2022 was a banner year for those in the club and resort business. More special events and weddings with larger guest lists has everyone looking ahead to another great year as spring and summer event calendars fill up.
Getting ready for the rush means a quick brush up on trends, unique ideas, and ways to improve efficiencies are in order. We’ve scoured multiple resources to bring you our top 5 insights for the year.
1. A Quick Check of What’s Trending on Restaurant Menus
Country club chefs are over achievers when it comes to event menus. But it’s worth making a quick check of what’s trending in restaurants for the year ahead. We tapped Datassential’s database for the top 5 fastest growing menu items in these important categories to help you create an event your guests will remember.
Fastest Growing Menu Items
| Appetizers | Desserts | Side Dish |
| 1. Boneless Wings | 1. Churros | 1. Fried Cauliflower |
| 2. Pretzel | 2. Dumpling | 2. Elote |
| 3. Burrata | 3. Donut | 3. Sweet Potato |
| 4. Queso | 4. Cinnamon Roll | 4. Roasted Corn |
| 5. Fried Pickle | 5. Chocolate Croissant | 5. Broccolini |
| Cocktail | Protein | Bread |
| 1. Aperol Sprint | 1. Tofu | 1. Gluten Free Bun |
| 2. Highball | 2. Chicken | 2. Bao |
| 3. Kentucky Mule | 3. Bacon | 3. Brioche |
| 4. Paloma | 4. Pepperoni | 4. Sub |
| 5. Old Fashioned | 5. Salmon | 5. Pretzel |
2. Instagram-Worthy Butters For Sharing
Shaped and flavored butters make butter boards uniquely irresistible.
From Instagrammable food pictures to a TikTok post that ignited the craze, don’t overlook the power of social media in influencing wedding clients and other events focused on Gen Z and Millennial guests.
Much like a charcuterie board, butter boards are built for a sharable experience with friends. Butterball® Farms’ shaped butters, flavored dollops and spreads make butter boards quick and easy to build. Try serving the butter around nested meats, breads, dried fruits, and nuts. Our visually stunning, shareable butters are perfect for -bringing people together and creating a buzz on social media.
3. Make Bread A Signature for Wedding Events
Russian “karavay” bread is still served at weddings as a symbol of good luck.
Bread preceded wedding cakes in many cultures. As a bride would finish her vows, guests would throw crumbs of bread at her to encourage fertility. Later grooms would break a loaf over the bride’s head and showered her with crumbs for good luck.
Pop-Out® Butter Roses easily elevate the dining experience and set you apart from the rest.
Today, the bread and butter of many weddings remains the creative use of bread beyond the trendy donut wall. Wrapped in fine linen in a bow. Dusted with flour after baking with the monogram of the couple’s initials.
A key insight for this year is to bring a creative use of bread for your guests. An easy option is serving beautifully shaped butter at your table. From shaped medallions to premium balls of butter, to Pop-Out® Roses and Rosettes, beautiful, shaped butters from Butterball® Farms make any event special. Want to see for yourself? Request a free sample of shaped butters from Butterball Farms today.
Butterball Farms shaped butters are available through DOT Foods. If you have an immediate need or only want to order 1 case, you can also purchase their Premium Butter Balls and Roses Direct at www.butterballfarmsdirect.com
4. Finding More Efficiencies in The Kitchen
Prepared flavored butters in tubs is one example of how Butterball® Farms is helping save time and labor in the kitchen.
One of the biggest challenges of the year is finding and keeping good kitchen staff. Some operator surveys find that full-service restaurants are 30% understaffed among line cooks alone. Everyone is paying more to hang on to the best employees, thus kitchen efficiency is key.
Butterball Farms can assist by providing labor-saving options:
- Quik-Creations® Butter Sauces eliminate the need for melting bricks of butter for glazes, sauces, icings, or desserts. Simply add in your own spice and herbs to easily transform any menu item into a culinary delight. Some recipes or menu ideas include loaded baked potato soup, decadent lobster mac and cheese, easy hollandaise sauce, or sea salt caramel sauce.
- Garlic Herb dollops or tubs are an all-in-one solution that helps your kitchen staff create a craveworthy menu dish full of garlicky goodness and fresh herbs. Some menu applications include:
- Garlic Parmesan Butter Pasta: toss cooked pasta with melted garlic parmesan butter and top with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
- Garlic Parmesan Butter Steak: top sirloin steak with a dollop of garlic parmesan butter for a finishing touch.
- Garlic Parmesan Butter Shrimp: sauté shrimp in melted garlic parmesan butter and serve over rice or pasta.
- Garlic Parmesan Butter Bread: spread softened garlic parmesan butter on slices of Rye bread or other trending bread types listed below:
- Garlic Parmesan Butter Roasted Vegetables: toss diced vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots) with melted garlic parmesan butter and roast in the oven.
5. The Buzz About Honey Keeps Getting Louder
It could be perceived functional benefits, nostalgia, or that it just tastes great but anything honey is golden. From spicy to savory, this flavor sensation can help set your dining occasion apart.
Since, 2021, hot honey has become a trend-forward favorite.
Yet creating your own entry into offering honey flavor can be costly and time consuming. Butterball Farms has several solutions that ramps up flavor for your special events or even takeout or catered events that save you time on labor.
Butterball Farms Honey Butter PCs and Honey Butter Hive help you activate on the honey trend.
Honey butter grew 10%* on menus in just the past year. Butterball Farms Honey Butter PCs are perfect for spreading on breakfast breads, pancakes, and waffles. It also makes a great addition to takeout dinners as a side for baked sweet potatoes or a complement to your chicken sandwich.
Menu applications in 2022 exploded with honey butter.
Butterball Farms stepped up the honey flavor craze last year with the release of its New Honey with Cinnamon Sugar Butter Hive, a uniquely shaped butter with honey and cinnamon blended with premium butter for a variety of applications.
This year will be a busy one for clubs and resorts. Leveraging these 5 insights should make your year your best in business with events every guest will remember.