The Source

Brakes has been a supporter of Love British Food for many years and sits on the national committee that provides ideas and support for our great British suppliers and producers.  It is proud to support the British food industry and I am personally delighted to have taken on an ambassadorial role with Love British Food this year.

British provenance has been important to Brakes, and its customers, for a good many years and there is now a "balanced" approach.  The majority of mid-level customers want high quality, in season, products at a great price and, whilst operators at a more premium level also want this, they place greater focus on locally sourced, as opposed to generic, British produce, and make this a USP of their menu, regardless of the cuisine type.

There are many reasons for buying British, but the level of focus placed upon it very much depends on the individual operator's brand credentials and what's important to them with regard to their offer and identity.  For example, those who are more ecologically driven will focus on food miles and supporting the local community, whereas for high end chefs it’s all about sourcing great tasting, freshly harvested, in-season produce.

British Food Fortnight itself falls at a time of the year when the harvest has just been gathered so home-grown produce is at its best, most abundant and, more often than not, most competitively priced.  And seasonal menu cycles that play to the strengths of British produce are really easy to create - if you have a stew for lunch, you can incorporate the same vegetables in the soup of the day and use dry spices to vary the flavour.

It’s also important for operators to consider their customer’s perspective on provenance.  Many consumers want to know that their money is staying in their local area/county/country and provenance also helps connect them with the produce they purchase.  Many associate animal welfare, quality, and flavour with British provenance, even though they do not necessarily go hand-in-hand, and this has made provenance increasingly critical, particularly when it comes to meat and poultry.

Most Brakes customers will put quality first, but if it can be British too then calling out the variety or location of a dish on the menu is a great idea.  Showcasing specific ingredients that are central to the menu, especially via their website or social media is another good way of doing this. Another great method of conveying provenance and accountability to customers is to build a story around the meat or poultry involved.  Whether that’s around the location it’s sourced from, the product’s accreditations, or the breed of the animal.  This story will both reassure and educate customers, engage them with the product, and allow the operator to sell food with a conscience.

The UK eating out market is shaped by a number of trends: healthier eating, indulgence, informality, premiumisation, provenance and value scrutiny.  These six trends create the framework for all other trends. Some of them appear contradictory, such as healthier eating vs indulgence and informality vs premiumisation, so operators must strike a balance between the trends and find the right mix for their customers.  To help them achieve this, Brakes has a stack of great ideas, recipes, resources, and practical ideas for getting the most from British food. You can find them all in one place here:

www.brake.co.uk/inspirational-food/menu-ideas/love-british-food