Bird watching

Chicken, duck and turkey offer many cost effective opportunities for pub and restaurant menus and, with leading chefs getting behind table birds, it’s possible to extend their popularity. John Porter reports.

The comedian Al Murray, the Pub Landlord, likes to point out that while chickens originated in China, potatoes came from the Americas and the oldest known baskets were found buried in Egypt, it took British ingenuity to come up with chicken and chips in the basket.

The versatility and value for money which poultry offers make it one of the most frequently used proteins in a whole range of dishes. Chicken is the most popular fi lling for sandwiches, according to the British Sandwich Association, while chicken tikka masala is one of the UK's most widely served dishes.

Concern over animal welfare standards and growing consumer interest in provenance is undoubtedly influencing the way poultry is presented on menus, while the perception that poultry is healthier than red meat is also a big factor.

Nigel Parkes, commercial director at Atlantic Foods, says: "The biggest consumer trend to influence our eating habits hen it comes to poultry is health. Considered a lower fat and healthier option compared to red meat, poultry is now by far the most popular meat that consumers eat, appearing in 25% of meat dishes."

The popularity of international cuisine has also seen increased demands for global flavours and seasonings – "dishes such as Cajun chicken, fajita chicken strips, garlic and herbs and chilli based products have become very popular," says Parkes.

The range of favours that chicken can deliver is at the heart of Wrappin Joes from Love Joes. The takeaway food concept aims to make ordering a wrap as much fun as eating it.

The choice of fillings includes 18 chicken marinade flavours that customers can combine with salad and sauces to create a bespoke tortilla wrap. This extensive range has helped make Love Joes a success at Drayton Manor, claimed to be the UK's largest family owned theme park, located near Tamworth in Staffordshire

Drayton Manor has 19 outlets selling food and drink, with a selection of Love Joes' products available at four venues across the park. Menu options range from spicy chicken burgers to the made-to-order tortilla.

Love Joes worked with staff to create popular meal deals, including a family meal, kids' meal, wrap and chicken burger.

Gavin Yapp, catering supervisor at the Chicken Diner, says: "Because everything is prepared to order, we have to work that bit harder to keep on top of things, but it's worth the effort to produce fresh, attractive food that customers really appreciate."

Turkey tends to be overshadowed by chicken because of its strong seasonal association, according to Sam Douglas, meat and poultry product marketing manager for Prime Meats, part of Brakes. "Turkey has always been a challenging product to sell outside the traditional Christmas period. It doesn't often make an appearance on pub and restaurant menus outside this time of year, and our suppliers tend to see a huge spike in demand then.

"It's curious, because turkey can actually be cheaper than chicken and leaner, so good for a healthier option. I think the key is to ensure businesses in the eating out sector are offered the right products which they can use year round, such as our turkey butterfly breast which is great for carvery decks."

Douglas adds that there is a growing interest in country of origin, provenance and traceability from its customers in the restaurant trade.

"This is why we can guarantee all our chilled British turkeys have been reared and prepared in Norfolk and Suffolk to the highest standard, to give our customers a point of difference on their menus, as well as being Quality British Turkey accredited."

Helping to prove that a turkey is not just for Christmas, pub operator Orchid Group does feature Red Tractor turkey on the menu in its carvery pubs all year round. Orchid buys more than 50,000 British turkey crowns annually and, at around 28 portions per turkey, that's approximately 1.4 million turkey dinners a year.

Brendan Corder, Orchid's senior development chef, says: "Turkey is always a popular choice in our carveries as it gives customers a healthy option without sacrifi cing taste. Being one of the lowest fat meat offers around, it's a great accompaniment to our choice of vegetables which we prepare fresh every day."

Also keenly interested in encouraging caterers to feature turkey all year round is Bernard Matthews Foodservice, which is working with chef Marco Pierre White to develop new recipes.

The company recently launched British Golden Norfolk cooked turkey saddle, a boneless breast which can be served hot or cold. Also available in the Golden Norfolk range and ideal for carveries are fresh raw turkey top and boneless single turkey breast lobe.

General manager Duncan Marsh says: "There is evidently a real opportunity to help caterers who might not have clear recipe associations and experience with turkey, perhaps not knowing how to optimise its flavour and texture in preparation. As the leading UK turkey producer, we need to change the perception of how this healthier, versatile meat can be used all year round."

DBC Foodservice ensures that it reacts quickly to celebrity endorsements and that it has enough of the product in place. Category manager Ian Phillips says: "The power of celebrity chefs such as Marco Pierre White or Jamie Oliver is phenomenal and, like with many other grocery categories, poultry trends are influenced hugely by what these chefs are enthusing about on TV. At the moment, provenance is a real buzzword for celebrity chefs, and this is something pubs and restaurants should make the most of. Menus can no longer simply state "roast turkey", as customers want to know that it's a free range turkey from Farmer Joe's farm two miles down the road. People want to know where their food has come from and that the meat they're eating has been well looked after.

"We're also fi nding that higher end restaurants and pubs are including more upmarket options on menus to make them stand out from the competition. As opposed to ordering the usual white turkey, which refers to the colour of its feathers, many customers are opting for bronze or occasionally black birds, which provide a better quality of meat. These birds are around 50% more expensive, but in the more premium outlets, customers don't mind paying that little bit extra for a higher quality product.

"If pubs and restaurants are sourcing poultry locally or using birds which have the RSPCA's Freedom Foods Standard, Red Tractor or Farm Assured seals of approval, this should be mentioned on menus, explaining what the stamp means. Similarly, if a menu includes a bronze turkey, there should be an explanation why this bird tastes better than a white bird."

Duck is often seen as an 'eat out' treat and has been a staple of good menus across the country for decades. Last year Cherry Valley launched Farm Fresh Duck, a higher welfare brand targeted at caterers. The brand's premium nature provides a specifically developed offering to the trade.

Reared in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, the duck's provenance is a key benefit, while the welfare system that produces it gives restaurateurs confidence if customers ask about the environment the bird is reared in. Another noticeable trend in the restaurant sector is the rising purchase of duck cuts – legs and fi lets – over whole birds. While this is quick and convenient, marketing manager Rachael Bennett says: "We believe there is an opportunity for chefs to save on costs by utilising the whole duck through butchering the component joints.

"This could be critical particularly for the foodservice sector, as it will help to reduce costs in a difficult economic climate."

She adds that caterers could be missing out on extra profit by not choosing to buy in whole oven ready ducks with their component giblets included, to butcher and produce dishes ranging from confit to duck sausages and pastrami.

One pub that appreciates the value of duck is the Broad Leys in Aylesbury, Bucks. The 16th century coaching inn added genuine Aylesbury duck to its menu two years ago – something that's not as easy as it sounds. For more than 200 years, Aylesbury duck was a classic British delicacy, but while Aylesbury today has no shortage of common or garden ducks, interbreeding in the wild means the genuine article is now harder to come by.

Licensee Helen Wood sources her ducks from Richard Waller of nearby Chesham, the last remaining commercial breeder of Aylesbury ducks, celebrated as one of Rick Stein's food heroes. Waller's flock is descended from a dowry of ducks given to his grandmother in the 1880s, from a family flock that dates back to the 1770s.

The addition of Aylesbury duck to the Broad Leys' menu has put the pub on the map, attracting celebrity customers including Michael Portillo. The best ducks are reared in spring and summer, when they can forage for food in the wild, although modern farming methods mean the pub is supplied for about nine months of the year.

"We had some supply problems recently, because the cold weather meant Richard's ducks weren't laying," says Wood. "In a way though, I think it's helpful to remind customers that it's a natural product that needs care to raise."

Words John Porter