With the latest research from the British Poultry Council (BPC) highlighting a recent uplift in sales of chicken, Moy Park Foodservice is encouraging caterers to reflect this trend on their menus and profit from the increased demand.
According to the BPC 95% of the population now eat chicken, tending to do so at least twice a week. Over the course of a year that's the equivalent of 6.3 billion occasions where chicken is eaten either inside or out of the home.
Further statistics from the BPC reveal that UK consumers now buy more chicken than beef, lamb and pork combined, with the producer of high quality chicken products calling caterers to action.
Frannie Santos-Mawdsley, Senior Customer Marketing Manager, European Foodservice, Moy Park, says: “Chicken consumption is on the rise and it's not surprising really as its sheer versatility has mass-market appeal, attracting both young and old as well as male and female customers. Chicken is also a popular option for health conscious consumers, being rich in protein and lower in fat and calories than many red meats.
"But it's not just in retail that we are seeing an increased demand for chicken; you only have to look to the high street to see more evidence of its popularity. Nando's continues to expand while KFC added pulled chicken to its menu late last year. Die-hard burger chain Shake Shack has even added chicken burgers to its menu for the first time.
"Forward-thinking caterers would do well to capitalise on this trend by offering a wider choice of chicken products and ensuring it has a bigger presence on menus. Chicken is versatile, healthy and cheaper than many red meats, which means it's also extremely profitable too."
Utilising Moy Park's diverse range, which includes wings, drumsticks and burgers to steaks, fillets and nuggets, caterers can develop a wide and varied chicken-inspired menu without the need to stock additional ingredients or place added pressure on already busy kitchens.
Frannie adds: "Take our chicken fillets for example. Savvy caterers can use them in a baguette, chopped up in a salad or as part of a sharing platter. Likewise, our buffalo wings make a great starter, side order or sharing platter item. Our products are so versatile that caterers can quickly and easily react to this increased demand for chicken with innovative and enticing menu solutions, which will drive sales and pull in further profits."
Constantly providing caterers with new menu ideas, Moy Park Foodservice is leading the way in innovation with the recent launch of its Street-Style Pulled Chicken, designed to capitalise on the trend for street food, while further new product development is planned to follow later this year.
As well as providing great tasting menu items, Moy Park Foodservice also offers caterers help and ideas to develop and improve menus as well as free, downloadable POS to help maximise sales.
