{"id":4173,"date":"2022-01-13T13:51:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-13T19:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-gordon-food-service.pantheonsite.io\/creating-lent-menu-will-hook-customers\/"},"modified":"2023-02-01T14:19:22","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T20:19:22","slug":"creating-lent-menu-will-hook-customers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gfs.com\/en-us\/ideas\/creating-lent-menu-will-hook-customers\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating a Lent menu that will hook customers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is Ash Wednesday circled on your calendar? It should be. That day marks the start of Lent, and it’s a season that can jumpstart the slower period after the December holiday rush.<\/p>\n

Now is the time to start planning for Lent. A survey by Lifeway Research found 24% percent of consumers observe Lent. And if the Lenten season is an indicator of things to come, then get ready, because fish and seafood were consumed 5% more often during Lent than other times of the year, according to The NPD Group.<\/p>\n

Because observing Lent is a priority for customers, a well thought out plan is important. Seafood sandwiches, fried fish, fish and chips, and shrimp dishes are customer favorites, according to Technomic Inc. These Lent staples may serve you well. But during this time, when diners are committed to eating seafood (especially on Fridays) as part of their Lenten observance, it\u2019s a prime opportunity to expand the seafood menu. From Ash Wednesday until Easter, you want to offer customers seafood entr\u00e9es they will look forward to during Lent and ask for again at other times of the year.<\/p>\n

Shrimp and salmon are the leading fish dishes, according to the National Fisheries Institute. That’s likely because of their familiarity and health benefits. But there are other fish varieties, preparation techniques and cooking methods that appeal to customers during Lent and beyond.<\/p>\n

Six ways to make your Lent menu shine<\/h3>\n

Lent has everyone thinking fish, especially on Fridays. Standing out from the rest means offering options that go beyond the traditional fish baskets. Trident Seafoods suggests a number of inspirations that raise the fish and chips game:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Burgers. <\/strong>Golden on the outside, tender and flaky Pollock on the inside\u2014a health-focused alternative to beef burgers. Other handhelds, such as wraps, sandwiches and tacos add variety and appeal to on-the-go diners.<\/li>\n
  2. Seafood cakes.<\/strong> Similar to crab cakes in appearance, breaded shrimp, salmon and cod cakes feature favorite seafood flavors that can be customized with spicy seasonings or roasted vegetables.<\/li>\n
  3. Cod bites.<\/strong> Similar to popcorn shrimp in appearance, these can be served as a small plate or a sharing plate to satisfy the growing appetite for cod.<\/li>\n
  4. Ethnic presentations<\/strong>. Flavors from Latin America, Asia and the Mediterranean\u2014places where fish are a main part of the diet\u2014add on-trend variety to many styles of fish.<\/li>\n
  5. Signature sauces and sides. <\/strong>Tartar sauce is traditional, but turn up the heat by adding spicy relish or crafting your own sriracha, gochujang or raspberry chipotle sauce. As for side, Technomic recommends coleslaw as a trending favorite to accompany shellfish.<\/li>\n
  6. Go flavor-forward.<\/strong> The leading flavors for fish and shellfish are lemon, butter, garlic and tomato, Technomic reports. Upward trending flavors for fish dishes include mustard, miso and butter. For seafood, it\u2019s bacon, spices, and onion.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Preparation and presentation make perfect<\/h3>\n

    Breading, battering or crusting are popular preparation methods for fish and seafood. However, healthier preparations, such as baking, steaming or grilling also are popular and shouldn\u2019t be overlooked. Taking a page from the aggressive cooking styles favored on veg-centric menus, glazed, pan-seared, saut\u00e9ed, wood-grilled and smoked seafood can be a point of differentiation for your Lent menu.<\/p>\n

    \"Most<\/p>\n

    Lent can also be a time to think outside the fish basket. Diners looking for alternatives during Lent can help determine lasting menu popularity. Try adding shrimp to pasta and rice dishes, soups, salads or sandwiches. And don\u2019t overlook indulgent classics like lobster, scallops, mussels, clams and oysters. Although these items aren\u2019t seen as often on menus, fresh preparations like cioppino, a seafood boil, clambake or crab beignets may appeal to diners during Lent and beyond.<\/p>\n

    Market your Lent menu<\/h3>\n

    Whatever seafood selections you serve during Lent, don\u2019t treat promoting them like an afterthought, or you could leave money on the table. Inc.com reports that seafood sales surge more than 20% during Lent and up to 50% on Lenten Fridays.<\/p>\n

    Lent can bring a lot of opportunities for operators. Make the most of it by doing your prep and planning now. You\u2019ll appeal to a multitude of customers\u2014those observing Lent, those sticking to their New Year\u2019s resolutions and those craving fresh flavors coming off the indulgent holiday season\u2014and set yourself up for other spring celebrations, including Valentine\u2019s Day, Easter and Mother\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n

    Seafood menu ideas<\/h3>\n

    Use these fish and seafood recipes as inspiration for the Lent menu.<\/p>\n

    \"Mediterranean
    \nMediterranean Grilled Octopus<\/a><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"Shrimp
    \n    Shrimp and Red Pepper Noodle Bowl<\/a><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"Pollock
    \n    Pollock with Potato Crunch<\/a><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"Nduja
    \n    Nduja Clams and Rigatoni<\/a><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"Seared
    \n    Seared Salmon with Pear<\/a>
    \n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Create a seafood menu that satisfies appetites this season and all year long.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":22719,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culinary-ideas"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMake Your Menu Lent-Ready<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gfs.com\/en-us\/ideas\/creating-lent-menu-will-hook-customers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Creating a Lent menu that will hook customers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Create a seafood 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