Through adopting various innovative approaches, the foodservice and hospitality industries have continue to operate at some capacity through lockdown measures. However, many businesses across these industries will be focussed on ensuring the strongest possible surge in activity when all restrictive measures are lifted – particularly given the recently announced delay to such measures being removed. When the industry returns to unrestricted activity, competition for customers will be fierce and every element of the brand experience will need to resonate and connect with customers. Packaging will be more vital than ever in helping businesses achieve this goal.

BRANDING

Foodservice businesses will be looking to reignite a passion for their brand amongst their once active customer base. Similarly, they will be aiming to grow their overall brand awareness and successfully reach new customers. As such, businesses won’t want to miss an opportunity for their packaging to carry their visual identity. We have worked with businesses across the foodservice industry in creating packaging that allows their brand to shine through. Through working with Caffe Concerto, for example, we incorporated gold foil block printing to create takeaway Instagram-worthy coffee cups that truly stood out on the high street.

SUSTAINABILITY

Customers are more aware of the environmental credentials of the products they purchase than ever before and packaging continues to operate at the forefront of this demand for sustainability. Successful packaging designs need to effectively communicate a strong environmental awareness as well as providing clear guidance on the packaging’s intended ‘end-of-life’ processes. Material specification can also play a vital role in this respect. Material options such as kraft paper provide an aesthetic that immediately communicates an eco-friendly emphasis to consumers. The disposable cutlery bags we supplied to Gourmet Burger Kitchen, for example, carried this aesthetic through the specification of recyclable Kraft paper.

CONTINUING TO GUARANTEE HYGIENE

While consumers will be keen to return to their previous spending habits, many will still want to see the strictest levels of hygiene being adhered to, particularly within the foodservice and hospitality industries. While this could see an evolution in existing packaging designs, it could also see additional packaging items developed to provide additional layers of protection for consumers.

A COHESIVE APPROACH

An additional factor that may help certain foodservice brands stand out from their competitors will be the collective feel of their full packaging range. In such a rapidly moving industry, it’s important to ensure that additional packaging designs don’t feel like after-thoughts in the consumer mindset. Rather, the full breadth of packaging used by each brand and businesses will need to feel harmonious and effortlessly connect to the overall brand aesthetic while making sure that sustainability, hygiene and other packaging considerations are also all adequately taken care of.

For more inspiration on the range of packaging options available, take a look at our collection of case studies, showcasing our work with some of the UK’s biggest foodservice brands as well as projects we have been a part of for the UK’s grocery industry.