Bread is back in a big way as patrons return to clubs and resorts in 2021. The ultimate comfort food, the ability to serve up artisan breads that are perfectly paired with a butter for weddings, banquets, or traditional dining is well-timed to greet the new normal.
Atop bread boards or in baskets accompanied by an assortment of butters, oils and sauces for dipping, bread is quickly becoming a centerpiece for differentiating a dining experience.
“From home-style biscuits to European-style artisan crusty breads, to muffins, chefs no longer think of bread as an afterthought,” says Bonnie Beard, Director of Marketing for Butterball® Farms. “Even in Los Angeles, long a bastion of the low carb movement, the launch of a new restaurant called the Bread Lounge exemplifies America’s new-found love of bread.”
A look at trending breads does show that while carbs may be on the back burner, consumer interest in gluten-free breads remains high. A survey of restaurant menus across the country by Datassential finds that the top two fastest growing breads since 2017 are gluten-free buns and gluten-free bread. All-American buttermilk biscuits are just ahead of Chinese bao buns and French brioche for the top five winners. Take a look at the top trending breads for 2021 according to Datassential.
Trending global cuisines with their own favorite breads are a new way for chefs to explore this year’s bread opportunity. From Indian chapati, Israeli puffy pita and Japanese milk bread, the possibilities to pair breads and butters for a unique menu occasion is now.
As for trending butters for accompanying bread, some definite winners emerge for 2021. Cinnamon honey butter has grown on menus by +120% while honey butter comes in at +39% growth. Followed by cinnamon butter and garlic butter at +9%*.
For fine dining, hotels, clubs and resorts, another way to dress up your bread serving is using shaped butters. Butterball Farms has specialized in embossing butters in various shapes for decades.
“Creating a lasting impression is so important for clubs and resorts who excel at special events,” says Beard. Our most famous shape is our Premium Butter Balls that have graced some of the top fine dining restaurant for decades. For other events, we offer golf ball, fleur-de-lis, rosettes and even shell shapes of premium butters.”
Butterball Farms is offering club and resort decision makers the opportunity to fill their shopping cart with free shaped or flavored butters for review. Or, if you would like to discuss how we can create a custom butter just for your operation, let them know.
*Datassential, 2021