Nose to tail development
Why do British consumers opt for the bland and the boring when it comes to pre-packed meat cuts? We really are an unadventurous lot when it comes to exploring the whole beast.
Fergus Henderson, the acclaimed head chef and proprietor of St John in London and author of his recent published sequel to Nose to Tail, Beyond Nose to Tail, refers to such "unhealthy passions" as opting for the "pink meat in plastic"
And Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall concurs in his Meat Manifesto that people miss out so much on the varieties in tastes and textures as a result of their limited selections.
Take fresh chicken - the vast majority of all fresh pre-portioned chicken purchased in UK retail is intensively reared breast meat and it's the number one choice for ready meals. Any good chef knows the most flavoursome poultry cuts are the darker thighs and legs, but consumers strangely turn their noses up at this. I know it's what consumers are demanding, but what is the psychology behind it all? In India it is customary to cook the whole bird in the sauce to develop the flavour of a poultry dish.
Henderson has revolutionised traditional British cooking by opening up lesser known cuts of meat to a wider audience such as ox cheek, roast bone marrow and chitterlings. This may be the extreme, but there is no reason why slowly we cannot educate consumers to appreciate other cuts while, at the same time, combining convenience, healthy eating etc. We just need to ensure that the recipes are appropriate and exceed consumer expectations.
Pork belly, one of the cheapest cuts of pork, has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in trendy bistros over the past year or so, which proves that consumer perception can be changed. No one would have given it a chance a few years back, but the current trend for slow cooking means this trend fully complements the use of cheaper meat cuts.
Angela Mitton is creative product developer at NPD consultancy Beetroot & Orange http://www.beetrootandorange.com
