Seafood in the Foodservice Sector - Seafish - Seafish · Seafood in the Foodservice Sector 13th...
Transcript of Seafood in the Foodservice Sector - Seafish - Seafish · Seafood in the Foodservice Sector 13th...
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Background to the research
In order to fully understand the role of seafood in foodservice we conducted research into
each of the following areas:
Consumer understanding
Trade positioning
College and training environments
Our objectives
To understand the barriers to increasing the presence of
seafood on menus and in the foodservice sector generally
To achieve a holistic understanding of the sustainability,
provenance and ethical certification needs of foodservice
throughout the supply chain
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We conducted multiple stages of research
Quantitative online
Interviews
N: 2,000 x 5 minute
nat rep survey
Instantly mobile app Meal decision making
20 households across the UK
Whole family depths 6 selected from app
respondents
Through the keyhole
immersion Going into restaurants
Trade tele-depths
College days 2 sessions in
catering colleges
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This morning we would like to share our insights from the consumer
element of the research…
We’re going to talk you through the appeal of fish
and seafood in the customers’ eyes…
They are in control of demand, and their lack of
appetite for fish is hugely powerful
Supplier
Head Office
Manager
Chef College/lecturer
Can be one
and the same
Consumer
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With over half the population claiming to eat out of home at least once
a week, the opportunity to encourage more fish consumption is ripe
Most days, 8%
A couple of times a week, 23%
Once a week, 22%
Once a fortnight, 17%
Once a month, 15%
Once every few months, 9%
Less than every couple of months,
5%
Q1. On average, how often, if at all, do you eat out of home? Single responses
Base: 2012 (All Sample)
% Frequency eating out of home Includes cafes, takeaways, restaurants, pubs
Younger respondents and
those living in London,
most affluent
55+, more of a limited
budget
Those with kids in the
household, catch up with
friends
Let’s see what they’re eating, and where fish
fits in the repertoire
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Unsurprisingly, fish and seafood lose out to more familiar proteins,
particularly chicken and beef when choosing from the menu
Q2a: Which of the following foods would you ever order from a menu when eating out of home? Which would
you be most likely to order? Multiple responses Base: 2012 (All sample)
% Foods ever ordered/most likely to order when eating out of home
87%
76%
72%
61%
58%
42%
38%
29%
34%
21%
12%
9%
4%
4%
4%
2%
Chicken
Beef
Fish
Lamb
Pork
Vegetarian option
Shellfish
Game
Ever order
Order most often
Chicken is often a safe option
Steak in particular seen as the
most treaty menu item
Vegetarian ordered more by women
So what are the barriers and drivers to fish and seafood…?
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For those not consuming fish and seafood OOH, sensory elements are
the biggest barriers to choosing
Don’t like
the taste
Don’t like
bones
Not sure
I’ll like it
31% 26% 18% 17%
Don’t like
the smell
Concerns over
freshness/
quality
13%
Q5: Why do you not order fish or seafood when eating out of home?
Base: 508 (Those who claim not to order fish or shellfish at Q2a)
I just prefer other
things – I’m not a
fish lover
The smell puts me off
straight away – I can’t
stand being around fish
that’s cooking
I will only eat fish
in certain
restaurants,
where I trust them
to do it right
It’s just the uncertainty. With other meats you know
where you stand. Fish often has flavours and
ingredients that you don’t know… before you even
think about the type of fish itself
The 3 in 10 (28%) diners who claim never to order fish / seafood don’t present a major opportunity.
Just ensure they have access to simple options (cut) and flavoursome recipes
% Why fish or seafood is not eaten out of home?
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Motivations for choosing fish OOH indicate it’s often seen as a lighter,
healthier option vs. other proteins, and it’s challenging to cook at home
Q3b: What is the main reason for ordering fish or seafood when eating out of home? (Responses over 5%)
Base: 1504 (Those who claim to order fish or shellfish at Q2a)
Tasty Healthy For a
change
Something
new
28% 17% 15% 9%
Lighter than meat - 8%
Others at home don’t like - 8%
Wouldn’t know how to cook at home - 6%
You just cant beat a
nicely cooked bit of
fish in a restaurant…
the taste is something
you can’t replicate!
It’s a healthier choice, compared
to red meats or pork. Often the
dishes on the whole are
healthier – less calories and fat
in the things with it
For me, it’s the first thing I look at.
It’s something we eat less of in the
home, so I like to give something a
try when I’m eating out
It’s often the part of the menu where
you are most likely to find something
you haven’t tried before…
% Reasons for ordering fish and seafood out of the home?
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Among fish eaters, barriers to ordering more often indicate it needs
to be accessible and easy to eat
Don’t like
bones
Too
expensive
Not a treat
vs. other
options
35% 34% 29% 17%
Lack of
choice on
menu
Don’t know
if I’ll like it
17%
Q4: What stops you from ordering fish or seafood more often when eating out of home?
Base: 1504 (Those who claim to order fish or shellfish at Q2a)
I love fish, but it’s the
unknown… and once I find a
bone in fish, that’s me done! There are often cheaper
things on the menu
It’s not like a piece of
beef or chicken,
where you know you
will like it. It has
other things involved,
like smell and texture
It is, fundamentally, quite a healthy option…
not good if you want naughty or ‘stodge’
So fish eaters choose it because it’s tasty, new and a change, but they’re put off from eating more of
it because there’s little choice available to them
Let’s look at this in more detail…
18-24
yr olds
Encouragingly, consumers show an appetite to see more diverse dishes on menus
% Barriers to eating fish and seafood out of home
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Menus and front of house staff need to work hard to
encourage and support
Inspired
Diners need
information so they
can feel reassured
they’re making the
right, informed,
decision Want to experiment
Enjoy diversity
Push the taste
Trust the expert
Unfamiliar species avoided
“Posh” food confuses and
alienates
Light options unsatisfying
Fear of unknown
It’s certainly a balancing act, but the key is to reassure on suitability:
taste, flavour and texture, portion size / satisfaction, ease of eat (cuts, preparation).
Using ingredients to provide both reassurance and variety
Net % more likely to choose fish / seafood if…
There’s a description of the taste – 44%
There’s a description of the texture – 30%
I know what the health benefits are – 31%
Safe
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So where does sustainability fit in? There is a reason we haven’t
mentioned it yet…
It’s simply not on the agenda for the majority of diners
Few actively seeking out information
An element of trust placed in the chain / restaurant / chef
to be ‘doing the right thing’
But on prompting:
49% claim knowing the
fish / seafood is from a
sustainable source
would make them more
likely to choose
Restaurants can talk about sustainability
But the fundamental challenge is to encourage more
fish consumption by reassuring on satisfaction,
taste, ease of eat, and by pairing fish and seafood
with enticing ingredients
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Encouraging consumers to eat more fish is a big challenge that
expands beyond limits of the foodservice sector
Challenge perceptions and educate consumers
Move beyond reliance on a ‘fish is healthy’
message
Base communications around benefits to them
• Fish is tasty, satisfying, enjoyable, it’s not
just the light, healthy option
A dual strategy is needed:
Broaden repertoires and reduce reliance on age-
old favourites
Use a positive tone and message
• Delicious, satisfying alternatives >
sustainability
Work throughout the consumer journey to raise
awareness
• Retail, education, foodservice
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It can be a challenge to educate consumers on
sustainability and different species in the restaurant
environment, but there are other opportunities…
Let’s have a look at the opportunities by establishment type
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How fish features:
Fish and Chips as the ‘pub grub’ favourite
Tokenistic ‘healthy option’
Limited consumer expectation of fish
choices – species and type of meal
How they are being used:
Functional – on the go, filling a void, cant be bothered to cook
Family friendly – entertainment for children, quick service
Safe option – something for everyone, stick to favourites
Value for money – large, hearty portions
Fish and Chips meets
consumer needs – species is
not questioned. Descriptions
around size and way of
cooking are most motivating
e.g. jumbo, hand cut, gourmet
- so focus on these
Encourage the use of sustainable fish in the ‘family
favourite’ fish and chips for pub chains
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High Street Chains can tempt with dish descriptions
rather than a species focus
How they are being used:
Socialising - accessible for larger groups of people
Celebrations – e.g. work leaving parties, teenage birthday meals
Safe option – well liked cuisine types, but open to trying new dishes
Part of an event – e.g. along with cinema
Younger audience
How fish features:
Increasing inclusion of seafood
Used as starter / small dishes
Specialist / more adventurous ways
of cooking
Focus on flavour over type of protein
Introduce different
species/sustainable fish options
with a focus on delivering and
communicating on an overall
tempting meal description
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Specialist chains should avoid committing to always
delivering on specific species
How they are being used:
Planned/special occasion
Can be the full night event
A ‘foody’ choice – more thought put into ‘cuisine’ decision
Adult option – older families, couples meeting
How fish features:
More prominent on menu – e.g. its own
section
Naming of species/provenance
Some mentions of sustainability
Larger variety of main meal options
Specials boards
Use of specials boards to
avoid having to commit
to a specific species, and
create a distinct sense of
specialism around the
fish offer
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Small independents could use trust they have with loyal
customers to promote new unique options
How they are being used:
Default option – can be everyday or special
A place to take family and friends
Relationship with the staff
Familiarity with the menu – often pre-determined meal decision
How fish features:
Varies depending on cuisine/
specialism of restaurant
Customers often have their favourite dishes here, but trust
and relationship built up between staff and customers
provides a very real opportunity to encourage/push new
options that are unique to their menu
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Fine dining establishments have authority to push the
boundaries
How they are being used:
Very planned, often researched
More of an intimate experience (couples, close friends)
All about the food
Open to inspiration
Keen to try something different/new
How fish features:
Inclusion of lesser known species
Very descriptive
Inventive dish
design/accompaniments
Take advantage of
consumer openness to try
something new by
championing lesser known,
sustainable species
To summarise…
• Seafood faces strong competition on menus, so although it can raise
interest for being seen as something different, it can miss out on cost,
variety, size and satisfaction
• There are ways to increase its appeal though – carefully considered
accompaniments, improved taste descriptions and more choice would
help fish to stand out and be considered a less risky choice for
consumers
• Sustainability and provenance are unlikely to feature in consumer
decision making when eating out of the home – so there is little
demand for this type of information on menus
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