How to Stock Your Foodservice Business for Holiday Food Trends
Editors Note: This article was originally published in November 2023 and has been updated for accuracy and trend changes impacting the 2024 holiday season.
In the foodservice supply business, food trends matter. Providing foodservice businesses with products in 2024 means considering many different media-induced trends, among multiple generational preferences, for various tastes and allergies. During the nostalgic, cozy feelings of the holidays, there are many flavors that appeal to most consumers. Why? Flavors evoke memories. When we smell or taste a certain food, it can instantly transport us back to a specific time and place. This is because our brains associate flavors with memories. For example, the smell of baking cookies may remind you of Christmas, Hanukkah, or other celebrations at your grandmother’s house.
As the holidays near, commercial and non-commercial foodservice spaces are especially looking to capture seasonal and traditional flavors to create a festive atmosphere. No matter if you’re distributing to a cafeteria in an airport, hospital, school, or other event space, certain flavors are always associated with the holidays. For example, pumpkin spice, peppermint bark, and gingerbread are among the top ten holiday flavors. These flavors can help to get people in the holiday spirit or offer comfort while they travel and visit new places.
As a redistributor, Honor Foods plays an important role in the food chain during the holiday season by helping distributors get the products needed to their foodservice customers. Here’s what holiday flavors are trending in 2024, from dairy to pies to condiments and more.
Meats for Holiday Food Trends 2024
The holiday season is all about quality time with loved ones, and we see that as people look to have more time with friends and family and less time stressing out in the kitchen. Here’s what our research shows will be 2024 Holiday food trends to prepare foodservice business for…
It’s Turkey Time – With Less Stress & Prep
Preparing a large feast for a large family is a lot of work! Eating habits are trending that families are going out to eat, ordering take-out or ordering partially prepared meals to lose the stress of holiday meal prep and focus on time with loved ones. Consumer surveys from the National Restaurant Association in 2022 showed that just over half of people planned to outsource some or all of their holiday cooking.
Prepping the turkey is often the highest stressed item on the menu. For this reason, Jennie-O’s Cook in the Bag & Foil Wrapped Turkey Breast is poised to be a holiday season trend in 2024, offering a convenient and high-quality solution for modern holiday celebrations. As consumers seek to minimize stress and maximize quality time with loved ones, this product provides a hassle-free alternative to traditional turkey preparation. Its portioned size is ideal for smaller, more intimate gatherings or for those who want to offer a variety of meats. By eliminating the need for thawing, brining, and basting, this pre-seasoned turkey breast allows for effortless cooking and a delicious, juicy result.
Close your eyes… and imagine a stress-free holiday season… With its convenience and quality, Jennie-O’s Cook in the Bag & Foil Wrapped Turkey Breast is set to be a popular choice for holiday meals in 2024. As the holidays approach, distributors should be checking with their customers on all of these items to plan ahead during the increasingly busy times.
For delicious and satisfying turkey holiday recipes, your foodservice clients can look to add some of these Thanksgiving turkey recipes to their menus:
Holiday Herb Roasted Turkey
Tex-Mex Roast Turkey
Easy Lemon & Garlic Roast Turkey
Sweet and Savory Cajun Rub Turkey
No-Thaw Pre-Brined Turkey
If you’re a distributor and need to offer more prepped turkey to your clients, Honor Foods has many varieties available with quick delivery schedules.
Effortless Pie, Comforting Flavor
Honor Foods is partnered with leading foodservice companies, such as Gardner Pie. This gives distributors access to the latest and trendiest desserts and sweet treats.
In a survey by Premise in 2021, the company reported that “Two-thirds of our Contributor respondents buy pies from stores, including more than half from grocery stores. Convenience seems to be the driving factor behind pie consumption — or, potentially, a desire to enjoy pie without going through the exacting process of baking.” This further supports the trends that consumers are looking for stressless holiday gatherings, without losing the yum!
Additionally, a study by Supermarket Premiere found “Whole pies show strong unit sales growth, up 8.8% and accounting for 72% of sales with private label and store brands accounting for 76% of sales.” The study also added that, “Pies designed to serve 1-2 people have seen more than 50% sales growth in the past year.”
For this reason, Gardner Pie, particularly their classic apple and pumpkin varieties, is poised to be a trending holiday dessert in 2024. Renowned for their exceptional quality and timeless flavors, Gardner Pies offer a convenient and delicious solution for holiday gatherings. As consumers seek to simplify their holiday preparations without compromising on taste, pre-made pies like Gardner’s provide a stress-free option. Whether it’s the warm, comforting flavors of apple pie or the rich, spiced goodness of pumpkin pie, Gardner’s reputation for excellence ensures a delightful dessert experience for all.
Gardner Pies, and shelf-stable desserts that busy consumers are looking for are available to order in the ‘Desserts’ category through our online catalog here.
Chicken, beef, and vegetable stock, as well as gravy, are popular to cook with during the holidays for a number of reasons, including flavor, versatility, and sometimes (if we’re lucky) health benefits. Stock, like bone broth, can be high in collagen, which people often seek in brothy soups. On the other end of healthy are the hearty soups that bring comfort during the cold winter months. Cozy foods are often traditional recipes that remind people of home. Mouthwatering dishes for soups, stews, sauces, and gravies you might see on the menu at hospital cafeterias, airport food courts, and school cafeterias include…
Chicken stock can make or break chicken noodle soup, chicken pot pie, and chicken and dumplings.
Beef stock elevates beef stew, French onion soup, and beef bourguignon.
Vegetable stock is used in vegetable soup, vegetarian chili, and mashed potatoes.
Gravy is added to mashed potatoes, shepherd’s pie, and many hearty sandwiches.
Foodservice providers following seasonal menus frequently add stock and gravy to their dishes for the rich and flavorful depth the ingredients add to holiday dishes. Chicken, beef, and vegetable stock, as well as gravy, are essential ingredients for your customers to put on their order list. You can fulfill their orders through our online catalog, or sign up to become a distributor with us by clicking the link bellow.
It doesn’t need to be dessert time to have this sweet treat! Hot cocoa is a popular drink for those looking to warm up on the inside when it’s chilly on the outside. It’s especially popular anywhere for snow days with kids or those who remain kids at heart. Hot cocoa can be served on its own for something simple, or it can be customized with a variety of toppings such as whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate shavings, and spices. The drink is what you make of it, which lends to its popularity and accommodation for dietary needs.
In a study done by YouGov, a survey found that “One-third of Americans (34%) select hot chocolate as their top holiday beverage.” Distributors will want to encourage their clients to add hot cocoa to their menu if they haven’t already. Both commercial and non-commercial foodservice businesses find hot cocoa to be a profitable beverage as it’s a relatively inexpensive beverage to make, but it can be sold at a high markup.
Ensure that your foodservice businesses are ready to meet the demand for hot cocoa during the holidays by looking at the Honor Foods product catalog.
The holiday season is a time for feasting, and that includes dessert! Restaurants and cafeterias across the country offer a variety of delicious holiday desserts to satisfy their customers’ sweet tooth, which peaks in the indulgent months of the fall-idays.
The most popular holiday desserts ordered at restaurants are:
Pumpkin pie
Pecan pie
Cheesecake
Chocolate mousse
Tiramisu
Crème brûlée
Gingerbread cookies
Sugar cookies
Shortbread cookies
Final Thoughts on Holiday Food Trends
What does all this mean (besides the fact that you’re now hungry)? There are a lot of commercially sized ingredients that foodservice business will be looking for. Sunny Morning, an Honor Foods company, provides ingredients for food production projects of all sizes. This means large containers of whipped cream, lots of eggs, loads of butter, and other perishables. Perishables can be one of the most challenging ingredients to source this time of year, as demand is high and shipping schedules are booked. As a leading foodservice redistributor for holiday ingredients, Honor Foods can fill those needs quickly.
If your clients are more into prepped ingredients, the Honor Foods product catalog also has cookie dough, pie filling (think: apple, pumpkin, chocolate, pecan, and much more), pie shells, and other baking ingredients. Whether you have a restaurant baking in-house or an airport making on-the-go meals, Honor Foods and its brands have a lengthy list of necessary ingredients for the holiday flavors!
Understanding trends is important for businesses of all sizes, but it is especially important for foodservice businesses. When dealing with food, there is no putting it on sale a year later. Businesses must find the right numbers to avoid both wasted product and lost profit. As a distributor helping customers to stock the right products and plan their menus, having a redistributor such as Honor Foods that can quickly deliver requested items keeps everyone happy, or should we say ‘jolly’. There’s a lot to juggle during the holiday season; make it easier with Honor Foods as your partner!
Honor Foods, a Burris Logistics Company, was founded in 1949 as a redistributor of center-of-the-plate foods. Since then, Honor Foods has grown into the Mid-Atlantic region’s premier provider of frozen, refrigerated, dry, and dairy products, representing more than 300 brand-name food suppliers and carrying more than 3,000 in-stock items. Honor Foods brands R.W. Zant and Sunny Morning provide additional beef and dairy expertise on the West Coast and in the southeast. In addition, our exclusive house brands — Colony Lane and Valley Fresh, have a well-earned reputation for top quality and value at competitive prices.
Great products and prices are just part of the Honor Foods value-add. We pride ourselves in having a Team of dedicated professionals who manage each partnership. Our commitment to your business needs is what makes us unique.
