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Grazing boards are in such demand and have continued to be trending over the last few years. The business model proposed is to have a grazing board business set up in a subway style. Customers would come to the shop and DIY their grazing board to take away. The business would also be set up to offer catering meaning the space would be used for 2 different sources of income. The convenience of this store will allow customers to be able to access catering quality grazing boards without the trouble of pre-ordering in advance.

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The COVID-19 Pandemic hit the hospitality industry hard and continues to affect it. Hospitality venues around Australia are desperately seeking staff. The closure of the Australian borders during the pandemic meant that Australia missed out on an entire wave of skilled migrants. These workers are critical to Australia's hospitality sector and the difficulty of the visa process is not making it any easier for travellers. The hospitality industry relies heavily on travellers for staff, especially during busy holiday periods. The industry as a whole has experienced a shortage in staff due to it not being able to provide a secure income yet demanding stringent work conditions – something that the COVID pandemic cast an unsettling spotlight on. The event business industry can now use this pandemic as a way to learn to adapt quickly. With a recession unfolding as we speak it is important the event businesses learn what works during these tough times by looking into businesses that came out the other end of COVID positively.

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The staffing crisis facing our hospitality industry - One Hour Out

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Words: Della Vreeland Images: Supplied 'We're at a bit of a loss at the moment.' Daniel Greenwood says as he contemplates how his business is expected to move forward in the wake of the COVID pandemic.

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Rise in food prices threaten Gold Coast Businesses 

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The impact of the pandemic on the hospitality industry put many cafes, restaurants and event businesses in debt due to lockdowns and border closures. Now post COVID we are seeing prices of food and goods continue to rise. The inflation is causing chaos for local and small businesses making it extremely difficult to be profitable. Key ingredients for a grazing board such as strawberries have seen prices rise to $13 per punnet. Local Gold Coast businesses who have been in business since 1980 are saying these are the highest prices they have ever seen and the first time in many years they have had to raise their prices so significantly.

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From farm gate to cafe plate, inflation and the rising cost of living are causing chaos for business owners and consumers, with coffee and vegetables the latest produce affected.

Inflation hits business owners, farmers, and customers as prices skyrocket

Berries are now fetching $13 a punnet and wombok $15 each

The Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce says energy and wage increases are not helping

Lettuce prices went through the roof earlier this month to reach $11 a pop, leading some major fast-food outlets to use cabbage as a replacement.

Punnets of some berries are now selling for up to $13.

But farmers and business owners say it is not just lettuce and berries taking a hit, it is everything on the menu and in the shop.

Gold Coast cafe owner Tolua Scott said she was looking at moving one of her three outlets to running on solar just to help her stay afloat.

"There's nothing left to absorb," Ms Scott said.

"We've already been through that over two-and-a-half years and gone into considerable debt to get through it, so we have to pass it on."

From coffee to wombok

Ms Scott said she had been told it was unlikely there would be a price reprieve for several years and her products, including coffee, would be impacted.

"Everything's gone up in price," she said.

"There's just no room to move ... the way we look at it is try to support small businesses because if you don't, we won't be there."

Fruit and vegetable wholesaler Don Meers, of Q Growers Market, said his outlet was not doing much better.

He started his career in the 1980s and said he had never seen such high prices.

"We're going to be in this situation for at least the next six to eight weeks," he said.

Farmers hurting

Mr Meers said items that were not regular staples had risen in price, with six womboks costing wholesalers $90.

"Six months ago we'd pay $2 for cabbage and sell it for $2.99, now it's $11 and we have to shelf it for $10.99 to sell," he said.

"We've lost the seedlings of everything, so our major suppliers haven't got any products.

"And now with fuel and freight costs, you've really got to pay for it. I've never seen it like this."

Mr Meers said while consumers would be feeling the bill shock, farmers were likely the worst hit.

He said he had witnessed customers browsing numerous grocery stores looking at prices before choosing where to shop.

"Customers used to walk in and just pick up off the shelf and not look at a price," he said.

"But now I see people going to Coles, Woolworths and Aldi, the fruit shop, looking at picking with the price more than anything."

Read more on Australia's cost of living:

Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce president Martin Hall said businesses were hurting.

"We've gone through a relatively stable period where confidence picked up a little bit, but the punches keep coming," Mr Halls said.

"Anything that increases that cost of doing business is going to hurt.

"Now you're getting increases to power prices and the federal government is pushing through the minimum wage increase, it's just more and more levels.

Mr Hall said small businesses would reach a point where the costs were going to start impacting the end user.

"We really just need to make sure we get behind our businesses and keep trading with them," he said.

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'There's just no room to move': Cafe boss warns small businesses will disappear without local customer support

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From farm gate to cafe plate, inflation and the rising cost of living are causing chaos for business owners and consumers, with coffee and vegetables the latest produce affected.

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The hospitality industry in which catering falls poses a large risk to our environment. Contributing factors to this are water usage, energy usage, food waste, pollution and garbage waste. In light of the impact, consumers are now putting more pressure on businesses to implement sustainable practices and run green operations. Food wastage is among one of the largest environmental impacts, especially within catering businesses. Wasted food goes to landfill, rots and produces methane- a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon monoxide. Within the Australian hospitality industry, 5% of food is being thrown away into waste. Each individual event business has their impact on the environment  and with these numbers rising this is something that each businesses will have to take into consideration and implement procedures.

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Grazing boards have become a phenomenon in the catering and event space, especially on social media. They are simple and easy to design, are diverse in the types of foods and make for an aesthetic social media post. Grazing boards have taken over social media and are a continuous trend across all social media platforms. The multitude of designs and styles possible when making grazing boards are what continues to perform on social media. Grazing board businesses need to utilise their social media and create aesthetic sharable content to boost business.

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Consumers continue in 2022 to become more conscious of what they are eating and what is on their plates. Current food trends such as farm fresh, vegetable-focused and seeded foods are examples of current trends in 2022 that hospitality businesses need to be keeping an eye out for. On the top of the trends over the last few years is climate-conscious food. Consumers want to understand where their food is from and the process in which it took to get it on their plate. The availability of ingredients farmed responsibly with lower impact growing methods will expand the movement in important ways.

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Drive in-store sales through social media

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Drive in-store sales through social media

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The evolving digital world has given businesses endless growth opportunities. Digital is no longer a threat to in-store purchasing and can boost in-store foot traffic. Utilising digital platforms assists in reaching a wider demographic. Utilising the right online platforms will attract customers, get customer feedback and build customer loyalty. There is an opportunity for a grazing platter business to utilise these platforms in a way that will drive customers to their business, increase revenue and increase overall awareness. This means that vendors in the event industry need to be focusing more on online presence, advertising and overall usage to boost the awareness of their business.

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Use Digital Platforms to Drive In-Store Traffic, and Vice Versa

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Online and offline environments are no longer competitors for the same retail customers

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Charcuterie boards are becoming increasingly popular and are part of a growing trend that has spawned some new business opportunities and ushered in a new era for some long-established cheese retailers. With the utilisation of social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, they are becoming one of the main ways for customers to order and become aware of the grazing board businesses. The charcuterie industry is worth $378M and has seen a compound annual growth rate of 6.5%. The grazing board business is a growing market that has minimal hurdles to enter making it an attractive business venture with the opportunity for growth and revenue. For the event business industry this form of catering is cleaner, more diverse, more convenient and easier to transport. Events may be seen to opt for this type of catering as it can cater to dietary needs, food preferences and is quicker on time to prepare.

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PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. - Charcuterie is a word that a few years ago most people had never even heard of.

But, over the last few years, that has quickly changed.

Scroll through Instagram or Pinterest over the holiday season and you will be inundated with pictures of meat and cheese boards, each one looking fancier than the next.

It is part of a growing trend that has spawned some new business opportunities and ushered in a new era for some long-established cheese retailers.

On any given day, Emily Jacobs can be found working in a small commercial kitchen in Pleasant Prairie, Wis. arranging cheddar cheese and vegetables into creative designs. Jacobs owns Fancy Snacks Charcuterie, a business she started a year ago dedicated to creating cheese and meat boards. Jacobs said she has managed to take advantage of the increased demand for charcuterie.

"Over the past six to nine months, I would say it has just exploded to where I am looking at hiring people because I can't keep up with how many orders are coming in on a daily basis, " said Jacobs.

Jacobs produces about 40 to 50 cheese boards on a busy week. She added that social media is a major factor behind the increase in popularity.

"About 90% of my orders come from Facebook and Instagram, so there is a whole charcuterie community on Facebook," said Jacobs.

For existing businesses, charcuterie has played an important role as well. It is true at the iconic Mars Cheese Castle off I-94 in Kenosha County. General Manager Michael Ventura said over the past year he has noticed a significant increase in the number of people requesting highly-specific products after seeing them on social media.

"Whether its Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, customers will come in, show us a picture on their phone, and say here is what I am looking for," added Ventura.

Ventura said he hopes the charcuterie trend is here to stay, as it has proven good for business especially during the holiday season. ​

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Charcuterie board trend breeds new business opportunities

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PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. - Charcuterie is a word that a few years ago most people had never even heard of. But, over the last few years, that has quickly changed. Scroll through Instagram or Pinterest over the holiday season and you will be inundated with pictures of meat and cheese boards, each one looking fancier than the next.

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These boards can be catered to anyone and any type of cuisine can be made into a grazing board. It's complete freedom for your guests and allows them to enjoy the evening the way they want vs feeling dictated to. This business model will impact the event business industry as events will be able to access all cuisines of food from one spot in an easy to transport and convenient way.

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Sustainability is a hospitality trend that is both current and a hallmark of recent years. For the catering business, this means avoiding plastics, eliminating unnecessary paper consumption, and waste control making more ethical decisions within the business as a whole. 66% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable goods and today nearly 90% of Gen X consumers said that they would be willing to spend an extra 10% or more for sustainable products, compared to just over 34% two years ago. The pressure from consumers to increase their 'green' practices will see the event business industry putting more money towards sustainability and using eco products. It will be important for businesses to do so and not get left behind. With eco-friendly products comes a higher price point which will need to be taken into consideration.

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Where is hospitality heading in 2023? Top 10 Hospitality Industry Trends that are reshaping this fast evolving industry.

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Charcuterie boards are traditionally a french cuisine of cured meats and fine cheeses but as the popularity grows so do the opportunities for new ideas and trends. From creating boards specific to one cuisine such as 'melted cheese boards consisting of cheese in fondue pots' to a ' DIY chopped salad' board, the ideas are endless. The parallel interest in charcuterie and globally inspired cuisines can also be reflected in ideas for charcuterie. Charcuterie boards may be known for different types of rich and indulgent foodstuffs, but there’s a growing number of options for health-minded consumers and those who adhere to plant-based diets. This gives grazing board businesses the opportunity to experiment  with the cuisines they are offering and tailor them to their customers preferences instead of sticking to the traditional french cuisine.

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Lest anyone think that charcuterie has reached a pinnacle as a trend, it seems that consumers, retailers and CPGs are just scratching the surface of the serving board.

For instance, just a few months ago, Batavia, Ill.-based Aldi revealed that it had assembled a Charcuterie Board of Directors, comprising various food experts.

"As the weather warms up, we know people are eager to kick off spring and summer entertaining," says Kim Brazington, "Cheese Queen" on the board and Aldi's buying director for cheese. "Charcuterie boards are the perfect way to impress, with delicious and affordable board options that you can customize in a variety of ways."

Food industry expert Sharon Olson, executive director of Chicago-based Culinary Visions, which regularly surveys consumers and opinion leaders on food industry trends, agrees that charcuterie reflects broader ways of eating and entertaining. "These boards have definitely not peaked," she says. "If anything, they are gaining momentum as shareable gourmet snacking experiences. Shared food experiences feed the need for connection that American consumers crave today."

Because of the inherent variety on a platter or board filled with foodstuffs, charcuterie is a popular dish for entertaining, especially as the spring and summer entertaining season approaches. According to Lauren Edmonson, category manager, perishables, at Dom's Kitchen & Market, in Chicago, there's a little something for everyone when it comes to these kinds of arrangements. "Our charcuterie category continues to grow even as people become more health-focused," notes Edmonson. "Charcuterie is an indulgent treat, great for entertaining, and we're excited for people to celebrate again."

Putting It All Together

Traditional and technically, charcuterie refers to the art of arranging cured or specialty meat products and serving them on a platter or board. It owes its name to the French culinary style that focuses on preserved meats.

At Dom's, Edmonson says that classic charcuterie components remain popular. "A hallmark of our charcuterie program is our freshly sliced meats," she adds. "Our signature prosciutto, Levoni's Prosciutto di Parma DOP 24 Months, is sliced ever so thinly, in-house, by our team on a Berkel Volano Flywheel slicer." The team also freshly slices charcuterie from Molinari, a famous San Francisco deli.

Over the past few years, the notion of charcuterie has broadened from basic meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts and chocolate to include various specialty foods that are skillfully assembled and served. Today's charcuterie boards are piled with everything from chocolate-covered blueberries to marshmallows to plant-based cheeses.

As part of its "2022 Food Trends Report," The Kroger Co. highlights the ever-evolving possibilities of charcuterie. "Boards have branched out beyond appetizers to offer consumers a variety of small portions to make the most out of every meal," the company's food experts assert. "As 'boardies' start or end their day, breakfast and dessert boards open a world of flavors without the commitment to a single dish."

Aldi's Charcuterie Board of Directors recently had some fun with this topic, projecting ideas for boards that might catch on with shoppers in 2022. Those concepts include boards made of French fry forms like tots, waffle fries and veggies fries; melted cheese boards consisting of cheese in fondue pots or mini-grilled cheese sandwiches; pickle-focused platters spotlighting pickled vegetables and fruits; and charcuterie for kids, with platters teeming with fruits and vegetables in fun shapes and patterns, among other items.

According to Brazington, there's room for traditional, inventive and seasonal experimentation with board components. "We also expect to see salad boards taken to the next level as the perfect pairing for grilling out," she predicts. "Think charred lettuce cups surrounded with toppings, including items like our Emporium Selection Honey Goat Cheese log or fresh marinated mozzarella for a DIY chopped salad."

The parallel interest in charcuterie and globally inspired cuisines can also be reflected in ideas for charcuterie. "Although travel is opening up, boards with international flavor themes can offer a world of taste experience at home," says Olson.

Charcuterie boards may be known for different types of rich and indulgent foodstuffs, but there's a growing number of options for health-minded consumers and those who adhere to plant-based diets. Grocers can suggest focusing on nutrient-packed vegetables, fruits and nuts, and let customers know that they can incorporate plant-based cheeses or meat alternatives like vegan salami.

Meanwhile, although many people continue to buy foods for at-home use, not all consumers want to do the heavy lifting. In recent years, convenience-oriented charcuterie products have emerged, such as the fully arranged Charcuterie Tasting Board from the Columbus Craft Meats brand of Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods, and a new line of Enjoy AperiTime trays from Logan Township, N.J.-based Veroni. In late 2021, Hayward, Calif.-based Columbus launched three new collections for the holidays and in February, the brand rolled out a new integrated marketing campaign, Like This, showing consumers how to create boards and bites.

Curating Choices for Shoppers

Even as brands like Columbus and Veroni offer charcuterie-ready products and ingredients, grocers can position themselves as charcuterie resources, both from offering and educational standpoints.

Olson offers some suggestions. "Supermarkets can get ideas from creative customers who are posting pictures of their own creations," she observes. "These ideas can inspire in-store merchandising of items that work together and have widespread appeal."

She also emphasizes the important role that in-store culinary staff can play in enticing shoppers to load up on charcuterie goods and have fun arranging them. "Supermarket chefs are a great resource to offer patrons," she remarks. "For example, a chef-curated box of ingredients and a video tutorial can inspire sales. Boards are a great subject for no-cook cooking classes for busy food-savvy customers."

Given the variety of today's charcuterie platters, grocers can promote and merchandise charcuterie across different departments. "It is also an opportunity to think beyond savory components and explore dessert boards with bite-size indulgences from the bakery, and fresh seasonal produce," Olson points out.

Across the grocery landscape, food retailers are positioning themselves as charcuterie pros. For example, as part of its new store slated to open this fall in Oconomowoc Wis., Milwaukee-based Sendik's Food Markets is bringing in certified cheese professionals to help shoppers create custom charcuterie boards. When The Giant Co. revamped its store in Camp Hill, Pa., a couple of years ago, the Carlisle, Pa.-based retailer added a charcuterie station.

At Aldi, Brazington says that charcuterie applications are often a two-way street. "As always, we love when our fans share their creations and can't wait to see what inspiration they provide in our Aldi Insiders Facebook Group," she notes.

Digital platforms can also be designed to help shoppers figure out how to build the board they want. For example, Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer brings online shoppers to a page to help them "create a charcuterie for sophisticated snacking." There, customers can pick from such items as grapes, cheeses, meats, crackers and breads, nuts, produce, and more.

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Getting On Board With Charcuterie Trends

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Lest anyone think that charcuterie has reached a pinnacle as a trend, it seems that consumers, retailers and CPGs are just scratching the surface of the serving board. For instance, just a few months ago, Batavia, Ill.-based Aldi revealed that it had assembled a Charcuterie Board of Directors, comprising various food experts.

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Places such as Burleigh Hill and all along the coast are extremely popular locations for having a picnic. Picnic goers often buy ingredients to make their grazing board or buy takeaway. Having the access to a grazing board shop that is convenient, delicious and instagrammable would be extremely popular amongst this crowd. Picnics/social gatherings in a public space are a popular low budget event. Currently there are many small independently owned grazign board businesses that are based online, but nothing that is walk in and essentially 'take away'. A grazing platter bar/catering businesses would be a huge change to the event business space.

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