In most cultures, the seasons dictated the rhythm and speed of life. In the past, the circadian rhythm, work and kitchen were adapted to them. Today, most ingredients can be found in the supermarket all year round. Meanwhile, adjusting our diet to the seasons can positively affect our feelings of being rooted in culture and time. In restaurants, the seasonal menu can help with this.
The seasonal menu is usually updated 4 times a year and based on ingredients typical for a season. This allows the products to be the freshest and most visually attractive. Not only the products are important, but also the types of food processing typical for a given season – for example, pickling for the winter.
Keeps the clients interested
Your new menu will only be in the restaurant for 3 months. This will give guests less time to waste if they want to taste again the dish they liked the last time they visited the restaurant. What’s more, they will probably visit you again in the new season, curious about the new menu. During the heat, they will look for fresh fruit and light salads, and in the winter, aromatic soups and stews. It is therefore worth offering them a menu adapted to the season.
The seasonal menu also creates new opportunities for restaurant marketing. It won’t surprise anyone how important it is for a restaurant to exist on social media these days. You can read more about it here. Every new dish can turn into new Instagram photos, foodies’ posts and comments about the restaurant. Adapting dishes to the seasons will also help them stick to current trends and hashtags.
Keeps the chefs creative
It’s also a great way to fight chefs’ burnout. Coming up with a new seasonal menu can be incredibly rewarding for a chef and their team. The service may also become enthusiastic about presenting new dishes to the guests. It creates an opportunity to experiment with a new way of serving familiar ingredients. Each new dish tests chefs’ skills. You can also look at other restaurants’ menus and other chefs’ work. You’ll get inspired and learn something new.
Better for the environment
Instead of importing rare and expensive ingredients, restaurants serving seasonal menus focus on local products. It not only works in harmony with the natural rhythm of the earth but also supports local farmers. Building good relationships with suppliers pays off. If we know that the soil and fertilizer are of good quality, we are more confident that the ingredients will have a fuller, more intense flavor.
It is also financially profitable – instead of investing in an expensive ingredient imported from the other side of the world, you can bet on an ingredient local and popular, but of the best quality. And since there is a lot of this product in your market in a given season, the price will be lower. Food bought in your area will also be fresher. This means less risk of throwing away what has lost its freshness during transport. In addition, less transport means less pollution.
It’s worth it!
Preparing a new menu four times a year can seem like hard work. After all, it takes asking local shop owners what is popular and of good quality, perhaps even finding new suppliers every season and creating a new list of dishes. However, we assure you that this effort will pay off. People are used to circularity and at the same time they love novelties. The seasonal menu meets both of these needs. In addition, not every dish necessarily has to be typically seasonal – the general nature of the entire menu is enough. So it is definitely worth giving a chance!
https://www.mryum.com/blog/seasonal-menus-restaurants
https://www.menubly.com/blog/seasonal-menu/
https://www.gourmetkitcheninc.com/why-its-important-to-have-a-seasonal-menu/
