The Mini World of Desserts

Dessert menus haven’t changed over the last 10 years. True or false?

Actually, it’s a bit of both. Desserts are still seen as an indulgence, and most sweet menus in pubs and restaurants across the country lean heavily towards traditional, comfort food: Bread & Butter Puddings, Crumbles, Chocolate Brownies and Ice Cream. These have been favoured by consumers for the last decade or so, and will now remain best-sellers for the next 10 years.

Now, that’s not to say the market isn’t witnessing change. Clearly more exotic flavours are making their mark on dessert menus – from fruit-based dishes featuring mango and passion fruit through to spices such as cinnamon, cardamom and even chilli, to name just a few examples. But these young upstarts have yet to dethrone the perennial favourites mentioned earlier (if anything, they’re more likely to be incorporated into dishes featuring traditional flavours like chocolate – but that’s another blog…).

The real change is being seen in the way the desserts are being served, and the buzz-word of the moment is ‘Mini Desserts’. This concept of smaller dessert ‘shots’ or dessert ‘tapas’ is taking off globally. In essence, all caterers are doing are taking a mixture of traditional desserts and a handful of more innovative ideas and serving them in much smaller portions – available either as an individual ‘shot’, or a selection of 3 or more for sharing. Obviously the idea of sharing desserts isn’t particularly new, but this has taken the concept to a whole new level.

Burger King was one of first major brands to support the idea, and has recently opened their first UK dessert bar at London’s Westfield. Starbucks are similarly promoting the trend, with their recently launched ‘Starbucks Petites’ range. And chef’s chef Jason Atherton’s new restaurant opening, Pollen Street Social, is set to have its very own dessert bar.

For the consumer, the benefits are clear – greater choice, a lower price point, and – for some – a perceived ‘healthier’ eat. For the caterer, there’s an opportunity to trial new flavours and ideas ‘in miniature’ before rolling out a larger-sized version, as well as additional revenue streams – where consumers don’t want a whole dessert to themselves, the mini concept gives diners a more compelling reason to share.

The trick is to pack as much flavour as possible into them, and make them as much as an ‘experience’ as possible. The dishes themselves don’t need to differ too greatly to your standard desserts – play around with serving them in a smaller format, tweak the balance of flavours or ingredients if necessary, and find some funky serving dishes. And make the most of an opportunity to make big profits out of mini desserts.

Gerard Murphy, Food Development Chef, Kerry
 

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