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 A recent survey commissioned by Canada Beef of Canadian restaurant menus found that even as Canadian beef continues to dominate in many categories, opportunities exist to better promote it to restaurant patrons. The survey of 100 lunch, main, and takeout menus provided a snapshot of the competitive position of beef in the foodservice sector. One of the key takeaways of the survey is that only a small proportion of restaurant menus referred to the Canadian origin of the beef that they served. The survey found that overall, mentions of beef attributes were low, and husbandry-specific attributes (e.g.grass-fed, organic) were “almost negligible.” Further, independent restaurant menus were less likely to promote attributes than chain restaurants. Canada Beef President Michael Young said the finding is a clear opportunity to strategically promote the benefits of Canadian beef to consumers and communicate the attributes of the Canadian Beef Advantage from gate-to-plate. “Canada Beef is hardwired to be responsive and flexible to evolving industry needs,” he said. “During the pandemic, we adjusted to changes on the retail side, where we saw increased consumption of traditional items such as ground beef and grilling cuts, and the emergence of retail promotion of alternative cuts, provide consumers with new innovative ways to enjoy beef.” Researchers selected menus from restaurant websites between February 16 and March 8, 2021. The menu selection represented different restaurants based on region, type (independent vs. chain) cuisine type, and service style (casual family, fast food, premium casual and fine dining). All menus were from restaurants that serve beef. Beef and chicken vied for dominance in the non-plant-based protein category on dedicated lunch menus and dedicated takeout menus. Beef fared slightly better on chain restaurants’ lunch menus while chicken performed slightly better on the independent restaurants’ lunch menus. Beef, chicken and the “other” animal protein category (lamb, veal, etc.) were dominant in entrées for both chain restaurants and independent restaurants. Beef and fish/seafood were the most expensive main menu entrées, and both were significantly more expensive in independent restaurants than chain restaurants. Conversely, the study noted that beef’s presence was weaker in the appetizer sections of main menus and that appies from any of the four major animal proteins was generally limited. This is another area with potential for Canada Beef. Young cited the many delicious beef-centric appetizers in the recipe section of the Canada Beef website. The research process also provided a candid perspective on the challenges the restaurant sector faced during the pandemic. During the study period, some selected restaurants went out of business, others rewrote their menus or changed pricing, and a few restaurant websites went offline. Researchers also ran into complications around menu pricing and availability, prompting them to suggest repeating the audit once the pandemic has eased. While it is clear that the pandemic plunged the restaurant industry into a crisis, Statistics Canada food consumption data for 2020 showed that while all red meat and poultry consumption went down, beef consumption held its ground with a marginal gain. Per capita beef consumption was up 0.3% at 18 kg retail weight, and total beef consumption was up 1.5%. Retail beef demand was up 5.5% in 2020, the third-highest surge in recent history. Back to main page |
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