Make a difference with duck
Research shows a third of people want to see more duck on the menu so it makes sense for caterers to consider duck as an alternative to more traditional poultry offerings such as chicken or turkey. By using Cherry Valley duck, outlets can add value to their menu ranges and experiment with adventurous flavour combinations to tempt the masses.
The duck potential
As consumers continue to travel far and wide, the nation’s appetite for different cuisines and flavour sensations continues to grow apace. Cherry Valley’s duckling products lend themselves to a range of dishes from around the globe, whilst also offering quality and convenience to make life in the kitchen simple.
Cherry Valley marketing manager, Rod Burrows, says:
Eating out is becoming ever more important in our busy lifestyles and by 2010, an estimated 50% of all spend on food will be out of home. Duck tends to be eaten more out of home rather than in as although it is a firm consumer favourite, sometimes consumers feel they do not have the cooking skills required to prepare in-home.
Solutions from the duck expert
Cherry Valley, the leading manufacturer and supplier of duck and duck value added products to the Chinese and UK Foodservice markets, can meet the duck demands of any caterer, whether it be for whole or portioned ducks, sliced or shredded meat, flavoured or unflavoured, skin on or skinless or frozen or fresh.
The Cherry Valley strain of duck has been independently proven to provide more meat and less fat than competitor products and this superior quality, combined with a commitment to superior consumer understanding, maintains Cherry Valley’s market leader status.
Health
It is important to recognise that 13 million people in the UK are currently watching their weight and duck is ideally placed to help caterers meet the demand for healthy alternatives on the menu.
Duck is a good source of iron, as well as being relatively high in polyunsaturated fats, thus making it an ideal choice for health conscious consumers. Once the fat and skin layer is removed, the product is relatively lean, high in iron and potassium and vitamins A, B and E. Skinless duck meat is not only a great source of protein, it is also considerably lower in fat than skinless chicken.
Ducking good simple solutions for caterers
Duck is commonly associated with Chinese cuisine due to the popularity of eastern flavours in the UK and caterers can profit by incorporating familiar Chinese dishes onto the menu.
Burrows comments,
Crispy Duck Pancake is the most popular dish sold in Chinese restaurants so it makes sense for caterers to offer a version of this on their menu. By combining Peking roast duck, shredded spring onions and cucumber and hoi sin sauce in pancakes, caterers are offering familiar dishes that can be sold at a premium.
However, duck is also ideally placed to help outlets offer a real point of difference on the menu. Following careful consumer research Cherry Valley has introduced two new offerings to its range: Honey Roast Half Crown Duck and Confit Duck Leg.
Honey flavour was identified as being the perfect finish for duck, with the subtle infusion of the honey complementing the duck taste perfectly. Research also highlighted a customer preference of minimising bone in the product to save on product wastage. Cherry Valley’s Honey Roast Half Crown Duck combines these consumer insights, offering a great alternative to traditional roast meats, delicious with mashed potato and seasonal vegetables.
Confit was also identified as a product consumers like to see on a menu. Rather than marinade, cook and preserve the leg in-house, Cherry Valley has pre-prepared the leg portion, saving time and money for busy kitchens.
Burrows says:
It has been recognised that there are premium associations with duck that make it an increasingly popular treat when eating out. The Confit Duck and Honey Roast Half Crown enhance the premium associations and are designed to keep consumers coming back for more.
Ducking the trend for food on the move
According to the BSA there are now approximately 2 billion sandwiches sold out of home each year. Duck is already a favourite for an authentic pancake-style wrap, at number 19 on the nation’s most favourite filling list according to research, but the current trend is for more exciting flavours and premium quality sandwich offerings and duck is ideally placed to help drive growth.
Duck can be also be combined with stronger flavours to spice sandwich menus up as Cherry Valley company development manager, Andrew Farren explains:
The majority of outlets tend to pigeon hole duck and simply use it continually in hoisin wraps. Even though this is a successful combination, duck also works extremely well with any fruit flavour especially in a reduced or chutney form.
As the nation becomes more accustomed to food from around the globe, outlets can profit from offering sandwich solutions influenced by worldly flavours, such as smoked shredded duck in a sticky orange, chilli and bourbon glaze with red pepper and mixed salad for a taste of the deep American south. Or try adding some French flair to sandwich offerings by serving confit sliced duck with caramelised red onion and rocket in a Mediterranean wrap.
To satisfy the current demand for healthier sandwich alternatives, caterers can use duck to create unusual flavour combinations to tempt the masses, such as skinless honey roasted duck and rocket with low fat blackberry and yoghurt dressing in a multi seed bagel or a summer treat of skinless shredded duck with sweet chilli jam, sugar snap peas and pine nuts in Mediterranean wrap.
Salad suggestions
During the summer months consumers tend to look for lighter meal choices, and with the increased number of health-conscious consumers, salad options are becoming more and more popular. Salads are a great way to maximise profits and provide the perfect platform for caterers to experiment with flavours and a variety of dressings and sauces to add value to current menu offerings.
To add an authentic Chinese flavour to the menu, pubs can use peking sliced duck with a handful of lettuce and sliced cucumbers, dressed with a rich plum sauce. As an alternative, why not use roast sliced duck on a bed of mint, coriander and lettuce with cashew nuts, ginger and a chilli dressing?
Farren explains,
Duck is a great staple for a salad as it can hold stronger flavours better than other poultry offerings. It can be used in an authentic way with hoisin sauce or combined with fruit flavours like plum or redcurrant for a surprising alternative.
For more information on Cherry Valley’s range of products call 01472 371271.
For further information please contact:
Proactive Communications
Lisa Trevitt / SJ Barlow
Tel: 02476 796700
lisa@proactivecommunications.co.uk