Menu Fresh

Build your menus knowing everything about market movements, product changes and seasonal trends.

Inside this edition, read about:

👉 The weather disruptions in Europe.

👉 Availability challenges across tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes and lettuce.

👉 Add British Pie Week, St Patricks Day and Mother's Day to your diary and get creative with menus and events.

Read the full Market Report: https://menu-fresh.co.uk/blog/market-reports/market-report-march-23/

Today we celebrate Bartenders across the UK! 🥂

Bartenders are indispensable to the hospitality industry, they are the ones that set the scene at your pub, restaurant, or nightclub.

They play the creative mixologist, the chatty salesperson, and maybe even the handy therapist at times.

Here’s to all the bartenders, in training and veteran. We raise a glass to you… probably one that you already served us. 🍷

Happy Pancake Day! What are your favourite pancake toppers? 🥞

👉 Chocolate spread and strawberries? 🍓
👉 Lemon and Sugar? 🍋
👉 Cream and Jam? 🍒
👉 Or is it something really out there? 🥥

Let us know your favourite fillings on this yummy day!

Let’s raise a glass to Drink Wine Day. 🍷

Today is the perfect time to complement your meal with your favourite bottle of wine.

Are you a Pinot Noir player, in a Merlot mood or up for a chardonnay challenge? 🥂🍾

Our Black Forest Pancakes, another easy pancake recipe to flip your menu around! 🥞

Cost per portion: £2.66
Sales Price per portion: £9.25
Gross Profit Margin: 69.57%

Serves 6

Ingredients
For Pancakes
300g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
300ml milk
50g butter
2 eggs, beaten

For Filling
200g mascarpone cheese
1 tbsp confectionary sugar
1 tsp cherry brandy
6 whole cherries, pitted
3 tbsp cherry jam

Method
👉1. For the pancakes, stir together the flour and baking powder. Whisk together the milk, butter and eggs. Then combined this with the dry mixture to create a thick batter.
👉2. In a small bowl, combine the Mascarpone cheese, confectioners’ sugar and brandy.
👉3. Separately, mix the whole pitted cherries and the cherry jam together.
👉4. Once the pancakes have cooled, spoon over your jam mixture and then top it with your creaming mixture and a few whole cherries. Enjoy!

This might sound cheesy, but we want to wish everyone a happy Valentine’s Day! ♥️

We hope your day is full good company and good food! 😍🥗

Happy Galentine’s Day! 🥂🎉

Here’s a day to celebrate your gals and guy friends. It’s time to get out the cocktails, nibbles and scrumptious sharers to create a dining experience they’ll never forget.

Happy National Pizza Day! 🍕 Is this the most wonderful time of the year!?

A day to celebrate the traditional Italian Margherita Pizza or the American Pepperoni and Cheese! 🧀🥓

What’s your favourite pizza topping? Are there any pineapple and ham fans here?

A flipping good recipe for Pancake Day! 🥞

Are you a sweet or savoury kind of pancake person?

Cost per portion: £2.63
Sales Price per portion: £8.75
Gross Profit Margin: 69.89%

Serves 6

Ingredients
For Pancakes
300g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 spring onions, finely chopped
300ml milk
50g butter
2 eggs, beaten

For Filling
200g smoked salmon
120g light sour cream
3 tbsp chives, chopped
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp horseradish
1 lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste

Method
👉1. For the pancakes, combined the flour, baking powder and spring onions and stir together.
👉2. Whisk together the milk, butter and eggs. Then combined this with the dry mixture to create a thick batter.
👉3. Heat a non-stick frying pan, and when ready start frying the pancake mixture, 1 large tbsp of batter at a time. Cook until golden and flip.
👉4. For the filling, combine the lemon, sour cream, mustard, and horseradish. Stir in the chives and season with pepper.
👉5. Once the pancakes have cooled, spoon over your creamy mixture and then top it with smoked salmon. Enjoy!

Build your menus knowing everything about market movements, product changes and seasonal trends.

Inside this edition, read about:

👉 The Cold Snap that hit the UK, France and Spain.

👉 Availability challenges across Tomatoes, salad leaves, potatos and cauliflower.

👉 Add Pizza Day, Galentine's Day and Drink Wine Day to your diary and get creative with menus and events.

Read the full Market Report: https://menu-fresh.co.uk/blog/market-reports/fruit-veg/market-report-febraury-23-2/

✋ Cauliflower Alert ✋

Weather conditions have impacted the availability of cauliflower. This is expected to result in a shortage of cauliflower, price increases and limited ordering quantities.

Why?

👉 The drop in temperatures and frost coverage that occurred during December 2022 has damaged crops in the UK, France, and Spain.

Substitutes?

👉 Recommended substitutes for fresh cauliflower are broccoli, tenderstem broccoli, or savoy cabbage.

Keep up to date on sudden market changes and follow us.

It's not too late to make the most out of Valentine's Day ❤

Download our quick tips and tricks to create a rememberable dining experience. It includes:

👉Profitable recipes
👉Valentine's Day insight
👉Fun activity suggestions
👉Easy marketing tactics
👉Simple checklist

Download our Guide: https://menu-fresh.co.uk/blog/holiday-guides/a-quick-guide-to-valentines-day-for-hospitality/

Need an easy but rememberable dessert to finish your valentine's day menu? Go bright and colourful with Chocolate Fondue for Two! 🍫🍓

Cost per portion: £1.77
Sales Price per portion: £5.50
Gross Profit Margin: 67.77%

Ingredients (Serves 2)
400g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
150ml double cream
75ml milk
1 apple, sliced
1 Banana, coined
6 Strawberries
Marshmallows
Mini Churros
Other fruit options: Grapes, kiwi, mango, raspberries

Method
👉1. In a saucepan, pour the milk and cream together and heat gently to simmer. Before it boils, remove it from the heat and stir in the chocolate until smooth.
👉2. Transfer the mixture to a warm heatproof bowl. If the chocolate fondue starts to set then place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until smooth.
👉3. Set out the fruit, churros, marshmallows, and other choices out in a charcuterie-style display, with the chocolate fondue as the centrepiece. Enjoy!

FREE DOWNLOAD for your quick guide to Valentine's Day ❤

This guide is for restaurants, pubs and any other dining venue. It includes:

👉Profitable recipes
👉Valentine's Day insight
👉Fun activity suggestions
👉Easy marketing tactics
👉Simple checklist

Download our Guide: http://ow.ly/Qf5I50MsSHx

Refresh your menus for Valentine's Day with this Creamy Spinach & Salmon Pasta dish for Valentine’s Day! ❤️🍽️

Ingredients (Serves 4)
2 salmon fillets, chopped
350g spaghetti
170g fresh spinach leaves
3 garlic cloves, crushed
200g crème fraiche
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp capers
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 zest of lemon
Salt & pepper to taste

Method
👉1. In a large pot, boil the water and season with salt. Add the spaghetti and cook for 8-10 minutes, until soft.
👉2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the salmon, skin side down, along with the garlic for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
👉3. Splash a spoonful of the spaghetti water over the salmon mixture. Drain the spaghetti and combine it with the salmon, stirring in the spinach and capers. Cook for a further 2 minutes on low heat until the spinach wilts.
👉4. Remove from the heat, and mix in the crème fraiche, parsley, and lemon zest. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Plan your menus with the best quality of produce in mind. 🍎🍋🍐

Our seasonal calendar lets you know in advance what produce will be in season, promising better, juicier quality for your dishes.

Check out our January Seasonal Calendar: http://ow.ly/5JjK50Mi1lq

Try this Vegan Thai Green Curry for Veganuary! 🌽🥦

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 garlic clove, sliced
150g, baby corn, halved
250g spinach, roughly chopped
100g broccoli, chopped
300g tofu, firm
400g can coconut milk
80g sugar snap peas
250ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp Thai Green Curry Paste
2 tsp brown sugar
½ tsp salt
Juice of ½ lime
200g jasmine rice
Handful of fresh basil & coriander

Method
👉 1. Cut the tofu into squares and place in the frying pan with the oil on medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes until golden all over. Meanwhile, boil the broccoli for 8 minutes, then drain.
👉 2. Separately in a wok, add the Thai green curry paste and cook it on medium heat for a few minutes until its fragrance is released and it dries out slightly.
👉 3. Combined the coconut milk, vegetable stock, garlic and brown sugar, bringing to a simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
👉 4. Next add the baby corn, sugar snap peas, broccoli and spinach and simmer for 3 minutes until all veg are soft with a slight crunch.
👉 5. Add the tofu, lime juice and basil leaves. Season with salt. Stir well.
👉 6. Serve with jasmine rice and a garnish of coriander leaves. Enjoy!

Be prepared in 2023 and add these key dates to your calendar. Need inspiration on how to use these dates to bring in more footfall? 🤔💡

Check out our suggestions in our Market Report.

Find activities and menu ideas here: http://ow.ly/axYB50Mi14r

Try this Vegan Apple Chilli for Veganuary! 🍎👍

Ingredients
1 large red apple, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
450ml vegetable stock
400g can kidney beans, drained
400g can Pinto beans, drained
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée
Salt & Pepper for seasoning

Additional Toppings
Sour Cream
Vegan Cheese
Jalapenos

Method
👉1. Combined the onion, garlic, carrot and celery in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Next, add the garlic, spices and tomato puree, cooking for a further 2 mins.

👉2. Stir in the apple chunks, red pepper, cinnamon, chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock. Cook until boiling, then let simmer for 20 mins. Add in the Kidney and Pinto beans and cook for a further 10 minutes.

👉3. Serve with either lentils, rice, nachos or a jacket potato. Enjoy!

Get ahead for the new year when menu planning with information from our market reports. In this edition read more about current events:

👉 Egg Crisis - In aid of the Egg Crisis, supermarkets have pledged to help cover the cost of handling, processing and egg production, including any increases in feed prices for farmers.

👉Seasonal Calendar - The best Pears, Rhubarb and Jerusalem Artichoke are in season..

👉Key Dates - Add these upcoming dates to your diary and get creative with themed menus and events.

Read the full Market Report: http://ow.ly/akph50MeHry

From everyone at Menu Fresh, we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 🎄

Thank you for your continued support and trust throughout 2022, as all hospitality venues, suppliers and farmers have faced the struggles from the energy crisis and food shortages.

Merry Christmas from all of us, here's to the next year! 🎇

Keep your weekly orders coordinated by staying notified of our Christmas Hours for our Customer Relations Team. 🕒🎄

Our teams in our Bedford HQ came together for a lovely Christmas Potluck Lunch. 🎁

Everyone brought something to enjoy, including some amazing homemade dishes, such as Sausage Rolls, Pierogi, Tiramisu, Lasagne, Charcuterie Boards, Картофени Кюфтета, Samosas, Cookies, Cakes, the list goes on! 😍

We are blown away by the effort and passion everyone gave in their dishes, we definitely have a few foodies here! It was also wonderful for our teams to come together and enjoy a Christmas lunch. Thank you to everyone who attended and had a yummy time! 🎄

Meet Sarah, our Head of Business Development. This fabulous lady has been with us for over 16 months and - as she says - "Has not looked back since".

Sarah's day-to-day is never the same as she speaks to prospects whilst offering support to our current customers. One day, she could be in our office in Bedford, the next she'll be off in Manchester or London for a tradeshow or event. She's even been seen putting on a pair of flats to assist within our warehouse.

Sarah started here as a Customer Relations Manager - where she would interact with our core customers, offering our promise of One Call, One Fix and 5-star customer service. Now, she's worked her way to Head of Business Development, bringing in new customers and expanding her team. 👍

Join our Menu Fresh Team and see our vacancies: https://menu-fresh.co.uk/careers/

Happy Christmas Jumper Day from the Menu Fresh team! 🎁

Some of our teams from our Bedford HQ have come together to celebrate Christmas Jumper Day. With mince pies free flowing and Christmas music blaring, it truly feels like Christmas here! 🎄

We've also started a donation page for Save the Children UK Christmas Jumper Day, this day every year businesses come together for the cause to support children in the UK and around the world. By participating, we’ll be helping kids who don’t have the basics they need to survive. ♥️

If you'd like to support the cause, just text MFRESH2 to 70050 to donate £2.

REACT: What would you call this? 🤭

♥️Pigs-in-Blankets or 👍Pigs-in-a-Pud?

It's National English Breakfast day! 🍳🥓🍅

Every year, on the 2nd December, the nation celebrates the iconic dish that wakes us up feeling full and refreshed, or offers us that cheeky option to have BRINNER! 🤭

What's your ultimate combo in your English Fry Up? We're a stickler for black pudding... 😋

Pork vs Turkey, let the fight begin! 🍽️

Recent dining behaviour for Christmas Dinners are showing that red meats such as pork, will be challenging the traditional turkey dinner.

This is driven mainly by the shortage of turkeys from the avian flu oubreak and the fact that pork is a cheaper alternative.

Read more in our monthly Market Report: http://ow.ly/8ujv50LLgFt

❗ EGG ALERT ❗ Conditions have impacted the availability of eggs, resulting in a massive shortage of eggs and price increases.

The reasons:
👉Due to the increase in energy prices, egg producers have had to either reduce their flock sizes, temporarily pause production or stop production entirely.

👉The UK is currently experiencing the worst outbreak of avian influenza flu). The disease has led to the culling of thousands of farmed birds to stop the contagion.

👉Around Christmas, the demand for eggs increases; however, with supply already struggling, it is forecast that there will be egg shortages beyond Christmas and into the new year.

Stay ahead with our Market Reports: http://ow.ly/Clh450LLcHz

As the World Cup begins, expect larger group gatherings looking to dine in for longer. 🍺🍔⚽

Offer a spread of deliciously dirty sharing platters, chef-special posh dogs and the ultimate gourmet burgers. 😍

When menu planning, keep ahead of the rise in food prices with information from our market reports. What else you'll find:

👉 The Growth of Takeaways - A recent survey shows that 40% of UK consumers purchase takeaways up to 3x times a week.

👉Seasonal Calendar - The best cranberries, grapefruits and cauliflower are back in season.

👉Key Dates - Add these upcoming dates to your diary and get creative with themed menus and events.

Read the full Market Report: http://ow.ly/T7OM50LIqZs

The perfect treat to get over the midweek slump... 😍

On this day, let us remember all the brave men and women who gave their lives in the service of their country. ♥️

"They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.” - Poem by Robert Laurence Binyon

Tony is coming up to 7 months as one of our dedicated drivers, ensuring that our fresh produce gets to the venue safe and sound. 🍎

His workday starts early in the morning when he checks his pre-planned route as his Menu Fresh van is stocked. Tony also does the butcher's run, collecting meat orders, and delivering mainly to our Care Homes and Schools. He says, "It's great to get out on the road and meet so many different people every day!"

When asked about his favourite memory here, he said, "I've enjoyed getting to know my fellow drivers, the Customer Relations Team and Managers - we're a great team and everyone is so friendly!". 😀

Thank you for all your hard work so far Tony! 👍

Join Menu Fresh as one of our dedicated drivers. Apply here: http://ow.ly/AMCY50LwnJM

Remember, Remember, the 5th of November. Here's to the ever-so-traditional but ever-so-good, Bangers and Mash! 🎇

There's nothing better than a freshly made sandwich to boost a diners day! 🥪

Here's to Sandwich Day! Make sure you have the freshest ingredients to turn even the simplest sandwich into something rememberable. 🍅🧀🥓

Are roast dinner under threat? 🤔

🦃Around 10 million turkeys are eaten in the UK each Christmas, but increased production costs make it harder for farmers to rear them.

⭐Give premium customisable options in your Sunday roast or festive menus, to help cut costs and still give your diners the best delicious dining experience.

Read the full Market Report at: http://ow.ly/KSbl50LpQog

Happy Halloween to everyone! 🎃 Whether it's the school kids looking for a TRICK on their first day back, or the diners choosing a TREAT this evening, we hope your day is filled with spooky goodness! 🍔

Something about National Cheese Toastie day makes our mouths water. 🧀

Tell us, what do you add to a cheese toastie to make it extra special? We love it with a few slices of honey-roasted ham and finely chopped chives. 😋

Is the roast dinner under threat? Keep informed when planning your menus with our Market Report.

👉 Shortage of Turkeys - Around 10 million turkeys are eaten in the UK each Christmas, but increased production costs are making it harder for farmers to rear them, with rearing down by 20-50%

👉Seasonal Calendar - The best British apples, apricots and clementines are coming back into season.

👉Root Vegetables - It seems that carrot and parsnip supplies might be dwindling due to a poor harvest.

Read the full Market Report at: http://ow.ly/Nc0F50LhNYO