We're thrilled about the new season, with the start of our industry's peak time of year and all the new trends that arise. One of these is increasing emphasis on menus that are beautifull designed in accordance with the season,to more fully satisfy your guests.
When it comes to spring, there are many advantages. We can highlight delicious seasonal products like strawberries, asparagus, cherries, peas, squash, leeks, carrots, and other fresh , natural produce. This season is also associated with joy, an abundance of colors, as well as re-birth and renewal, as nature blooms once more.
How can you reflect this general mood in your restaurant's food? Here are 5 ideas for offering your guests amazing spring menus. And long live life!
Vary between light and heavy recipes
One great thing about spring is that it allows us to be very versatile when it comes to our recipes, since it's an in-between season when refreshing dishes beckon, and yet there's also still demand for hot, hearty meals. This means that in spring-time, the key for a successful menu is allowing guests to choose between refreshing or lightweight but still elaborate meals, or a more hearty dish, depending on how they feel that day. As we all know, spring means that one day can be sunny, but the next can be cloudy or rainy.
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Varied product types
In keeping with the idea above, the perfect spring menu includes a lot of variety in the types of products and ingredients offered. For the chef and the restaurant's cooks, it's an opportunity to get creative with the menu,since they can combine very different recipes:
- Starters can include very colorful salads, tortillas, or stir fries, recipes that highlight cheese, cold soups, cold pasta, tempura, crepes, seaweed, carpaccios, etc.
- For main dishes, it's also a good strategy to offer fish, like cod or monkfish, paired with citrus fruits like orange, seafood like squid paired with peas, for example, creamy pasta with olives, peppers, and fresh fruit, lasagna-style baked vegetables, veal stew, etc.
- As for the desserts, it's best to offer options that feature in-season fruits like strawberry souffles or mousse and cherry pies, as well as some popular, refreshing sorbets.
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Seasonal beverages
Another thing guests love to see in a spring menu is beverages like fresh fruit juices or smoothies, which serve to:
- Refresh their palates in a more natural and healthy way, and fits right into the organic food trend.
- Add nutritional and health benefits, especially when it comes to beverages with the ideal vitamins needed to boost the immune system and fight colds and allergies, which are common during this change of season.
- Please the eyes and the 5 senses with all the colors, aromas, and flavors that this kind of beverage offer. They might be considered summery drinks, but get ahead of the curve and serve them in spring.
Flowery presentations
A winning spring menu can literally include flowers, by including edible blossoms and colorful products in the dishes. At this time of year, it's a good idea to pay special attention to the aesthetics of your dishes, and to create presentations that leave your guests wide-eyed, sparking joy and good feelings.
In this sense, it's important for these presentations to also be visible through pictures on the physical menu, to catch the client's eye when they make their choice. Make sure to also feature them in posts on social media, your website, and specialized portals like TheFork. Upload colorful photos of your spring menu!
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Spring-inspired names
You can also emphasize your spring recipes by using appealing, juicy names that pop on the menu, using words associated with the season like bright, refreshing, sunny, etc. Creativity can make all the difference here:
- Festival of sweet cheeses and fruits.
- Bright pea and pine nut cream soup.
- Ultra-fresh avocado, alfalfa, and shrimp salad.
- New life smoothie with strawberries, oranges, and ginger.
- Enchanting strawberries-and-cream souffle
- Chocolate and cherry delight.
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