Almost a third of the caterers surveyed from the leisure, QSR, café and B&I sectors claimed they were using more disposables than three years ago.

“This year Huhtamaki is celebrating its 90th anniversary having been ‘part of everyday life since 1920’, and as one of the main players in the UK packaging and disposables market it remains as important as ever for Huhtamaki to continue to develop foodservice disposables which meet the demands and expectations of operators within the sector.  By commissioning independent research we can be sure that Huhtamaki understands the needs of caterers and their use of foodservice disposables within their day-to-day operations.”  
John Young comments, Foodservice Sales & Marketing Director, Huhtamaki UK Ltd.

The research, which identifies food on-the-move, beverages-to-go, Fairtrade and environmental trends, confirms that the demand for takeaway beverages continues to rise as consumers seek options they can grab-and-go during their daily commute and whilst on their lunch-break.  It also shows that cafés/coffee shops are still seeing a growth in gourmet beverages, whereas more cost-sensitive areas such as B&I have seen sales level-off.

When it comes to their beverage service, of the caterers questioned, most are concerned about the overall appearance of their offering, the quality of the disposable cups used and the quality of the ingredients sourced.  Quality, price and appearance are the most important factors influencing caterers when purchasing disposables, and to satisfy customer expectations to see operators use biodegradable products, over three quarters of the caterers surveyed (76%) inform their customers that they are using such products.

‘Green’ issues are still important too – 63% of the caterers questioned said they serve Fairtrade/ethically-sourced beverages, and the majority of these operators also considered the type of disposable cups used to serve their drinks, particularly if the disposables are recyclable.

The research into disposable usage and requirements within the UK foodservice market further enhances Huhtamaki’s position as one of the world’s innovative packaging companies.

Huhtamaki manufacture an extensive range of innovative foodservice disposables including a range of quality Double Wall paper cups and BioWare, an environmentally-friendly range of single-use disposables which are EN13432 certified.

For more information, visit www.huhtamaki.com