By Anna Sentance, Gourmet Marketing Manager, Callebaut UK and Ireland.
With eight out of ten diners telling us that they would order desserts if the menu included more chocolate items1 April is the perfect time to review your dessert and sweet treat offering as you prepare to open your doors to consumers once again.
Keeping your chocolate offerings on-trend and interesting can be simple to achieve with a few small changes…
Elevate Everyday Classics
Keeping your menu simple yet desirable with your best-selling dessert dishes will help drive footfall. After such a long break, customers will be looking for treats they couldn’t replicate at home and offering something just a little bit different can be crucial to help you stand out in a competitive market.
– Be Confident of Quality. Consumers are more interested in quality and provenance than ever before so ensure you offer premium ingredients
– Complement your core flavours by using on trend and in season ingredients such as fresh fruits, shredded coconut or espresso to help boost the flavour profile of standard desserts
– Indulgence is everything so think about offering a real Belgian chocolate sauce to drizzle over your desserts to make it an even more special offering
– A balance of textures is key – for added textures use ingredients such as peanuts or popcorn, but be sure to clearly signpost allergens on the menu
– A balanced menu with an offering of dishes suitable for different dietary requirements including vegan, gluten free and dairy free will help make your offering all-inclusive
– With the younger generation especially keen on enjoying tasty and instagrammable dishes, consider utilising different texture and other visual twists on desserts. Add a splash of colour by using Callebaut’s Ruby chocolate callets, which can be seen in Callebaut’s Yuzu Ruby Chocolate No-bake Cheesecake, a unique twist on a classic cheesecake
– Ensure you have a balance of more indulgent and lighter options to suit everyone. For something a little lighter, try Callebaut’s Cardamom and Rose Water Cakes, an easy-to-make sweet treat
Delivering Desserts
As your business builds back up its visitor base it’s still important to cater to those who may not be quite ready to visit yet. By continuing to
offer the same delivery service as during lock-down this will help build multiple revenue streams for your business, and make up for only being able to hold a limited amount of covers.
Remember to let customers know you’re still delivering to them and to create more interest using our top tips
1. Offer a takeaway afternoon tea package or a dessert deal to encourage continued purchases from home
2. Offer boxed chocolate dipping sauces as extras to increase indulgence
3. Update menu descriptions specifically to encourage customers to order from home
4. Create offers and deals i.e. ‘Friday 2 for on all desserts’ or ‘Buy a main and a dessert for £11.99’
Crafting Chocolate Experiences
Easter time is traditionally associated with chocolate, why not take things a step further and provide DIY kits with a plain dessert or cheesecake with some additional extras for a family to decorate themselves.
Within a care setting, why not create your own plain chocolate easter eggs ready for residents to decorate with icing, chocolate shapes and even edible paints.
Get Back to Business Guide
To help operators navigate through recent restrictions Callebaut has created a “Get Back to Business” Guide which explores key considerations for venue operations, customer and staff well-being, and even new-look menu advice.
To download the ‘Get back to Business’ Guide, visit: www.callebaut.com/download-back-business-guide
