Tough times ahead

In the past poultry has been a cost effective and popular protein to add to menus. But with products now hit by a number of issues affecting the supply chain and prices across the globe, caterers need to get smarter in the kitchen. John Porter reports.

The traditional catering view that poultry, and chicken in particular, is a relatively cheap form of protein, may need a rethink. The Consumer Price Index published in April showed a 4.6% year on year increase in poultry prices, with the rate of increase having risen steadily over the past six months.

The pressure on poultry prices is mainly from rising grain costs because of poor harvests last year in several regions combined with rising demand.

This demand comes not just from an ever increasing global population, but as political instability hits oil production, grain for the biofuel industry has increased. This means the grain needed to feed poultry, the most expensive element in raising birds, is now more expensive.

Stephen Minall, catering consultant and director of sandwich business Wrapid, which operates at university and airport sites, puts it into context. "The average cost of our wraps is up 2.5% due to flatbread price increases, which has added 5p-10p to selling prices. A chicken wrap though is up 8% due to the cost of the meat."

As well as sandwiches, chicken is a staple of salads, curries, pasta dishes and other menu mainstays. Research undertaken by Moy Park Foodservice shows chicken is the leading protein eaten out of home, appearing in 25% of all dishes.

Clearly, therefore, caterers now need to work harder to ensure they are using the best value poultry products. Jayne Hall, marketing manager at Moy Park, says: "The figures show that chicken remains popular and there is a firm place for it on menus.

"We are helping the cost sector satisfy this strong demand for chicken with an extensive range of easy to prepare products that take account of the practical needs of caterers."

The company's range includes the battered Chickwich steak, which it says is the foodservice number one branded chicken burger, battered hot and spicy Chickwich steak, breast meat coated in a bespoke hot and spicy batter, and a breaded quarter pounder.

Moy Park also offers thaw and serve products to help outlets serve quality food quickly such as buffalo wings, roast drumsticks, wings of fire and chicken tikka.

Hall says: "The beauty of these products is that they are easy to prepare and can be served in a relatively short time – a great benefit for busy outlets that don't have enough staff to keep up with demand, particularly during busy trading periods. They also take some of the skill out of the cooking process which makes them appealing to outlets with limited kitchen expertise."

Bernard Matthews makes the point that despite rising costs, poultry is still a cost effective alternative to other mainstream meat, particularly in the current economic climate.

"Poultry has benefited in the recession thanks to its strong value image, and is well placed to continue to see strong demand if budgets come under further pressure this year," says general manager Duncan Marsh.

Turkey can also help the cost sector appeal to more health conscious consumers, he adds.

"Consumers more than ever want to know what they are eating, with more than 20% wanting to know the fat content of their food and one in five wanting to know the calorie content," he says.

"Also, 46% say not enough healthy options are available on menus, a considerable increase on 2009 when 41% felt this was the case.

Another strong appeal of poultry is that many products can be cooked from frozen, helping to reduce wastage and enable caterers cope with spikes in demand at busy times.

Latest research conducted on behalf of the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) shows that foodservice operators have increased their use of frozen products over the past year.

"Findings from the new BFFF survey shows that more than 97% of chefs now stock and use frozen food – that's a massive 20% increase on 2009 results," says Marsh.

"Poultry freezes well, a particularly important factor if your kitchen is limited on space. Our British turkey products are rapidly frozen with the express purpose of minimising nutrient losses and preserving taste.

"With fresh produce, significant deterioration occurs to the extent that they can have lower nutritional value than a frozen equivalent."

Leftover cooked turkey will keep in a fridge for up to three days and is ideal for sandwiches, stir fries, pies and curries, he adds.

The company's frozen Big Green Tick range includes turkey burgers, which can be served accompanied by fries or wedges, or on wholemeal buns and salad toppings to give meals a healthier edge.

Also available is cooked sliced turkey breast in stock, turkey meatballs, minced and diced thighs and ready to eat from defrosted roast and mild tikka turkey breast chunks.

Poultry also works well with spicier flavours allowing caterers to offer popular oriental and Asian dishes easily.

The Big Kitchen's commercial director Jonathan Ashmore says: "Popular, protein rich and nutritious, chicken represents the ideal solution for those working within the constraints of a busy contract catering operation. With timing at the crux of any busy service, products that can help save preparation time without detracting from the finished quality or nutritional credentials of the final dish are godsends."

The company supplies fully cooked chicken satay in sweet chilli, tikka and Bali flavours, which can be served as light bites, sharing platters and main courses with accompaniments such as rice and traditional peanut sauce.

Also helping caterers meet consumers' taste for spicier flavours is The Authentic Food Company, which offers perennial chicken favourites such as tikka masala, makhani, korma and jalfrezi.

Brand marketing manager Sandra Peirce also underscores the relative value that poultry offers. "Growing price pressures and volatile market conditions are contributing to the rise of poultry use.

"We are also seeing more extensive use of chicken thighs rather than breast meat, which are becoming more popular following their use by a number of TV chefs.

"Trends towards the use of poultry are particularly relevant in our development of Indian food, where chicken is the most commonly chosen meat by both consumers and development chefs, as it works well with a huge range of sauces, and is a great carrier for the intense flavours associated with Indian cuisine."

Pricing is likely to remain a challenge, leaving caterers having to plan their menus carefully.

While the International Grains Council is forecasting better harvests this year, it also expects the global grain crop of 1.805bn tonnes for 2011/2012 to be just short of estimated consumption at 1.808bn tonnes – so poultry producers can expect to have to continue to pay highly for grain.