Soup stars

Soup has always been one of the top choices of starter by restaurant diners. According to supplier Caterplan, it outsells the other two favourites - shellfish and vegetable dishes - put together.

Market researcher Mintel says the consumer market for soup purchases is declining, but at the same time its value is growing, because people are spending more on premium varieties. Some 84% of consumers buy soup, and the market for fresh chilled varieties is now worth about £56m.

In the catering sector, soup has been going through something of a renaissance, with the opening of chains such as Soup Works and Soup Opera. Soup is no longer just a starter. Changing eating styles, including the growing trend for "grazing", has made it more of an any-time snack, although the British weather is not particularly conducive to all-year soup eating.

Starting the day with a bowl of soup may sound a bit strange to anyone with more traditional tastes, but breakfast is on the menu at Soup Opera. Each of its soup offers includes garnishes, freshly baked bread and a choice of seasonal fruits. So, says the blurb, you can start the day with a Soup Opera Breakfast, choosing from porridge, fruit soup, Birchermuesli or croissants.

And now Quaker, for many years known as a leading supplier of hot breakfast cereal, has also come up with a novel way of enhancing soup by adding oats to the recipe.

Gill Wise, responsible for food service marketing for Quaker, says: "With the launch of our new food service division, we thought it was time to add a few more recipes to our service. We have long been associated with breakfasts and wanted to show that Quaker has a lot more to offer than just breakfast foods. The new recipes show that Quaker Oats don't have to stop at breakfast."

Mintel's research suggests that growth for soups will be in premium ambient and chilled varieties, bringing a degree of trading-up to more exotic tastes. While Heinz dominates the canned consumer market and Knorr has the edge with dehydrated packet soups, own-label varieties dominate the more dynamic chilled sector.

One such business is the London Soup Company, which makes and supplies chilled soups to sandwich bars, restaurants and pubs in the London area.

"Every month we produce a list of about 13 flavours," says general manager Tom Wood. "This will include around four new varieties and all the old favourites - tomato and basil, chicken and sweet corn, leek and potato. We find that this system stops our customers from getting bored but ensures that they can always get their hands on the traditional stalwarts."

London Soup Company produces its soup in two-litre pouches, which are tumble-chilled and then have a three-week shelf life. Each pouch produces about seven portions, which at £3.40 per pouch gives a unit cost of less than 50p.

The 10 soups in this summer's range include tomato vichyssoise; carrot and orange; and green pea, lettuce and mint, all of which can be served hot or cold.

The Real Soup Company also has chilled products, with frozen versions available on request. Catering sizes are in 4kg buckets, ready to use after heating in a microwave oven.

"People are still keen on timeless classics, such as cream of tomato and minestrone," says Tim Chapman, senior brand manager, soups and creams, for Caterplan. "But there is a growing interest in combinations of the old and the new, such as spicy parsnip, and Chinese tomato and noodle.

"Caterers are interested in combination soups that incorporate ethnic elements, making soup more sexy."

Carrot and coriander, cauliflower and broccoli, cream of vegetable, cream of tomato, and minestrone are the top sellers in the Caterplan Classic Soups portfolio, which offers 18 varieties. Sold in powdered form, which just needs to be whisked into boiling water, each has a shelf life of 18 months and a yield of 4.5 litres per case. They are said to be bain-marie stable for up to four hours and, once cooked and chilled, can be reheated in a microwave oven.

Powdered soups from Watson & Philip's Cearns & Brown range come in 12 flavours, and development chef Simon Ayley says they can be put to uses other than just traditional soup dishes. "Casseroles, sauces, gravies and pie filling can all be enhanced by adding the soups to other ingredients," he says. "With larder space becoming smaller all the time in busy kitchens, chefs require products that can be versatile."

While tomato, chicken and mushroom soups still top the popularity polls, other less traditional flavours, such as asparagus, are finding favour with customers looking for "trendier" options, says Ayley. "Saut‚ some diced chicken with onion and garlic, add white wine and reduce by half, add asparagus soup mix and double cream, bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes, and you have the perfect chicken and asparagus pie filling."

Nestl‚'s latest Simple Soup Recipe Booklet is also pushing the idea of its Maggi soups being used as a base for other dishes. The booklet includes 15 new ideas for dishes, such as Mediterranean chicken and wild mushroom risotto, as well as ways of creating more exotic soups using the traditional soups as a base.

Maggi brand manager Irene Zia says: "The new recipe booklet certainly offers caterers food for thought, with a wide range of menu ideas that are simple to prepare and offer excellent profit opportunities." Maggi soups come in 2.25kg tins and work out at about 5p a portion.

Frozen varieties are another option, and a number of companies sell their soups in this form. Delice de France has a range of 1kg frozen pouches which are regenerated in boiling water. And for caterers who want to set up a soup counter from scratch, Delice de France is offering a complete package, C'est Superbe. This includes two boxes of soup and two of Pav‚ Perene stone-baked sourdough bread, with a 10-litre soup kettle, ladle and tongs, as well as a selection of promotional material. The whole package costs £299 plus VAT.

Among the supplier's soup range are Mediterranean tomato and basil; mushroom and wild mushroom; and red pepper. Each case contains six 1kg packs, producing 30 servings.

Loxtons and Baxters also have ranges of frozen soups, each of which can be regenerated by various methods, including microwave.

With an eye to consumers who demand organic food, MasterFoodServices has introduced its Seed of Change soups.

"Consumers and retailers are driving the organic revolution but food service is lagging far behind," says sales and marketing director Andy Cleverdon. "The lack of organic offerings is not surprising if one considers the time involved in ensuring that every last ingredient is organic and in seeking organic certification from the Soil Association."

So MasterFoodServices has done the work already, with its three flavours - Creamy Tomato, Carrot & Coriander and Three Bean - all certified by the Soil Association and suitable for vegetarians.

The soups come in 500g foil pouches with a 12-month shelf life, packed in outers of five. Portion costs come out at between 60p and 70p.

A complimentary copy of the Maggi Simple Soup Recipe Book is available by calling 0800 742 842.