Five things we learned from The Restaurant Show

Team True has just returned from an action-packed three days at the hottest foodservice event of the year – The Restaurant Show.

We had a fantastic time networking, building relationships and making new contacts with catering professionals from across Europe.

Showcasing our preparation range to customers on the True stand at The Restaurant Show

The show was full of inspiring talks, prestigious competitions and, crucially, great food.

While we were there, we unveiled our brand-new range of chilled display and merchandising cabinets to the UK, officially launched our new UK website, and distributed the first edition of our newspaper, Fresh, which was hot off the press and offers pro tips, news and expert advice, for a confident kitchen.

Here are the key things we learned from, this year’s show…

Preparation is key

As chefs competing on the main stage at the show will attest, preparation is everything when it comes to creating the perfect pastry, and so is temperature.

Chef sculpting an edible work of art at The Restaurant Show

As you know, when you’re working with cold or chilled ingredients low temperatures are the key to avoiding rookie mistakes.

True’s preparation range is manufactured specifically to meet the demands of a busy food preparation area, giving direct access to organised items, which are chilled to the correct temperature, without slowing down service, keeping your pastry ingredients in their optimum state for working with.

Getting your temperature right can help drive sales

Having confidence in the way you store and display your food and drink can have a positive impact on your consumers.

Wine and beer experts at the adjoining Bar and Pub show told how customers now demand temperature-controlled drinks as standard. One large chain, for example, plays big on the way it serves its range of craft beers straight from the chiller, to preserve maximum flavour – a marketing message which cuts through to one of its key target audiences.

The shorter run times and guaranteed consistent low holding temperatures that True’s chilled display cabinets offer means that you can be sure that your drinks are held at the optimum temperature throughout every service.

New TDM and TVM both unveiled at the show

Consumers want ‘faster’ food

While traditional fast food outlets continue to be a staple of the UK’s catering industry, there is a growing trend toward ‘faster’ fashion food from more discerning diners.

Gourmet burgers, ‘craft’ pizzas and artisan sandwiches are just a few of the current grab-and-go items of choice for food-savvy consumers looking for a more premium dining experience in a fast food environment.

Simon Stenning, Executive Director of the MCA business Insight, showed the growing trend for this offering – with the pubs, bars and restaurants which are following the trend increasing their market share.

In order to deliver a more gourmet menu in a fast-paced environment, you need to ensure your operations are streamlined.

Ensuring your preparation and serving areas are organised, tidy and safe will help your kitchen thrive under pressure.

To achieve this, you need equipment you can rely on. True’s range of chilled service solutions can help streamline your kitchen, for a more efficient service, regardless of how busy you are front of house.

Reliability is everything

Reliable equipment is the key to a confident kitchen.

An equipment failure or breakdown can make or break a service, and in the worst case scenario, can have a massive impact on your business, your reputation and your bottom line.

True’s stand at The Restaurant Show, where we unveiled our new display and visual merchandiser range to the UK

So, reliable equipment which stands up to the rigours of a fast-paced, demanding, modern foodservice environment is a must.

With a range of shapes, sizes and capacities that can be configured to suit any workspace, True’s refrigeration solutions can be optimised to your kitchen, to suit your operations and your menu. And all are made to True’s meticulous high standards and backed by an industry-leading five-year parts and labour warranty as standard.

Diners value experiences over gimmicks

As food trends change as quickly as fashion, so do consumers’ tastes.

Modern diners are looking more for ‘experience dining’ which combines uniqueness, creativity and authenticity to deliver a memorable eating experience.

The trick for catering establishments is striking the right balance between the menu itself and the environment and atmosphere they create, but menu gimmicks won’t work unless the overall experiences backs them up.

Don’t forget to enter our cheese and beer competition

The first issue of Fresh, our newspaper for the UK market, launched at the Restaurant Show and one of the highlights was the chance to win a beer and cheese tasting session at the School of Artisan Food.

If you didn’t manage to pick up a copy, you can get one and enter the competition at the same time by simply filling out the form here before 5pm on Friday 3rd November.

Make sure you keep your eyes peeled for the announcement of the winner on our website and social media channels.