The expectations of hotel guests have evolved fast, with individual dietary needs and preferences to the fore. Some are lifestyle choices, some religious, others a response to specific allergens. Meat free options are now mainstream, and we can support you with all your questions around catering for intolerances and allergens with our useful allergens page.
When we greet each request as an opportunity, all kinds of benefits follow. Guest satisfaction scores rise, and happy people tell other people – and often come back themselves.
Our key ingredient ‘Service Excellence’ is designed with this in mind. Our award winning tech platform, Bidfood Direct, has excellent guidance on managing allergens, and helps to make your life easier by making nutritional information easy to find.
Our Simple Solutions guide show just how accessible it is for any chef to adapt your offer to the expectation. Just bring imagination, and a clear focus on the customer. The rest will follow.
‘Healthy’ means different things to different people. For some it’s all about ‘clean eating’ and immune support. Some count calories, while others prioritise mental health and mood as the physical side.
‘Wellness’ sounds modern, but it’s as old as hospitality. When we look after the emotional needs of each guest, we send them home restored in both body and soul.
Each represents a world of opportunity. With over two-thirds of UK adults agreeing it’s ‘important to eat healthily when outside the home’, it’s more critical than ever to embrace the holistic ‘Mind, Mood and Body’ trend we identified as a growing tendency for 2024 and beyond.
Our podcast Talking Food with Bidfood is currently the UK’s #1 foodservice podcast. It offers all kinds of insight into the challenges and opportunities facing the industry, with advice and inspiration on how to turn these trends into profit and positive reviews – while giving your profits a healthy boost too.
Personalisation often comes down to creative repackaging. Simple menus can be presented as takeaways for day trips, and a picnic brings guaranteed social share-ability. To help add this flexibility to your menu, our food-to-go packaging range is full of inspiration.
Creative concepts
Over three-quarters of holidaymakers say they “like to be immersed in local culture”*, creating endless opportunities for tailoring your offering. Maybe consider a wine tasting – or a whole themed evening. Pitched right, a good creative concept attracts customers well beyond the hotel’s residents.
Bring flexibility to your food offering
Timing can be key. An ‘always on’ food option brings the ‘home from home’ feeling alive, so adding extra flexibility to your food offering makes sense. This can usually be run by limited skill operators, too – check out our support hub ‘Unlock your menu‘ for inspiration.
Embrace social media
Getting it right brings all kinds of bonus benefits. Positive profile on your guests’ social media has a lasting ‘organic marketing’ effect, and innovation can do wonders for positive reviews – and, ultimately, profit.
Read our blogs and get the most out of your social media channels; 5 ways to engage your audience on social media and how chefs can rock social media.
Children and pets present a great opportunity to give every guest personal treatment. Once they’re confident the whole crew is properly looked after, families are more likely to eat in – meaning greater convenience for guests, many more positive reviews and endless upsell opportunities. Win-win!
We have all kinds of inspiration in this increasingly important area. Our Compete With The Street campaign was a huge success, creating enticing children’s menus inspired by High Street favourites, with powerful campaign messaging in support.
As for pets, a majority of owners (53%)* prefer to bring them along – and they expect a warm, waggy welcome. Creative catering for four-legged friends can provide both a unique experience and an upsell opportunity. If you’re not yet aware of our Barke Farm ice-cream range, it’s a great example of this in action.
When you get it right for kids and pets, you get it right for everyone – especially the bill payer.
*Source: Desk Research / https://www.savills.co.uk/insight-and-opinion/savills-news/350158-0/unleashing-the-power-of-personalisation–exploring-niche-markets-in-the-hotel-industry
Serving a diverse range of hotels with an unbeatable food and drink offer. We love going the extra mile, working as a partner in your success.
