The ribs are brushed with butter, then basted in BBQ sauce and grilled until the meat is crisp and tender.
Top trends
Responsible sourcing: As food sustainability moves up the agenda for foodservice institutions, more focus is given to sourcing cage-free and free-range chickens, observes Paul Farhat, head of food service at Al Rawdah. “Increased emphasis on critical issues such as animal cruelty, diverse and healthy ecosystems, zero-waste and eco-friendly companies means that sourcing local poultry products responsibly has become a source of differentiation for many restaurants and hotels,” says Farhat.
The same applies to the meat industry, says Katie King, market manager at Silver Fern Farms: “Consumers are becoming more conscious of where their products come from. They want to know and understand the process, chain of care and source to be sure what they are getting is ethical and trusted.”
Chef Daniel Ferreira agrees: “Traceability has become a major issue in the industry, and we are now focusing on local suppliers and quality of quantity. Chefs are focusing on fresh and clean dishes, with less complexity, allowing the product to shine.”
‘Clean’ food: Related to their interest in provenance, is the idea that consumers want clean, safe, ‘real’ food.
“Consumers want clean healthy products that are free of hormones, additives and preservatives,” says King. “Silver Fern Farms produces 100%-hormone-free, grass-fed product that is just as nature intended.”
Christine Cash, general manager, sales and marketing at Tegel, calls this ‘real food’. She says: “Consumers are looking for high quality products with clean ingredients and no artificial flavours and colour. Tegel chicken is naturally healthy with no injections and has no added hormones. New Zealand is free from all major poultry diseases, providing continued surety of safe product.”
Consistency, and “an exceptional eating experience each and every time” is also vital, says Robert Serapiglia, director, business innovation at Canada Beef. “Canada’s cattle genetics, internationally recognised production, safety standards and humane handling does not allow deficiencies within our premium grades of A, AA, AAA and Prime.”
Nutritional benefits: Beef is full of nutrients, a complete protein, one of the richest forms of heme iron and zinc and part of a heart healthy diet, observes Serapiglia — and he believes consumers are increasingly aware of this: “Canadian beef is nutrient dense and power packed, nature’s single ingredient super food.”
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