Industrial catering and fast-service restaurants have been enjoying the most positive developments in the entire foodservice spectrum in Europe, particularly in Germany, but also in the US, despite the increased pressure these outlets feel coming from the retail aisles.
By Dan Orehov
According to the German Frozen Food Institute (dti), the out-of-home market continued to develop positively in 2018, too. Due to increasing expenditure (+ 2.2%) with stable visitor figures (+ 0.3%), gastronomy achieved a higher average score (+ 1.9%) in the first half of 2018 according to npdgroup Deutschland. However, not all areas of gastronomy underwent a positive development. The fastest growing area was the fast-service restaurants and workplace catering. Frozen products are used in every form of gastronomy and are valued by chefs for their many advantages and flexibility, and thus benefit from the positive market development.
Trends in the Freezer
Dti observes the development of the trends in the deep-frozen range and consults its member companies: the desire for simple and convincing nutritional solutions, with good taste and high quality is the most important driver for the deep-frozen market. The term Convenience describes what many people experience: the double burden of work and family, as well as the increasing mobility and flexibility in daily routines have an impact on everyday nutrition. In many households it has to go fast, a hot meal is expected to be on the table within minutes. With deep-frozen products it is perfectly possible. It can also be observed that deep-frozen products that enter the market are of increasingly high-quality. The excellent raw materials and the high quality are more and more appreciated and expected by consumers. The home-cooked look reflects another important trend, because the deep-frozen product is supposed to look and taste best, as if it were cooked at home or in a restaurant. Compared to the previous year, the dti trend survey shows that regionality continues to be one of the strongest drivers in the deep-frozen product range. In combination with an increasing demand for organic products, the desire for natural, bio products from “home” becomes clear. Manufacturers address these issues through resource selection, for example when it comes to potato and vegetable products.
You can read the entire article in the Nov-Dec issue of Frozen Food Europe print magazine.
