Why smart chefs are serving up breakfast meal solutions

Given its acknowledged importance as the first meal of the day, today’s consumers have been educated that breakfast is not something which should be skipped. Hence the growing demand for breakfast meals which cafes, hotels, restaurants and even some pubs have been quick to capitalise on.

Breakfast is a fast-growing sector for the foodservice market in our urban centres, and the switched-on foodservice operators are looking for menu offerings which will keep customers coming back through their doors.

At the same time, however, they’re facing rising labour costs, tighter than ever margins and the ongoing staff and skills shortage.

Smart chefs are tackling this head-on by turning to readymade ‘meal solutions’ products, many of which are ideal for breakfast. These allow them to cut down prep time and labour without compromising on quality – along with other valuable benefits.

Sunny Queen bacon and hashbrown crustless quiche

One leading supplier of meal solutions for the breakfast market is Sunny Queen Foodservice, whose product range utilises 100 per cent Aussie eggs fresh from its farms. Its first such product, a readymade omelette, was introduced in 2006 and since then the range has continued to expand.

Sunny Queen General Manager Marketing, Innovation and Sustainability Isabelle Dench explains the rationale for the development of the range: “We recognised that foodservice operators are often working against the clock and need to prep very quickly, or may have less workers in the kitchen than is ideal. So we decided to offer a range of solutions that can be kept on hand to use as needed.

“We recognised that foodservice operators are often working against the clock and need to prep very quickly”

“Our meal solutions products have been developed to have very long shelf lives of around 12-15 months, so you can keep stock in the freezer until required. We also recognise that many operators are working with limited back of house space so we package our products in cartons which are easy to fit into smaller freezers.

“They’ve also been designed to be easy to reheat from frozen using whatever equipment you have on hand – such as a microwave, toaster oven or conventional oven.”

Breakfast burgers featuring Sunny Queen fritters

The extensive range includes fully cooked, ready to reheat chopped egg, poached eggs, omelettes in several configurations, frittatas, egg bakes, egg bites, fritters and crustless quiches.  

“We know that the presentation, flavour and texture are just as important as the time and labour saving benefits”

The benefits in time and labour saving speak for themselves. “If you wanted to prepare a corn and zucchini fritter from scratch, by the time you prep all the vegies, crack the eggs, add the seasoning you’ve spent a good ten to 15 minutes – whereas with our product, the prep time is zero because it comes readymade.

“Similarly when you go to cook a from-scratch fritter, cooking time depends on the equipment but it may take a further ten to 15 minutes, whereas our product will reheat in the microwave in 90 seconds,” Isabelle points out.

“Plus there’s no mess and no cleaning up afterwards because everything has been done for you – and  no food waste, which is very important in these cost-conscious times.”

Sunny qUEEN SWEET POTATO AND CARAMELISED ONION FRITtata

Isabelle emphasises that the convenience aspect of the products has been achieved without compromising on quality. “We know that the presentation, flavour and texture are just as important as the time and labour saving benefits.

“Our products use high quality ingredients and the flavour profiles are in line with current consumer expectations. Healthy eating is certainly on trend, with people looking to eat more protein not just in Australia but globally – our products provide this and they’re tasty too.”

“The product needs to be just as good at the end of its shelf life as at the start”

The extended shelf life is achieved without artificial preservatives – “our products are all natural and we utilise advanced technology freezing techniques,” Isabelle explains. “Quality is critical for us – the product needs to be just as good at the end of its shelf life as at the start, so we undertake a lot of testing to ensure we can maintain that quality in both texture and flavour.

“We also have a very stringent quality assurance process to ensure our products are 100 per cent safe – they come fully cooked and there are no health risks associated with reheating.”

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Versatility is a further benefit – while the products are ideal for breakfast, they can also be repurposed for different dayparts such as lunch, dinner or snacking, either by changing the plating or serving as a side. “This helps you maximise your storage space because you can use the one product for three or four different menus,” Isabelle points out.

“Consumers’ tastes are changing all the time – the new generation is looking for different things”

To come up with new products for the range, Sunny Queen undertakes ongoing research, looking at international trends as well as speaking with customers to understand their needs. “The range has evolved based on consumer preferences and customer needs – once we identify a pain point, we then get to work on a solution,” Isabelle says. “Consumers’ tastes are changing all the time – the new generation is looking for different things, so we need to continually adapt because it’s very important to stay on trend.

“When we look at consumers aged between 25-39, they are wanting to eat better, protein is important, they’re also seeking out vegetarian options – hence our range has solutions for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian needs.”

Avocado brunch bowl featuring Hormel Bacon 1

Patented three-step cooking process ensures quality of ready to heat and serve bacon

Another meal solution ideal for the breakfast market comes from Hormel Foods Corporation, whose Bacon 1 Perfectly Cooked Bacon is a fully cooked, naturally hardwood smoked product designed to cut down on prep time while delivering consistency on the plate.

Hormel Foods Foodservice Sales and Marketing Manager for Australia and New Zealand Jason Twist says the product, which comes from the US, utilises a patented three-step cooking process before being snap frozen.

“The bacon rashers start out around 50 to 70cm long and by the end of cooking they’re about 11cm long. You can take them straight out of the pack from the chiller, reheat them on the grill for about 45 seconds or put in the oven for 90 seconds. You don’t even need to flip them as they’re precooked and will heat all the way through. Then you let them rest for a little bit and they’ll become both crispy and moist.

“I always say everyone loves bacon unless they have to cook it themselves or wash up afterwards!”

“Bacon tends to be regarded as difficult to cook consistently - there’s usually a lot of variation due to equipment and staff, or whether it’s lain out flat or overhung during cooking. I always say everyone loves bacon unless they have to cook it themselves or wash up afterwards! Whereas the benefit of this product is it comes on a sheet of oven paper with eight rashers per sleeve, so you just yank that out and it’s ready to reheat.”

The distinctive flavour profile is a further selling point. “It’s hardwood smoked with a little sugar, and much more flavoursome than traditional bacon, which in Australia tends to be quite salty. The consumer will get a really delicious taste and the textures are crispy and moist. Everyone who’s sampled the product at multiple tradeshows over the past 18 months has gone ‘wow, that’s delicious, it’s the best bacon I’ve ever tried’, and when they learn it's been reheated on a little grill for 40 seconds their mouth drops and they go, ‘oh my gosh!’

plated presentation is as important as flavour

“The benefits are obvious in that the work has been done for you, the mess has been eliminated, and even from a storage point of view, if you’re used to buying 100kg of raw bacon each week you’ll only need to store 30kg of our cooked product. For people who understand cost per serve and factor in the total cost of operation, these sorts of products may look premium priced at first glance but they will actually provide a better result and a cost savings as well.”