The restaurant industry is a market very much driven by trends and customer demand. As the number of people ordering their food for takeout is on the rise, so are concerns about sustainability and the impact of takeout packaging on the environment. As South Africa’s largest Catering Supplies Company, we have risen to the challenge by offering premium eco-friendly solutions.

The inevitable truth is that with thousands of tonnes of plastic filling the world’s oceans, the need for eco-friendly, sustainable packaging is significant. Restaurants prepared to go the extra mile will not only stand out from their competitors. A whole new segment of customers is ready to rally behind those businesses that show they’re devoted to making a change.

We offer packaging that is …

What Materials Make Eco Packaging?

Eco packaging is largely eco because of the materials that are used to make it. As our material life cycles below show, most of our materials are renewable so they don’t ever have to run out. They typically start life as a plant and can end their lives as compost feeding and enabling new plants to grow. The main Eco Friendly materials are…

Sugar Bagasse

Sugar bagasse is a fibrous biodegradable material which comes from the reeds of sugar canes. Bagasse makes an excellent substitute for polystyrene foam which is often used to make conventional fast food takeaway packaging and takes many years to break down. 

PLA

PLA stands for “Polylactic Acid” and is a biodegradable plastic derived from corn starch. This material makes a fantastic alternative to conventional plastics which can take many hundreds of years to break down. Because PLA bioplastic is made from plants which are a renewable resource, by using this bioplastic we are reducing our dependence on finite resources such as petroleum oil. 

3 FAST TIPS TO REDUCE WAIST

As well as using our Biodegradable products try these tips to reduce waist and save costs:

1. Restaurants often include (plastic) utensils, straws and napkins in their deliveries. Customers who are eating their meals at home most definitely don’t need all this. 

2. Stop automatically adding handfuls of tomato sauce, soy sauce or other packets of condiments to your takeout. It’s better to ask the customer whether they even need or want condiments and, if so, use them in bulk.

3. Your take away food has more than likely been ordered through your online menu, which means your customers found you online. There is therefore no need to put a paper menu in your delivery meal. 

Considering how to reduce waste and improve sustainability is a topic close to a significant part of your current and future clientele. It also provides an excellent opportunity to make your restaurant stand out from the crowd and build a long-lasting relationship with your customers. Take a look at the details on each of our Packaging products online listing their material composition or contact us now for more information.

The way we eat, where we eat, and what we eat all might change as a result of the coronavirus. As our industry starts opening up again it’s time to think out the box of effective ways to implement social distancing. Whether that’s requiring temperature checks or adding acrylic screens, restaurants around the world have gotten creative when it comes to abiding by social-distancing rules. 

Take a look at some of their ideas below for inspiration. Get creative with the use of barriers, props and other objects to enforce these new regulations and make your diners’ experience lively and entertaining.

THEATRICAL MANNEQUINS

This restaurant in Washington, Virginia — put mannequins dressed in theatrical clothing at unoccupied tables between those used by patrons. We love the proposal idea…

TEDDY BEARS

Keeping it light hearted, Teddy bears are a fun way to indicate where diners can and can’t sit. Probably one of the best ideas for family friendly restaurants. 

NOW THIS IS ROMANCE !

We don’t know what to say really about this idea, except to say that it is what it is.

VIEW BUBBLES

A great idea for locations with good views. At this restaurant in Istanbul, diners can still enjoy the view of the Golden Horn estuary while they eat their dinner inside of a dome. 

The domes range in size, allowing couples, families, and friends to enjoy dinner without interacting with other guests. 

FRIENDLY FACES

In hopes to create normalcy, waiters at this Belgium restaurant wear face masks with pictures of themselves. A fun way to cheer up long-awaited diners and greet them with a smile. 

A PULLEY ROPE

There are no waiters at this outdoor restaurant in Sweden. Food is brought to the table in a basket via a pulley system from a window in the restaurant.

ROBOTIZE

Bars and restaurants reopened in June in the Netherlands. But at this restaurant, waiters and waitresses weren’t there to greet guests. Robots were.

The robots take each customer’s temperature, and if they don’t have any symptoms, a robot seats them at a table. Once at a table, the guests can place their orders, and another robot will come and serve them their food. 

BE A KING! BUT ON YOUR OWN

In Germany, Burger King recently debuted larger-than-life hats dubbed “social-distancing crowns” to encourage patrons to stay far apart from one another while enjoying Whoppers. Sadly, the crowns are currently only available at select German outposts of the chain, but with some creativity and a lot of cardboard, it’s possible to make your own.

The fast-food chain is also selling something it’s called the “Social Distancing Whopper”: a burger that comes with a lot of extra onions. This pungent creation is currently only available in Italy.

ACYLIC BARRIERS

We’ve all already got used to screens in office and retail environments. Now it’s time for restaurants and bars

GREENHOUSES

A restaurant in Amsterdam has found an innovative solution. It has set small green houses along the Oosterdok river that allow for an intimate meal. Guests are served via a long plank for extra protection.

HUMAN CUT OUTS

In New South Wales, Australia, printed cardboard cutouts fill seats in this restaurant. They even have background music which includes “patron chatter”

ENTERTAIN THEM

After being in a long lockdown don’t forget that your guests are desperate for entertainment. Spice things up and have some fun. In this Tokyo restaurant waitresses have become cheerleaders.

AND THEN THERE’S THIS

Stylish or fun, we look forward to seeing what the South African restaurant industry can come up with. And knowing our clients’, its sure to be fantastic. Good luck!

Engage with your customers even when they are not with you. There has never been a more important time than now to increase your online presence. Restaurants are all about community. Why should that stop when your customers walk out of your doors? Developing a social presence, and being able to correctly utilize it as a marketing channel, carries your community online and allows customers to interact with you even when they aren’t with you.

1. Introduce your staff to your followers

Your staff are a huge asset to your business. Leverage their distinct talents, expertise, personalities, and passions. By sharing posts about your staff, you give your customers a better glimpse into who they are and makes for a post that your employees want to engage with, likely sharing it with their networks. Not only does this boost the reach of your post, but it’s also a great way to provide well-deserved recognition.

For example, share a photo of your pastry chef and their favourite dish of the moment, or announce your staff members’ outside-of-work accomplishments like graduations, marriages, new babies, and more.

2. Post as Often as Possible

The more recent your last post on social media is, the more confidence guests will have that you are open and ready to serve them. Try posting once a day or at least a few times a week to let guests know you are still around.

It can be difficult to come up with content on a regular basis, but the key is not to overthink it too much! A shot of the day’s special, or even a simple video of you just saying hello keeps you connected to your guests.

3. Share information on your ingredients

Consumers are becoming fussier when it comes to eating out – and they want to know that the food they’re eating is not only made from high-quality ingredients but also that it’s safe to eat. You can use social media to become a responsible business and let people know exactly what they’re eating.

This works particularly well for restaurants that use lots of high-quality local ingredients, as you can use this as a selling point and encourage more people to try you out – you could even share images of potatoes being picked from a farm, only to be turned into hand-cut chips and fried. A video of the process would work great!

4. Run a Competition

Instagram is the platform where restaurants see the most engagement, so try running a contest to boost your reach. The Instagram algorithm loves it when people share, comment on, and like your photo and contests give your followers a reason to do just that. An Instagram contest is a low-budget method to get the word out.

5. Photograph your food well

You make delicious food, so start taking photographs to match. You don’t have to be a world-class photographer to take great snaps of your meals. Nowadays, we all have great smartphones in our pockets – just focus on presentation, find a spot with great natural lighting, turn off your flash and take pictures in landscape mode.

6. Recipes, how-to’s, and tutorials

Show off your expertise and show your followers how you make your food. Of course, you don’t want to give away all of your secrets or encourage people not to buy from you, but by sharing some tips, you’ll not only show people you’re an expert at what you do, but you’ll be creating some valuable content that you can share time and time again, and generate likes and followers from.

7. Reviews from satisfied customers

If your food is any good, then you’ll have a boatload of satisfied customers who have left reviews. Share some of these on social media, either by making your own custom graphics, asking your patrons to record a quick video sharing their experiences or by taking photos of thank you cards and recommendations from your loyal customers.

Happy posting ! And remember consistency is key !

In a bid to stay ahead of competitors Barristas are constantly looking for fresh and exciting ways to re-invent coffee. Some of these latest trends are perfect for social media sharing and a perfect way to differentiate your brand and get people talking

Here are our top picks…

COFFEE IN A CONE

Coffee in a cone is exactly what the names says. Serve your coffee, either a Cappuccino or an Espresso in a chocolate coated Ice-Cream cone. The concept was developed by Dayne Levinrad, a marketing executive and Barista at The Grind Company in Johannesburg and it has brought some much needed innovation and excitement into the coffee industry worldwide. 

THE BLUE LATTE

 A healthy alternative to the classic latte, hipsters and indies alike will lap this up.

It’s brewed with ginger, coconut milk, lemon agave and live E3 blue algae powder. This vegan ‘smurf’ is packed full of powerful antioxidants derived from the algae which means that there is no need for the caffeine to perk you up. It’s more than just a pretty face with over 65 vitamins, enzymes and minerals mixed together to make it super healthy. The ones lucky enough to try it describe it as a ‘prominently sweet, gingery taste before the drink succumbed to a funky sourness that lingered long after the last sip.’

VIETNAMESE COFFEE

This brew has taken New York City by storm and is catching on globally.  Whisked egg yolks are mixed with condensed milk and poured over espresso! Don’t be alarmed it sounds a bit strange but is totally delicious. It’s probably sweeter than what you’re used to, making it an ideal dessert alternative.

Brew a small cup of Vietnamese coffee (available from most premium delicatessens). Crack an egg and discard the whites. Put the yolk and sweetened condensed milk into a small, deep bowl and whisk vigorously until you end up with a frothy, fluffy mixture. Add a tablespoon of the brewed coffee and whisk it in. In a clear coffee cup (for aesthetics), pour in your brewed coffee, then add the fluffy egg mixture on top. Serve, drink and enjoy!

COFFEE ART

Then there are some that are taking coffee decoration to entirely new levels. Adding a bit of colour to the milk froth and a whole load of talent, your coffee can become a masterpiece and certainly something that will get your guests talking.

Feel inspired? Great. Get creative, dare to be different and make your customers happy, and let them do your social media marketing for you. Or simply try it for yourself at home and enjoy!

The 2020 edition of the Michelin guide to Great Britain and Ireland was recently released, and with it comes fantastic news for SA: Restaurant Interlude, an eatery headed by Capetonian chef Jean Delport, has been awarded its first Michelin star.

Delport, who previously worked at Benguela on Main, traded Somerset West for West Sussex early last year where he heads up a new fine-dining restaurant at the historic Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens estate.

“I was lucky enough to bring a handful of guys with me from South Africa to do what we wanted to do … to try to do something that’s different,” Delport told media. “Every single course has an element that we’ve either foraged, grown or farmed on the estate.” 

In the Michelin Guide 2020 this paragraph is part of the Interlude entry: 

‘Both the Executive Chef and the Head Chef hail from South Africa, but the two surprise tasting menus keep their focus firmly on the local area, with produce foraged from the garden or sourced from nearby. Skillfully crafted dishes show the balance in their textures and flavours, and take on a creative, original style. They produce their own gin for the aperitifs and offer wines from their Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate in The Cape.   

Delport is now the second South African chef to earn a Michelin star. The first was Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen who was quick to welcome Delport to the “club”.

Many coffee shops are making it their mission to have a unique look that stands out . This café’s interior is designed to look like a 2D cartoon. It’s finishing, furnishing, and even kitchenware, from plates to cups, all have a 2D look, creating an optical illusion that gives visitors the feeling that they’ve entered the world of cartoon characters.  Café Yeonnam-dong in Seoul got famous from this distinctive interior and is now looking to expand into a franchise

Enjoying spectacular mountain views, the Drakensberg Sun Resort has been offering family friendly holidays and corporate conferences for many years. Guests enjoy an array of activities surrounded by some of South Africa’s most loved scenery. Owned and operated by our valued clients: Tsogo Sun Hotels, the resort has created lasting memories for many and we can’t wait to see their rolling lawns and mountain trails filled with happy guests again.

THE PERFECT BASE TO ENJOY ALL THAT THE BERG HAS TO OFFER

For more on this Core Client visit their website

Longing for the sounds and smells of the Bush? Our valued client Shamwari Game Reserve is the perfect place to revel in the splendour of our country’s vast and beuatiful landscape. For many years they have been at the forefront of conservation making them a proudly South African example of the professionalism, endurance and commitment of our Safari and hospitality industry

Situated in the Eastern Cape, an area historically rich in wildlife which was decimated by early hunters and settlers, has over the past two decades been developed into a fully functioning ecosystem. Now an abundance of Big Game traverses the reserve and is a testament to responsible management and long term ecological sustainability.

AT THE FOREFRONT OF CONSERVATION WITH A COMMITTED LONG TERM APPROACH

A PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN EXAMPLE OF THE ENDURANCE OF OUR HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

The word “Shamwari” is Shona for “friend”, and testifies to the warm welcome and hospitable ambience of the reserve.  They are set apart by their world-class service with a liberal dose of extravagance.

For more on the Core Client visit their their website