Christmas and competitive socialising go hand in hand, so what better season to cater for creating opportunities for your customers to have memorable experiences with friends and loved ones. The question is how do we drive them to your venue and encourage them to continue their experience with you?
It pays to stay on top of trends and being innovative with how you cater for your business in the festive season. Together, we will explore how to cater for Christmas in your venues using food packaging and festive essentials to bridge the gap and increase repeat visits.
Why food packaging matters in competitive socialising
Food and drink play a vital role in the overall customer experience especially in the fast-growing competitive socialising sector. Customers want their food to be convenient, easy to share and good value for money. Pairing the right food packaging with your dishes can enhance the offering and add value.
When thinking about your food and drink packaging, consider how it fits within your venue and the activities you provide. With 46% of people visiting competitive socialising venues for celebrations, creating an experience that feels memorable can be just as important as the activity itself.
What food packaging works best for your venue?
So, what food packaging should you consider for your business? Well, this all depends on the experience you offer and how likely are customers going to eat whilst at your venue. In competitive socialising venues, food needs to fit around the activity, whether customers are bowling, playing games, taking part in an escape room or enjoying another experience.
A classic staple served in most competitive socialising settings is a burger. Pairing a Christmas-themed burger with a Feel Snug Burger Box and Feel Snug Chip Scoop can make the meal easy to serve and enjoy alongside the activity. Each sleeve of feel snug comes in a sleeve of autumnal colours so you can mix and match.
And it doesn’t have to stop at burgers. Pizza is another good option that can work well for a social setting, especially when customers are sharing. A 10” Pizza Tray can provide a practical way to serve pizza in a fast-paced venue. A great quality of this range is it is 100% plastic-free and has a PFAS free coating. Another bonus is these give customers the option to take away their food if wanted, helping reduce food wastage.
Can’t forget the showstoppers with their new Christmas theme. We have recently updated the design on our Christmas Double Wall Hot Cups. What a great opportunity to present your hot chocolate topped with marshmallows, adding that festive touch. Did you know for the first time we have carried over the same festive theme to our Christmas Food Trays. This mean you can carry the same theme across your food offering.
If you’re looking to create more of an autumnal feel for your customers, we have launched our new Feel Snug Double Wall Hot Cups featuring five warm vibrant colours. Also made from sustainably sourced bamboo paper.
Bamboo packaging is increasingly regarded as the new innovative product for future packaging solutions. It offers a balance of renewability, functionality and is designed with the planet in mind. Bamboo is a material that responds well to different structures while keeping lightweight properties.
Christmas Essentials
At Bidfood catering supplies, we have launched Christmas with a bang. Taking the occasion up a notch with the finer details. From Christmas crackers to festive tableware, these simple additions can help carry your Christmas theme across the whole experience.
You could use these accessories as part of your experience, incorporating the crackers as part of a game for your customers to enjoy with family or even Christmas work events. Our newest showstopper cracker is the 12” Deluxe 12 Days of Christmas Cracker, including wooden and metal content mix.
How to keep service moving during busy periods?
Another thing to consider when catering in the Christmas period is service. With customers often looking for food that fits around their experience, it’s important to find the balance between quality and speed. Being able to keep the service efficient can help avoid disrupting the flow of the visit, while still ensuring customers receive quality dishes.
When orders are coming through you want service to run smoothly. Part of having a quick service starts with good preparation. Consider which time-consuming tasks can be completed in advance to ensure things run smoothly and get orders out with good timing.
At Bidfood catering supplies, we offer a range of solutions when preparing your menus. A handy trusted system behind the scenes is the Wrapmaster 4500 Dispenser. Essential to keeping a smooth process in large fast-paced kitchens.
That’s a wrap!
So, what have we learnt? Choosing packaging that works for your venue, dishes and style of service can help create a smoother and more considered customer experience. From practical packaging that makes food easier to enjoy alongside activities, to seasonal touches that bring your Christmas theme to life, the small details can make a difference.
Offering this as part of a Christmas package while keeping your menu aligned with the most up-to-date trends, can help increase engagement, as customers are always on the lookout for trying new food and exploring new experiences.
Customers look at businesses that take their responsibility seriously when it comes to food packaging. We have also explored how packaging and service go hand in hand, and how choosing the right packaging can help you keep on top of orders in the busy festive period. With competitive socialising continuing to grow, there are plenty of ways to bring food and drink and the overall experience together.
Explore our Christmas page for our full range of catering solutions. Contact your Bidfood Catering Supplies Specialist to discuss how we can support you with catering at Christmas time in your business.
