Workplace catering – a taste of the street
Contract caterers are embracing the street food movement and finding ways to deliver it to their clients to keep lunch money in the staff restaurant rather than the high street. Siobhan O'Neill reports
The way we eat is changing all the time. Gone are the days in contract catering when an office or factory would down tools at noon and head en masse to the staff canteen. Today's contract customers have a wide variety of options competing for their lunch money, and getting them to spend it in the staff restaurant is increasingly challenging.
To keep customers interested, the offer needs to be diverse and reflect their eating preferences. More and more this means caterers have to identify key trends and adapt their menus accordingly. And right now there's nothing creating a bigger buzz than street food.
Wherever there's a town, wherever there's a market, and often wherever there's a shopping centre, there will be street food. It's no longer just a burger van, a hot dog stall or a slice of pizza in your hand. Cities today are brimming with Korean, Thai, Moroccan, Turkish and Mexican vendors. You can buy sliders, ribs, crêpes, Pad Thai, spring rolls, paella and pies. And many more people are doing just that.
For the workplace caterer, doing street food well presents an opportunity - perhaps for the first time - to level the playing field and compete with the high-street vendors who appeal to the customer that prefers to eat and run, or lunch at their desk.
"I think it's absolutely clear why we have to get on trend. I think the market is just dictating it," says James Greetham, managing director for Sodexo Prestige in London, one of several contract caterers who are embracing the street food movement and finding ways to deliver it to their clients.
"We are fighting for every customer we can get," says Greetham. "Our customer base is so well educated - I think the media is so strong on the food environment and the changes - street food is everywhere, it is affordable and it is what the masses really want. There's so much to choose from, and so many different styles. People want strong flavours, which is why I think it has become so popular. You see a lot of these beautifully spiced Asian street foods, lovely Spanish chorizo; it just seems to be more vibrant in its flavours."
For the workplace caterer, street food is beautiful in its simplicity. Capital outlay is largely unnecessary. Vacherin's Lloyd Mann, director of food, says: "A lot of street food is done by vendors who have limited equipment. Nine times out of 10 it's not the equipment that's holding you back. The vendors on the street are not blessed with £20,000 ovens. It's all quite basic, it's mobile, it can be done anywhere and you can adapt what you've got."
Everyone agrees the key ingredient is authenticity. Radio 4 journalist Richard Johnson, who runs the www.britishstreetfood.co.uk blog and awards, as well as being the author of the book Street Food Revolution, says he might initially be dubious if he saw street food being touted in the work restaurant. "I would say ‘convince me' because I think street food can be done inside, but all too often it has been some cynical way of making money out of something that just happens to be the latest food trend," he says.
"I think street food is very much about an attitude and a state of mind. It's about making food fun, a communal atmosphere and producing quick food, but it has to be real because if it is just something that's visited from above then people will see right through it. If you're just putting somebody in a funny hat and saying ‘this is street food and it's coming out of a wok and it's cool' it will feel ridiculous. Caterers need to make it feel authentic."
According to Greetham, staff in catering environments aren't how people imagine them any more. "The canteen culture has clearly gone. And gone are the theme days where you say ‘let's do a Mexican day', and serve chilli con carne," he says. "That simply doesn't exist any more. We have put some really interesting research together on the styles of street food you can do, but it is so important you get it right. You do your research beforehand and make it as authentic as you possibly can to give people that experience."
Mann agrees. "That whole British thing of meat and two veg is going out the window. Contract catering has been turned on its head. Now we do mezze and tapas pots that people take away as box salads. We're trying to recreate what's on the high street and make it work," he says.
Street food has broad appeal because it ticks several boxes. It meets the snacking trend for those who might want hot food but don't want a full sit-down meal. That also appeals to women who might prefer something healthy and low in carbohydrates but high in protein. Younger people are frequently opting to eat with fingers rather than cutlery, and the more widely travelled foodie customers are looking for a taste experience that's often highly spiced.
Many people also think the recession is driving the trend. Lusso managing director Paul Hurren explains. "For those people who feel they've got a pound less in their pocket to spend, the choice was maybe ‘well I'll bring my own lunch in', but if we can offer a £2.50 or £3 noodle salad, maybe it stops that customer going elsewhere for a really cheap supermarket sandwich."
With careful planning, high client awareness and good communication to customers, street food has the in-built flexibility, interest generation and affordability to create good gross profit for the unit. Many treat their street food events as a pop-up restaurant switching days, times and locations to create a persuasive "can't be missed" marketing, as well as varying the cuisines. Its simplicity means it can easily be adapted to suit different client groups, and works well for corporate hospitality events.
Mann cites a recent example. "Two weeks ago we were observing one of our sites in London. A lot of people coming back had been to a Mexican restaurant, so we were losing them. We turned it round and by the following Monday we'd clawed back a lot of those customers. Sales had gone back up simply by adding one product and we were gaining an extra 25 to 30 covers a day."
He adds: "The good thing about Vacherin is the small, more flexible approach suits us when we want to turn trends into something that's workable in the unit rather quickly. Noodle pots were one of the first things we did, with a miso broth on the side. On the high street they sell those for about £6 as vegetarian. Our entry level for that is around £2.50 to £3.
"If you wanted a protein on top you pay an additional sum but it's nearly half the price. A lot of the aspects of street food are based on peasant food, so they're great for GP, they're filling, they're full of flavour, they utilise cheaper cuts, a lot are vegetarian based."
For workplace caterers searching for something that will spark new interest in their customers but that's quick, easy and cheap to turn around, the street food trend is worth investigating. "You're never going to recreate that street feel, but we try really hard to do that without making it look tacky," says Greetham. "Let the food speak for itself, don't frame it with lots of nonsense when it's not required. Just display it beautifully, as they do in the street, because that's what draws you to the stalls; it's how it's displayed and how it smells. Customers will be following their noses straight to your door."
lighter and less traditional
Paul Hurren, managing director, Lusso
In the beginning We began it because we felt our customers had a different spend. People are looking for something that's lighter and a bit different, less traditional.
Making it a success People have got less to spend so they're looking for something they still feel is a meal without having to sit down and give up half an hour of their time. It can all be hand held but is different from, say, a baguette. With a Vietnamese noodle salad, it's lighter and more vibrant.
Going forward We're going to have a pop up on 6 July at Whitecross Street market - possibly one of the first caterers to do real street food with the real street vendors.
We've launched Ugly Fish Fridays to help raise awareness in our customers about the overlooked sustainable fish that's really delicious. We're buying from the day boats and we know the name of the boat, the name of the skipper and getting some really quirky fish that look unlovely like the Megrim Sole.
creating an international flavour
David James, creative director, Bartlett Mitchell
In the beginning In the Medina in Marrakech you can go to a stand and pick up a bowl of tagine and a cup of hot sweet mint tea and I want to take our customers to the grand bazaar. When we did it I was amazed at how many people came back and said "oh I think I know that place".
Making it a success Once you get that feedback from customers they do the marketing for you. They spread the word around the building much more effectively than you could. Where we plan it and promote it well I've seen increases in sales on average 12% to 15%.
Street food is more relaxed and it makes going to lunch an everyday experience.
To add authenticity we try to make it feel like a market stall not a hot food counter.
We work with the client to agree the street food days and then launch them using guerrilla marketing techniques. It's carefully planned randomness.
Going forward We've started to involve customers so they can come and learn how to make something. We send our development chefs out to each of the sites. They became guest chefs in the pop-up restaurants and they demonstrate how to make sushi.
With some of our sauces we sell kits for people to take home and host training videos so people can visit our Facebook page and see how to do it.
10 street foods to try
Mexican Burritos, tacos and fajitas, salad based quesadillas and the hot cheesy tostados.
USA Pulled pork: pork shoulder, marinated, cooked for hours at a low temperature and served in a sandwich with a great barbecue sauce. Sliders: Dinky mini burgers with all the trimmings.
Vietnamese Bánh mì: A marriage of French and Vietnamese cuisine, which has become Vietnam's quintessential street food. Or a simple spicy noodle salad.
The Naanwich A modern Indian take on the sandwich. A naan bread filled with a variety of traditional Indian curries.
Cairo Bean and vegetable beef soup served with flatbreads or salads packed with herbs.
Thai Pad Thai noodles with pork, chicken or prawn and served with spring rolls.
South African Bunny Chow: a hollowed-out loaf filled with lamb, chicken or bean curry.
Italian Risotto rice balls filled with mozzarella and deep fried. Ravioli and piadina: a flatbread filled with salami, cheese, sausage or grilled vegetables.
Mediterranean Mezze Turkish, Moroccan, Lebanese or Greek dishes. Hummus, tagine, couscous, falafel, kibbeh, tzatziki, Halloumi, fattoush and pita breads.
Classic English Mini fish and chips in a cone or a miniature Yorkshire pudding stuffed with beef, or a traditional Cornish pasty packed with meat and potato and served warm.
