SCOTTISH restaurants and foodservice outlets will carry on the innovations developed to cope with Covid, and now see sustainability as one of the most important drivers of their business, according to research unveiled at a conference hosted this week by insight specialists, The Knowledge Bank.
New research commissioned by the Knowledge Bank – revealed at “A Focus on Foodservice” – provided insight into the future of the sector, from a chefs’ perspective. The research highlighted many of the innovative measures adopted by the foodservice industry during the pandemic will endure as now mainstream staples of the industry, with reduced hours and menus providing key efficiencies in a tightening economy.
Home deliveries, take away options, and home dining experiences have also risen to become a backbone of food businesses’ plans – with 95% of conference attendees agreeing the innovations born from the pandemic are here to stay.
The standout theme of the research was the skyrocketing importance of food sustainability and provenance to the foodservice industry. Once the preserve of lux and niche markets, food sustainability and provenance has gone mainstream becoming an essential story telling tool. In a live audience poll 100% of the food service conference attendees classed sustainability as a key element of their purchasing decisions.
The research, presented by 56 degrees insight, was conducted via in-depth interviews with chefs, restaurant owners, catering companies and foodservice wholesalers and considered alongside an online survey of over 200 chefs and a focus group of student chefs at Glasgow College.
Raising awareness of food provenance and sustainability was an area highlighted for growth for Scotland’s foodservice companies, with restaurants continuing to raise awareness of the benefits of high-quality food, good practices, local produce, and traceability. The industry also called for more to be done to educate children at school and the wider population on the benefits of supporting the shift to local produce.
Amanda Brown of The Knowledge Bank said: “The foodservice sector has endured the economic impact of the global pandemic and is now feeling the fresh impact of food supply and costs issues because of the war in Ukraine. It is fantastic to see how the innovations borne out of necessity have now become more mainstream. We hope presenting this fresh market research and insight relating to the foodservice industry will continue to inspire the Scottish food and drink sector to evolve, diversify and thrive.”
The Focus on Foodservice conference was hosted by The Knowledge Bank at the EICC on Wednesday 23rd March and was live streamed for those unable to attend in person. The conference featured a range of speakers including Fiona Richmond, Head of Regional Food at Scotland Food & Drink, Scott Fraser, Trend Analyst from The Food People, Blonnie Whist from Lumina, Julie Rooney from Brakes Scotland and both Amanda Brown and Andrew Niven from The Knowledge Bank.
