recipe For avocado, toFu and dill mini roll For one portion: 1 Polarbröd Soft Thin Bread XL 70g Avocado (fresh or thawed from frozen) 6g Lemon juice 60g Cream cheese (or spreadable vegan cheese or vegan mayonnaise) 15g Horseradish (grated) 70g Tofu 70g Red bell pepper 10g Dill (fresh or thawed from frozen) Salt and pepper If using fresh avocado, peel and pit it. Cut the avocado into pieces about 10mm in diameter and gently toss in the lemon juice before placing on a paper towel to drain. Mix the cheese with the horseradish, add salt and pepper to taste and spread the mix on the bread, covering it completely. Cut the tofu into cubes of the same size as the avocado and chop the bell pepper into smaller pieces. Place the avocado, tofu, bell pepper and dill on the thin bread. Sprinkle the surface with a little salt and pepper. Roll it tightly together lengthwise and wrap it in plastic. Store the sandwich roll in the refrigerator until serving. When serving, decorate with small pieces of fresh dill and bell pepper.
