Hospitality businesses will need to forge closer relationships with their suppliers in order to reassure customers about the integrity of the supply chain, believes buying specialist Lynx Purchasing.

With signs that consumers are starting to spend more on eating out as the economy picks up, Lynx Purchasing believes that an increasing number will seek out operators who can give them confidence in what they are eating.

As the company publishes the Summer 2014 edition of its Market Forecast, Lynx expects restaurants, pubs and hotels that can form genuine partnerships with suppliers to gain an advantage with customers.

Lynx managing director John Pinder said: “With last year’s horsemeat scandal still fresh in consumers’ memories, newspaper headlines in May focused attention on the use of halal meal by a number of restaurant and foodservice businesses.  It was clear that one of the concerns for consumers was that operators may not be asking their suppliers the right questions.

“As consumers become increasingly interested in the provenance of their food, more of the operators we work with are asking us to link them with suppliers that share the same values and commitment.”

The Summer 2014 Market Forecast looks at the prospects for food pricing across the summer and into the autumn.  An overview of market and pricing trends for hospitality operators, the Market Forecast combines analysis of headline ONS inflation figures with exclusive insight from Lynx suppliers.

Among areas for concern highlighted by the Market Forecast are:

• Potentially higher prices for beef and lamb. In the US, beef production is behind demand for the first time in many years, which has led to South American beef being diverted to make up the shortfall. This drives up demand for UK and Irish beef in turn.  Meanwhile, with British lamb prices at their usual seasonal high, demand for Australasian supplies remains strong from China and the emerging markets.
• Continued high prices for farmed salmon, due to increased global demand and insufficient stocks, as well as supply issues with farmed tiger prawns due to theEarly Mortality Syndrome virus in Asia.
• Imported fruit is likely to cost more due to problems with disease, including a fungus spreading through banana crops and the potential of a European ban on South African citrus imports due to Citrus Black Spot.

Pinder adds: “More than ever before, we are advising our customers to buy close to home and in season in order to offer the best value on menus. British pork and poultry, although not immune to rising costs, will represent better value across the summer. Fish from British waters, such as line-caught Newlyn Cornish sardines and Brixham plaice, will be high quality and excellent value until the autumn.

“After a mild winter, we’re also expecting bumper crops of British fruit and vegetables, from potatoes and onions to strawberries and other summer fruits. The added benefit of making home-grown produce a feature on menus is that it helps operators send a clear message about provenance.”

Lynx Purchasing works with more than 2,000 businesses, offering caterers access to the best prices in the market, with no fees or contracts. Lynx customers also benefit from detailed market insight, enabling them to plan menus more effectively.

A FREE copy of the Spring 2014 Lynx Purchasing Market Forecast can be downloaded at Lynx Purchasing Market Forecast Summer 2014

For more information on Lynx Purchasing, visit www.lynxpurchasing.co.uk  email savings@lynxpurchasing.co.uk or call 01325 710143.