Back To Classics

How can foodservice operators increase their output of ice cream and desserts, while at the same time keeping costs down and still making them look great? Sheila Eggleston reports.

Encouraging customers to go for just one more course is a challenge, but when times are hard the inevitable questions from diners include: is it affordable? Is there room for a bit more? Can the waistline justify it? That makes it a hard sell, particularly for desserts.

The Ice Cream Alliance claims each person in the UK on average eats nine litres of ice cream every year, and that fact combined with the promise of a glorious summer to compensate for last year's washout, hopefully bodes well for ice cream sales.

Mövenpick Ice Cream, which recently won the Best New Ice Cream Product Award for its double cream and meringue ice cream at the 2010 British Frozen Food Federation annual awards, believes that "creating stand out" is the way to increase profits.

"To ensure your ice cream offering stands out against the competition you must first choose a luxurious ice cream which you know will keep your customers coming back for more, but you must also make sure you maximise your point of sale marketing," says managing director Mike Godwin. "Aids such as bespoke menus and branded freezers really help whet consumers' appetites. After all, sometimes we don't know what we want until we see it. Make sure you make your ice cream work for you."

Under its Schöller portfolio, the company has just added a new pear parfait dessert to its Fischer individuals range, which comprises pear ice cream encased in dark chocolate with a chocolate sauce centre.

Luxury products, with a good selection of flavours, also epitomise the success of multi award winning manufacturer Beckleberry's based in Blaydon, Tyne & Wear. Recently it added Jack Cain's gin to its gourmet sorbet range that includes sloe gin, blackcurrant and kirsch, and pink grapefruit flavours. It is now literally flying high after winning a contract to supply Virgin Atlantic Airlines with desserts, the first of which is a light St Clements mousse garnished with semi candied peel.

With desserts on all premium economy flights out of Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester to destinations worldwide, the company says it is looking forward to the increased exposure for its products.

According to Kerry Foodservice, ice cream bars are what canny operators can offer customers to encourage them to create their own dessert. "Customising food is starting to take off in the UK," says food development manager Gerard Murphy. "Ice cream bars are already popular in America, and it's not long before the trend catches on over here.

"It can be an incredibly cost effective way of creating a buzz around your dessert menu. Simply offer a selection of classic ice cream flavours, dessert toppings and sauces so customers can create their own ice cream sundae."

Kerry's Margetts dessert sauces including bestsellers chocolate and butterscotch add value to a dessert menu, says Murphy. Retro lollies are another trendsetter. In May, retailer Waitrose reported a 44% rise in volume share of retro children's lollies over the previous four weeks, which equates to a 34% rise in profit from sales year on year.

Bensons Totally Fruity sees this opportunity for foodservice with its Chilly Billy iced lollies. "We've experienced a real surge in demand for the range as customers recognise the health benefits of an ice lolly made only from pure juice," comments director Alexia Benson. "This makes it an ideal choice particularly in schools, colleges and hospitals where caterers need to follow nutritional guidelines."

The ices contain no artificial colours or additives and provide one of the 5- a-day fruit and veg requirements. Five varieties include a new orange flavour made from the juice of specially selected Spanish oranges.

Even simple desserts should deliver a wow factor at the end of a meal, says Brakes product development manager Peter Innes. "Caterers can make 'more out of less' by mixing, matching and reviewing dish sizes to get additional portions out of fewer desserts."

For example, he says if chefs were to pair half a slice of its lemon meringue delice with a small wedge of its new mini lemon tart, they will have created a "study in lemon". "This is a great recession buster, as well as having a greater impact for the diner," he explains.

"Our new individual 50g mousse squares range is another recession buster as well as a versatile addition to the summer menu. Available in lemon, raspberry and chocolate, they come frozen in packs of 56 and can be served as a snack or garnishing a main dessert. With a unit price of under £1, the mousses are one of the best value lines in the marketplace."

Innes says the company has used fresh, summer led ingredients this summer, with traditional desserts such as its apple, elderflower and gooseberry gateau, and it is about to launch Bramley apple tart tray bake.

"This beautiful big slab contains British Bramley apples with a shortcrust base and is hand finished with apple wedges. It comes pre-portioned giving the caterer different options. Smaller portions can be served with acompote of apples and blackberries, or as a wedge with custard."

He says mini desserts have been strong over the last 12 months and Brakes has capitalised on this with modern twists on British classics – bite sized Victoria sponge, Black Forest gateau, and bread and butter pudding.

It is also set to introduce more classics in the next year such as fruit fools.

The recession may still be with us but Alveston Kitchens believes tried and tested desserts satisfy people's sweet tooth and help guarantee profit. Its latest lines are mixed berry pavlova, raspberry ripple cheesecake, toffee and hazelnut roulade, plus raspberry and blueberry cheesecakes.

Macphie's new range of ready to use indulgent desserts includes flavoured panna cottas – Irish cream liqueur, mocha and white chocolate, plus pots de crème in chocolate and lemon, that can be prepared in less than five minutes. Marketing manager Ellie Adair says: "With a cost of 60-80p depending on portion size, Macphie desserts offer significant profit potential versus making from scratch or buying in."

Her advice is when it comes to portion size, less is more. "Mini's and shot glasses filled with desserts are bang on trend as diners see them as small, permissible indulgences." A dramatic finishing touch and little becomes big in their eyes, she adds.

The Country Range Group has also extended its range with mixes to give caterers more sweet choices. Available in three flavours: strawberry, banana and chocolate, desserts can be made by just adding water. Brand manager Martin Ward says: "With many favourites such as Arctic Roll making a comeback, our new range is bound to inspire diners to reminisce. These desserts give more options, along with traditional favourites such as sticky toffee pudding and spotted dick. They are quick and easy to make, offer great value and are a credible, better quality own brand alternative."

John McKears, foodservice sales manager at Jus-Rol Professional, believes a strong dessert menu will drive profits and additional hot drink sales. However, he says, keep dishes simple and focus on doing a few well. "Summer or winter, a pastry dessert will always prove a popular choice as will chocolate or fruit based desserts."

But if it's a quirky idea caterers are looking for, Lamb Weston has a recipe that uses its sweet potato fries as part of a dessert. By adding a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar to the cooked fries and serving with a marshmallow cream dip or ice cream, it says it adds a point of difference to a menu and is definitely a talking point among diners.