The food-to-go sector has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, due to consumer’s much busier and time-stretched lifestyles. The sector is expected to be worth £23.5bn by 2022 according to IGD, with 70% of UK adults purchasing lunch on the go daily[1]. Consumers are opting more and more for food on the go and grabbing bites to eat while out and about, and the trend is no different in the higher education sector.
Millennials are the key consumer group in the food-to go-market and their appetite for adventurous food shows no sign of slowing down. In addition to this, on-trend, hot food is a big purchase driver and outlets that have a hot food offering are reaping the rewards. World-inspired flavours and instagrammable foods are still gaining in popularity and adding these to your menu will entice students to your outlet.
Italian cuisine has consistently been voted the UK’s favourite food choice for several years, particularly pizza. An ideal product for operators to offer due to its versatility and convenience, it can be easily prepared and served. Big Al’s has tapped into the Italian food market by introducing authentic stone-oven baked Pizza Twists to enable operators to deliver a true taste of Italy. Comprised of unique, microwavable dough, the authentic Italian sauce provides a premium taste with two popular flavours available; pepperoni and margherita. The Big Al’s Pizza Twists are an efficient option, ready in minutes from frozen and complete with consumer ready packaging sleeves.
Breakfast is the biggest growth occasion in food-to-go, with the foodservice market having seen a 7% increase in consumers eating out for breakfast[2]. To tap into the ever-expanding breakfast market, Big Al’s recently launched the Fully Cooked Sausage Patty, offering students a quick and convenient breakfast option that can be eaten on the move. Made from fully cooked pork, flame grilled for great taste and seasoned with sage, nutmeg and pepper for a delicious, authentic flavour, the Big Al’s Sausage Patty is ready to serve from frozen in less than two minutes. As with all Big Al’s products, the Fully Cooked Sausage Patty is extremely versatile and lends itself to various different builds – from a classic build to an indulgent brunch offering. It pairs perfectly with Framptons 50g Muffin Omelette from Central Foods, as well as their KaterBake English Breakfast Muffin.
Menu inspiration
Classic build: KaterBake English Breakfast Muffin, Big Al’s Sausage Patty, cheese slice and Framptons muffin omelette
Brunch build: toasted brioche bun, Big Al’s Sausage Patty, spinach, cheese slice, poached egg and hollandaise sauce
To help operators tap further into the breakfast market, last year Big Al’s launched the Breakfast Twist, served in hand-held packaging to provide the ideal early morning solution. The Breakfast Twist is stone-oven baked and comprised of bacon, cheese and egg wrapped in fresh Italian dough and ready to eat in just 90 seconds from frozen.
Explore Explore the Big Al’s range
[1] IGD ShopperVista 2016
[2] NDP Q4 2016 Report
