Summit: Modest Prospects with Some Bright Spots

Comparative insights into the recent performance of the European outof-home market, nurtured by fresh consumer research data, were providedby Jochen Pinsker at the 13th European Foodservice Summit thisSeptember. The Senior Vice President Foodservice Europe of the NPDGroup Inc. also emphasised significant changes in eating out habitssince 2007, as well as identifying various bright spots in an away-fromhomemarket that continues to find itself under pressure.
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Hot Trend: Tasty & Trustworthy

Artisanal ice-cream makers emphatically insist that their product does notjust taste better than mass-produced ice cream. Freshly made – often on a dailybasis – from all natural ingredients and without any artificial additives, it is evenclaimed to be healthier. Today’s consumers increasingly appreciate the inherentpremium quality promise and feel particularly comfortable with local sourcing,organic quality and seasonality.
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Micro-Breweries: Giving a Home to Beer

Beer is one of Europe’s favourite beverages, with a long tradition. In recent years, however, the average consumption of beer has been declining in many countries. The market is characterised by continuing concentration on a few brewery giants on the one hand and, on the other, the growing success of thousands of small, independent and individual microbreweries that profit from the consumers’ rising demand for new tastes and specialist beers.
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Management: Securing Growth in Difficult Times

Growing in a diverse economic future: this is how the 13th European FoodserviceSummit defined the present global challenge facing the international professional cateringcommunity. The motto of this year‘s event was ‘Ideas, Visions and Creativity’ –and they are certainly more in demand than ever. We asked participants from sixcountries around the world about the pros and cons of growth for 2012
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Interview: Making a Difference

“If you don’t have a reason why people walk past your competitors to come toyou, you have no reason to exist,” says Ron Shaich, chairman/CEO and prime moverof US fast-casual pioneer Panera Bread. With over 1,600 bakery-cafes baking breaddaily from fresh dough and making-to-order sandwiches, salads, soups and qualitycoffee, Shaich believes that his company not only differentiates itself profitablyacross several foodservice segments but can make a difference to food qualityperceptions and to the lives of customers, staff and communities.
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