FOCUS ON ITALIAN CUISINE

4th May 2007, 9:55am

Katie Caldezi of BBC's “Return to Tuscany” fame runs two very different Italian foodservice operations in London's Marylebone Lane with husband Giancarlo – a totally Tuscan restaurant and an informal café that serves earthy dishes from all over the country – and she is passionate about people recognising the differences in regional cooking.

"I think people are demanding more authenticity and this is only going to grow. The more the media covers it on anauthentic level, and the more people travel, the less they are going to put up with a poor American or English version."

But she adds that there are still too many people that need to be tempted away from chain restaurants.

Whether you agree with Caldezi or not, pizza restaurants are still a big part of the high street's offering whether it's a bar with stone baked pizzas or the more ubiquitous Pizza Hut or Pizza Express.

While even the most diehard pizza joint is including pasta and salad dishes on its menus, the battle lines are drawn for two distinct demographics in this market - families and the under 24s versus the more affluent spender - and it's clearly still an attractive prospect for big business.

Pizza Hut is back in the hands of US owner Yum following its purchase of Whitbread's 50% stake in the franchise business in the UK, and it is clear from the company's marketing push that it has plumped for the family and under-24 route, the latter being a big part of its takeaway and delivery business, according to researcher Mintel. Gondola Holdings, however, which was bought by private equity firm Cinven after just a year of flotation on the Stock Exchange, has marked out its battleground at the more affluent end of the market by bringing Pizza Express, ASK and Zizzi under one roof.

Kerry Foodservice product development manager Adrian Coulter believes Italian food still remains popular as a choice for a celebratory meal - "part of the experience of the occasion, complete with good wine".

"In particular, 40 to 50 year olds are likely to select Italian restaurants for a meal out as they identify with the well established recipes and are, in general, less adventurous in taste than younger diners. The popularity of Italian cuisine means that most people are familiar with the food and will be able to find something to their taste - an important consideration when large groups are eating together," he says.

"The challenge faced by chefs is authenticity in terms of the ingredients and cooking method. One way of improving dishes is to source ingredients such as Italian flour for use in bread making or traditionally prepared preformed baked dough as a base for pizza, and this will allow claims on the menu."

Coulter says that biscottis or panini sandwiches are proving popular. Paninis can be sold pre-made and wrapped or made to order, and fillings can be tailored to breakfast or lunch offerings.

The British Pig Executive (BPEX) says that pork is one of the most commonly used meats in Italian cuisine - antipasto, pasta and main courses. Danilo Trozzi, Italian chef and founding partner of Italian caterers Delizioso agrees: "Pork is an important ingredient for any Italian inspired menu. For example, the main meat base for an authentic meat ragu - as used for bolognaise sauce and lasagne - is made with 75% pork and 25% beef mince. Other classic Italian pork dishes include 'Lombo di maiale Tonnato' (loin of pork with tuna sauce) which originates from the Marches area of eastern Italy and which has proven to be popular among our customers."

PASTA AND RICE

Pasta is a huge profit driver but it's important to make sure that you get the offering right. However making sauces for pasta can be time consuming. Daniel Rodrigues of Unilever Foodsolutions says: "At the moment chefs are using a base sauce such as bechamel or preparing dishes from scratch which takes time and skill. Our range of ambient white sauces is easy to use and not only eliminates time spent on preparation but is also ideal for chefs of varying skill level and produces consistent results." Ease of use is at the heart of an innovative foodservice solution by Pasta King. Its concept is simple: it presents pasta as a fast food and has been hugely popular with the education and healthcare sectors. The company supplies pasta and pasta sauces in a self-contained pasta bar where pre-cooked Italian sourced 100% durum wheat pasta is instantly refreshed and topped with one of its 31 sauces. The system has proved to be ideal for caterers particularly those with limited service time and restricted kitchen facilities.

Let's not forget that risotto is also a winner with Brits, according to Veetee Foodservice. "Risotto is a natural choice among consumers and with evidence that more are choosing Italian dishes chefs should be looking to add it to their menus using premium ingredients," says CEO Tony O'Connor.

Tilda's development and marketing controller Mark Lyddy agrees: "Risotto rice has experienced a 21% growth in retail sales and for the first time these products give caterers who have neither the time nor the skill level to make risotto from scratch the opportunity to offer the consumer a product that looks and tastes like it's been freshly made."

To make the risotto experience even simpler, Tilda has just introduced a range of frozen risottos in primavera, chicken and asparagus, and Sicilian lemon, chicken and thyme flavours. Supplied in 400g portions with snap lid trays that can be microwaved in just two minutes - it saves a lot of stirring!

SUPPLIER CONTACTS

BPEX 01908 844368 www.porkforcaterers.com
Kerry Foodservice 01296 318000 www.kerry-foodservice.co.uk
Pasta King 01626 334480 www.pastaking.net
Rational 0800 389 2944 www.rational-UK.com
RHM Foodservice 0800 328 4246 www.rhmfoodservice.co.uk
Tilda 01708 717777 www.tildafoodservice.com
Unilever Foodsolutions 0800 783 3728 www.unileverfoodsolutions.co.uk
Veetee 0800 032 1673 www.veetee.com

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