Once the weekend hits, it's time for the best meal of the day - brunch! Recently, brunch has become a staple of American cuisine, making it a hot commodity for restaurants and caterers. As the foodservice industry adapts to changes from the last couple of years, we wanted to look at how businesses can respond to these challenges. So, lets order another round of mimosas and start talking brunch.
The term "brunch" didn't enter the mainstream lexicon until 1896 when a column in a newspaper remarked on "the latest fad." At first, brunch was reserved for the wealthy. But it didn't take long for average citizens to get in on the action, with its recent spike in popularity picking up around 2004.
Younger generations are hopping on the brunch bandwagon, but that doesn't mean that they're the only group enjoying it. Outside of a weekly habit, brunch is an honored pastime for several holidays. You shouldn't be surprised that Mother's Day is a very popular option for brunch, followed by Valentine's Day and Easter.
As the brunch trend continues to grow, more and more restaurants are figuring out how to cater to demand to provide what customers are looking for, without having food waste. Using a shock freezer or blast chiller is the way to go.
With the brunch demand soaring, competition is fierce. Modern brunch connoisseurs have high expectations, so restaurants must keep up with demands. But how do you have enough food to serve without cooking everything on the spot or making so much that after you have to throw it out? Having the top dishes on the menu is easier when prepped ahead and then safely stored after going through a blast chiller or shock freezer. Some dishes that work well fully or partially prepared in advance include:
Prime Rib
Fruit Smoothie Bowls
Eggs Benedict
Quiche
Chicken & waffles
Restaurants can get as creative as they like, especially when seasonal fruits and proteins made for other events can be preserved in a blast chiller or shock freezer. Letting chefs get creative with those unique brunch menu ideas.
Seafood is also a big draw for brunch. Fortunately, blast chillers and shock freezers empower businesses to plan for a brunch rush while maximizing efficiency and productivity. When chefs can make dishes days in advance, they can bend and break the rules, making it easier to compete.
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the foodservice industry, and many restaurants are still feeling the pinch of staffing shortages. Fortunately, labor saving equipment like blast chillers allows businesses to do more with fewer hands. Now that they can store pre-made dishes, restaurants can have workers work on other tasks that need to be accomplished to make brunch a success.