B&I Catering: Street Food

Streets ahead

“Over the last few years, gourmet fast food has continued to grow in popularity and there’s been a steady rise in demand for delicious street-style foods, and this looks set to continue, with 47%[1] of diners saying they plan to eat more street-style foods in the future.

“For operators looking to cash in on the street-food sales opportunities, serving food that is inspirational and on trend is a must.

“Street food is no longer a phase but a movement, and it is essential that caterers and chefs – if they’ve not already done so – react to this growing trend.”

Worldly flavours

“Street-style food is a huge market, eaten by 2.5billion people across the world[2] on a daily basis. And caterers keen to tap into the street food craze in the UK should be looking to offer diners innovative, great-tasting dishes that can be eaten conveniently. Street food can often be complex to prepare, cook and serve, and often relies on previous experience and knowledge to cook various dishes.

“However, sourcing versatile ingredients that can be cooked and prepared easily can help chefs and caterers to offer diners popular, great-tasting street food dishes that can be served quickly. The hot dog, one of the original street food offerings, is ideal for tapping in to the renaissance of street-style cuisine. And choosing frankfurters as a base ingredient allows caterers to scale their offer by adding gourmet topping variations, which allow operators to create a wide array of dishes with broad appeal.

“Westlers frankfurters are premium pork products that offer caterers the ideal solution for serving the perfect street food option. Beechwood smoked, for that authentic continental taste, Westlers frankfurters are made from 90% pork, making them one of the meatiest frankfurters available and the perfect base for a gourmet frankfurter menu.

“For maximum appeal, we find working from a base of four to five key recipes, taking inspiration from current trends in world food, is a great place to start.

“Recipes such as the Monte Cristo pork frankfurter with Swiss cheese, strawberry jam, gherkin and mustard, which combine both sweet and savoury, are popular choices, as are the Louisiana BBQ Pulled Pork frankfurter with onion, coleslaw, lettuce and red onion or the Mexican Pork frankfurter with chilli, jalapeno, sour cream, as they all show innovation and offer visual impact and culinary flair, which can help to drive sales.

“Allow customers to add a degree of personalisation, through additional toppings and sauces, this way you can add value and whilst tailoring the experience to their individual tastes.”

A helping hand

“Along with the premium frankfurter, Westlers can also offer support with cooking equipment to help caterers prepare and present their frankfurters in the best possible way.

“Bain maries, roller grills and steamers allow caterers to offer their hot dog dishes directly from the counter to offer an authentic street food experience, as the frankfurters and pre-prepared flavoursome, exciting toppings can be kept at optimum temperature.

“In addition to this, POS materials such as posters and flags as well as sundries such as Westlers branded hot dog boxes are available. All are designed to create theatre and help provide a more engaging dining experience, which is essential when selling street-style foods.”

[1]The Street Food Report 2014, Santa Maria

[2] Food and agriculture organisation of the UN