Friday May 5, 2017
A high-calorie, mega milkshake – a mash-up of drink and dessert – the freakshake has arrived, and customers are literally queuing round the corner to get one.
Originally crafted in 2015 in an Australian café called Patissez, the new-age milkshakes became an instant hit on social media – with their undeniable extravagance and visual appeal. And since then the social media buzz has not abated – with thousands of posts on Instagram and Pinterest – these platforms have helped make freakshakes famous across the globe.
In a new series of blogs for 2017 we’re bringing food operators the latest trends for the on-the-go food market. From Acai bowls and Poke, to Bao burgers and rolled ice-cream – we’ll be taking a close look at the must-have dishes essential for any 2017 take-out menu; and we’ll be exploring why these dishes have risen to popularity so quickly.
And that includes the UK – where the freakshake was quick to catch the attention of young chefs and foodies looking to serve, or consume, a sweet treat with a difference. In 2016 the Beehive Coffee House became the first place in Bristol to offer freakshakes – according to an article in the Bristol Post the operator first noticed them when they started filling Instagram and Pinterest feeds around the country. After that they decided to add them to their menu, and they haven’t looked back.
So what makes the freakshake freaky? Well, they’re a traditional milkshake base – but topped with cream, cake, biscuit, chocolate, strawberry sauce, sweets and anything else that’s sweet and yummy. The end result is gravity defying – an overflowing milkshake of gargantuan proportions.
But not everyone is a huge fan of the freakshake. Sometimes containing over 1,500 calories per serving, this new food trend is giving some health campaigners sleepless nights. Our advice is to consider these an occasional treat rather than a daily staple; and if you’re thinking of working the extra calories off in the gym – be prepared to stay a little longer.
The millennials addiction to experimentation and re-invention when it comes to food is not lost on the freakshake either – no sooner that the freakshake trend hit the UK, chefs, baristas and bar staff have stamped their own mark on their milk-based offerings.
The Time Out London website recently featured some of London’s best freakshakes; including Molly Bakes on Kingsland Road who serves four base flavours – peanut butter, raspberry, chocolate and salted caramel – which can then be personalised with a choice of toppings, meaning you get to freak your own shake with cookie dough, brownies, marshmallows and honeycomb.
A vegan freakshake being served at Canvas Café on Brick Lane, is available in three flavours, chocolate, strawberry and avocado and lime, made from soya or almond milk, and topped with chunky slabs of raspberry and beetroot cake, whipped soya cream, melted dark chocolate and vegan meringue.
Maxwell’s Bar & Grill in Covent Garden, was one of the first places in London to offer freakshakes – their menu has included an Oreo-stuffed shake with an Oreo ice cream sandwich on top and strawberry cheesecake shake that is topped with a massive meringue and fresh strawberries.
And for those who like a tipple – a tiny diner in Shoreditch called The Love Shake delivers some of London’s best boozy milkshakes – fondly known as a hardshake. Flavours include the Oreeto, made with amaretto and Oreo cookie, The Old Bailey, made with two shots of baileys and the signature Mars Attack, made with bourbon, peanut butter, toffee and chocolate.
Experimentation hasn’t stopped with adding alcohol – freakshakes are now being served with a savoury twist, topped with burgers for example – although how popular a burger topped shake will be has yet to be proven.
The common denominator in all these flavour combinations is the requirement for a sturdy glass, jar or tumbler to hold the freakshake, and as these sweet creations are as much about visual appeal as they are taste appeal – show-stopping presentation is a must.
Tumblers, cups, beakers, flutes – with flat lids, sip lids, dome lids and more, at Bunzl Catering Supplies we’re the number one supplier of disposables for hot and cold beverages, and freakshakes are no exception.
For freakshakes we recommend our high clarity, crack resistant Polarity tumblers with matching domed lids. A fluted rim and a snugly fitting domed lid allows room for a decadent cream topping – and the high clarity finish means that your customers can see the shake in all its glory. The domed lids are available with a straw slot – perfect to pop a smoothie straw or a stroon (straw/spoon) in, or of course a chocolate flake!
*Image Source: http://www.maxwells.co.uk/assets/img/freakshakes.jpg
