
Monday March 27, 2017
Humble jam jars – with their delightfully old-school-chic, bohemian appeal, are increasingly being used in hotels, restaurants and bars to serve food and drink. From breakfast oats to layered salads, cocktails and milkshakes – jar cuisine is massively on-trend.
In the past, the image of preserving food in jars had a utilitarian, make-do-and-mend vibe, food eaten from jars is comforting because it evokes a feeling of the home-made – of traditional comfort food. The new approach with jars is to hone in on this eco-chic feel – whilst offering fantastic flavours and great style.
Jars are being used in all shapes and sizes – from Ball Mason jars to Bonne Maman jars – chefs and foodies alike are experimenting with new ways of using them. Jars are a perfect container for showcasing food with layers of fresh, vibrant ingredients – with its clear, 360 degree view of the contents.
Particularly used in trendy cocktail bars, but increasingly used across casual dining chains and independent cafes, jars provide a fantastically photogenic way of presenting food and drinks.
New cocktail by Café Rouge, Le Bon Rouge – Beefeater gin, French Chambord and Bonne Maman raspberry jam, all shaken together and served in a jam jar.
Using real glass jam jars is not a cheap option for foodservice operators, especially for on-the-go customers who will take the jars off the premises, so serving food and drinks in a jar hasn’t always been a feasible option. However, at Bunzl Catering Supplies we have two great jar-style packaging options, made from recyclable plastic, that give your customer the feel of a real jar, but without the cost.
Supplier Anson Packaging has developed a new range of clear plastic containers and lids called Jarr. Based on the traditional design of a classic jam jar – they’re allowing food operators to bring new trend ‘jar cuisine’ to the food on-to-go environment.
The new Jarr food containers and lids, developed by Anson Packaging, are available from Bunzl Catering Supplies. Made from recyclable high clarity PET, they come in four sizes – 440cc, 350cc, 300cc and 120cc. The Jarr lids can be bespoke printed to add extra customisation and showcase branding.
Also following the jar trend, supplier Neville and More offer a range of Ball Mason style Salad Jars, ideal for stacked salads on-the-go. The round Salad Jars are made from rPET which is fully recyclable, and they are available in a 500ml size, ideal for single portion salads.
Don’t forget that with any food-to-go offer, whether packaged on or off site, labelling is critical – it must meet the Food Information Regulations (FIR) – with allergens bolded in the ingredients lists – and increasingly customers are looking for indicators of fat, sugar and salt content. As part of our Label 2 Go exclusive brand, we offer a range of off-the-shelf label designs that fit the new Jarr containers – including a keyhole label that can act as a tamper evident seal. Our cloud-based solution Caterlabel – allows you to easily overprint the label with all the important food information legislation requires and customers demand.
To food operators looking to re-present food on-the-go dishes – or to invent new ones – stack your exciting ingredient combinations into a new Jarr container or Salad Jar and impress your customers with on-trend presentation and a feeling of home.