Tuesday April 4, 2017
The juice and smoothie bars industry has grown rapidly over the past five years – its revenue is estimated at over £85 million, according to IBISWorld’s Juice & Smoothie Bars’ market research report 2016. Revenue growth has been driven by increases in health awareness and consumer demand for healthy, convenient, on-the-go beverages.
For a number of years juice bars have started popping up all over the country, becoming a common sight in our high streets. And this year a new trend called ‘souping’ has seen juice bars expanding their offering to include more savoury drinks – think chicken broth blended with cauliflower puree.
As a foodservice operator, juices, smoothies and cold soups could make a very simple, healthy addition to your menu. And rather than buying in pre-made juices or smoothies that could contain all sorts of additives, colourings and sugar, you could try making them on-site yourselves.
As a customer, if you were looking at a menu and had the choice of a homemade juice containing 3 ingredients – raspberries, pears and apples, or a juice that is supposedly the same flavour but contains sugar, colourings, juices from concentrate, additives, and lots of other ingredients you’ve never heard of – which would you choose?
Customers’ search for healthy eating and drinking options is ever-growing and the want for ‘cleaner’ labels that feature a minimal number of natural ingredients is on the rise.
To add juice or smoothies to your menu you don’t need to immediately run out and buy lots of equipment. For getting started a simple, good quality juicer (for juice) or blender (for smoothies) will do. Simple favourites like orange or apple juice or a range of basic smoothies always go down well with customers.
If you already offer traditional flavours on your menu, why not also try adding unique flavour mixes to provide something above and beyond your competitors. Adding the option to upgrade your drinks by adding superfoods, such as matcha powder, chia seeds, wheatgrass and turmeric root, will always go down well. Remember to test your recipes until you get the best combination of flavours, as some superfoods can taste bitter without the balance of other ingredients.
Once you’ve decided on your offering, it’s time to think about how you are going to serve them. Consumers love to enjoy their juices and smoothies on the go – particularly when they are busy and looking for a quick fix of vitamins and nutritious ingredients.
One of the best ways to present your juice and smoothie options are disposable bottles. A fantastic leak-proof and portable option, bottles are the ideal solution for offering your drinks to go or as an addition on your delivery menu. Available in a large range of sizes and made from widely recyclable rPET or compostable PLA, our range of bottles can easily compliment your menu and current packaging material types.
Another great benefit of using bottles is the ease of adding your own labels. We stock a wide variety of off-the-shelf labels, or the option for bespoke labels, through our Label 2 Go exclusive brand. To overprint your labels with all the information they need, from product ingredients to nutritional information and use by dates, our Caterlabel software provides all the tools you need.
Speak to us today to discuss our bottle ranges and get expert advice on the best packaging and label options for your operation.
