Retro returns

How can pub and restaurant operators encourage more diners to go for puds, and how can they keep costs down and still make them look great? Sheila Eggleston reports.

Jazzing up sweet menus to encourage customers to go for just one more course is a challenge, but when times are hard it's even more difficult as diners ask themselves inevitable questions. Is it affordable? Is there room for a bit more? Can the waistline justify it? That makes it a hard sell for pubs and restaurants.

But according to the Ice Cream Alliance, each person in the UK on average eats nine litres of ice cream every year, and that fact combined with the promise of a glorious summer to compensate for last year's wash out, hopefully bodes well for ice cream sales.

To make the most of this forecast, Mövenpick Ice Cream says it can offer high quality menus to pubs and restaurants within 10 working days to help them. "Compelling menus, special offers, new, exclusive or limited edition dishes go some way to enticing customers to opt for a treat," says managing director Mike Godwin. "Ice cream is perfect for desserts but great served as a starter, palate cleanser or part of an à la carte main meal too. Customers simply need to invest in good quality products to make the most of the summer and additional sales."

He says that ultimately a winning ice cream menu must include the classic flavours – vanilla, chocolate, strawberry – while keeping consumer interest with new products such as the company's latest flavours almond and vanilla, and double cream and meringues.

There is also a chance to extend drink menus with ice cream, he adds, as the company's super premium range is very versatile and can be used in hot or cold drinks, smoothies and cocktails to improve beverage margins.

The provenance of the ingredients is another good selling point, according to equipment supplier Carpigiani UK. Sales director Gary Ingram says: "More customers expect to find menus which comprise food that supports local suppliers and producers, and homemade ice cream is the perfect way of meeting these demands – whether by using milk from a local dairy farmer, or fruit and berries from local growers.

"We offer advice on recipe development, which is great for those wanting to reflect seasonal changes depending on the availability of local ingredients – particularly if this is something the establishment prides itself on using."

New flavours and innovative presentation such as interesting accompaniments and glassware also tick the boxes. New Forest Ice Cream has 25 ice cream flavours in its four litre scoop range, all made with fresh Jersey milk and double cream, plus sorbets and a continental range of ice cream that includes flavours such as oriental ginger and pistachio. Latest flavours are Madagascan vanilla, mango, and toffee crunch and honeycomb swirl ice cream.

Irish company Silver Pail Dairy has launched what it claims is the ultimate freezer to table dessert – the ice cream cake.

Made with rich milk from Ireland's Golden Vale region, the cake comes in three variants: chocolate fudge cake, chocolate ice cream on a chocolate sponge coated in a chocolate fudge ganache; sticky toffee ice cream cake, toffee ice cream on a toffee sponge coated in a toffee ganache; and citrus lemon ice cream cake, lemon ice cream with a lemon curd ripple on a lemon sponge coated in a lemon ganache. Initially they are being launched pre-portioned into 16 x 130ml portions.

Taking cues from the retail sector, there is a skew towards retro lollies. Mid May, supermarket chain Waitrose reported a 44% rise in volume share of retro children's frozen lollies over the previous four weeks, which equates to a 34% rise in profit from the sales of ice lollies year on year.

In keeping with this trend, Bensons Totally Fruity aims to keep children and parents happy with its Chilly Billy iced lollies in chains such as Pizza Hut. Made from pure juice with no artificial colours or additives, the 115ml ices come in five flavours, including new orange made from the juice of Spanish oranges specially selected for their flavour.

The recession is still with us but Alveston Kitchens believes tried and tested desserts satisfying people's sweet tooth plus the comfort food factor can win the day – or in this case profit. The company's new trio – mixed berry pavlova, raspberry ripple cheesecake, toffee and hazelnut roulade, plus two fruit topped cheesecakes – raspberry and blueberry, are aimed at just that, and it says as the season changes, "what better time to add mouth watering desserts to a menu ensuring they are in tune with what customers are looking for".

Renfrewshire based Aulds Delicious Desserts has also just launched desserts for foodservice with a retro feel.

Knickerbocker Glory gateau, cream tea cheesecake, Tootie Fruitie torte, red velvet chocolate profiterole dessert are all handmade and supplied frozen and proportioned for convenience.

Marketing manager Paul Stewart comments: "The feedback we received about our new dessert range at this year's Food & Drink Expo was tremendous and reflects our continued commitment to develop truly innovative, premium quality desserts for foodservice customers."

Kerry Foodservice echoes the view that with the credit crunch in full swing, consumers are turning to food that can reassure and comfort them in equal measure.

Food development manager Gerard Murphy explains: "The old favourites are easily the most popular desserts at the moment. Ice cream sundaes, Eton Mess, bread and butter puddings – there's a selection to choose from that deliver a genuine touch of comfort."

Kerry's Margetts dessert sauces that includes bestsellers chocolate and butterscotch add value to a menu, says Murphy. Customising food is also starting to take off in the UK, he adds, covering everything from coffee and burgers through to desserts. He says by simply offering a "manageable" selection of classic ice cream flavours plus toppings and sauces, customers can create their own sweet.

While well known for its use in cheesecakes, Kraft Foods is keen to promote its Philadelphia soft cheese as a product that can be used in other desserts. For example, it says, when combined with sweet ingredients, it is a good alternative to other dairy products and offers a twist to classic recipes, such as using Philadelphia Light instead of double cream when making a set brûlée or panna cotta type dessert. From June, the company adds, all Philadelphia 1.65 kg tubs will come with a free seasonal recipe suggestion leaflet.

To make more of sweets, DBC Foodservice senior buyer Ian Day says many pubs could follow a restaurant's example and bring menus and blackboard specials to tables when diners have just finished their main courses. "A pub diner may have planned to limit themselves to a main course but, with a little persuasion, could be tempted to order a dessert," he says. "Offering a wide range means they are more likely to indulge.

"In the summer months, pubs and restaurants need to ensure they are offering puddings perceived as being lighter such as fruit based options like lemon cheesecake or summer berry pavlova. While we have seen a renaissance of traditional puddings such as sticky toffee pudding and apple pie over the past year, if it's a hot summer's day consumers are likely to want something lighter served chilled."