With consumer confidence on a rollercoaster ride, it’s hard to predict how hospitality will fare over the festive period this year. If you feel your menu needs a touch more sparkle to tempt diners out, here are some ideas to inspire extra indulgence, provoke attention-grabbing social media posts and create reasons for a repeat visit to try more of your Christmas specials.
Casual bites of Christmas
The traditional Christmas turkey dinner hasn’t lost its menu appeal but roasts don’t suit all dining occasions and younger diners are looking for those festive flavours in more exciting or more casual formats. Offer Xmas dinner in a wrap or Yorkshire pud. Pulled turkey is trending this year, so serve as a loaded burger or as a topping for hotdogs. Feature turkey in poke bowls, in warm winter salads drizzled with a dressing made with another sizzling trend – hot honey (chili-flavoured honey).
Offer a different cut
Not everyone is a fan of turkey breast so a juicy joint made of turkey thigh meat is a cut with a difference that’s easy to spice up, slice up and serve. Beef daube is another great value meat that works with a huge variety of classic and trending flavours for tempting festive menus. Consider other more affordable but flavourful steak cuts such as picahana, blade, bavette and flat iron to tempt diners who want to indulge but can’t afford the higher-priced regular offers such as rib-eye or sirloin.
Get fishier with broader options
There’s more to Xmas fish than smoked salmon and prawns. There’s smoked British mackerel and delicate trout, mussels, and crab. Turned into pates and mousses, these will give your menu an extra margin boost. Add a fabulous hake dish to your menu – or that deluxe treat, turbot. And check out unusual pickled accompaniments that will really stand out on menus such as pickled fennel or pickled watermelon. There’s expected to be more focus on fish and cheese for starter dishes this year rather than meat and pate – so make sure you have it covered or risk missing out.
Creative vegetarian dishes
The nut roast hasn’t disappeared but it has been joined by a fantastic range of celebratory vegetarian options for Christmas 2024. Consider exciting combinations of veg, cheeses, fruits and pulses as well as nuts – such as beetroot, bramley and brie tart, or a butternut squash and lentil wellington served with a fig chutney. And there’s going to be lots of luxury seasonal options such as mushroom and stilton croque monsieur or brie infused with truffles.
Twistalgia - trending desserts
With prices for chocolate, cream and butter sky high, dessert makers are adding a large dash of creativity to their Xmas dessert offers to preserve the feeling of indulgence and maintain a good margin. There’s lots of white chocolate and cherries, surprising combinations and secret centres. Consider adding a twist to your top selling festive puds with a mince-pie or tiramisu-flavoured cheesecake, a red velvet yule log, blonde roulades and pavlovas made with white chocolate, or mulled wine jellies. Serve a caramel sauce with Xmas pudding, and offer panettone dipped in chocolate, cinnamon buns with caramel sauce and bundt sticky toffee puddings. Make chocolate go further by offering mini chocolate cups with different fillings or one-bite-big chocolate popdots.
Go green - literally
Get in on the major predicted trend for the 2024 festive season – the launch of the movie Wicked in November. This global hit musical has been made into an all-star cast movie and the unique green shade that’s a hallmark of the show and front and centre in all promos will be everywhere. Ride the wave with a wicked green dessert, sauce or sorbet – and you’ll wow more than the kids this Christmas.
A choice for every budget
Diners planning seasonal celebrations out of home with friends, family and colleagues are likely to fall into three broad camps during this uncertain period for the economy. Those on a strict budget; those who see Xmas as the time to push the boat out but will perhaps cut back by going out less often; and those who can be persuaded to spend a little more if the offer is right and they believe they are getting value for money.
So as well as a variety of tempting dishes, operators need to be mindful that they are catering to diners with different budgets and offer a menu with affordable options as well as luxury treats – no matter what usual demographic is.