Beef and pork are traditional fixtures on restaurant menus and represent classic favorites on the center of the plate. But now that rising meat costs are beginning to impact restaurant prices, it's more essential for operators to learn consumers' current attitudes and preferences towards beef and pork dishes—trends that can be addressed via menu development and innovative preparations.

"Rising prices for beef—and to a lesser degree, pork—will have direct implications for operators and suppliers through 2013," says Darren Tristano, vice president of Technomic. "It's vital for suppliers and operators to work together in keeping meat products cost-effective. Opportunities are emerging to explore different cuts of meat and develop innovative applications that cross-utilize beef and pork across the menu."

To help foodservice executives understand the latest consumer behaviors, preferences and attitudes regarding beef and pork dining choices, Technomic has updated its Center of the Plate: Beef & Pork Consumer Trend Report. Interesting findings include:

Consumers' say that, on average, four out of every five meals they eat contain some type of meat, such as beef or pork; a greater proportion of older than younger consumers' meals contain meat.

Consumers say that when presented with a choice of protein for a menu offering, they order the item with beef or steak about one out of three times (33 percent). For nearly as many occasions (29 percent), consumers order these items with chicken; about a tenth of the time they order menu items with fish or other seafood (12 percent) or pork (9 percent).

Roughly three out of five consumers say they enjoy pork served with sweet/honey (65 percent), hickory (64 percent) and smoky (58 percent) barbecue sauces, glazes and marinades. Additionally, consumer preferences for sweet, tangy and chipotle-flavored barbecue sauces are on the rise.

Technomic's Center of the Plate: Beef & Pork Consumer Trend Report provides comprehensive research on the latest menu and consumer trends surrounding beef and pork organized into three major sections:

Menu Insights – Technomic's exclusive MenuMonitor data is used to provide year-over-year analysis of menu items, leading flavors and top preparations for beef and pork on LSR and FSR menus.

Consumer Insights – an examination of consumption, attitudes and purchasing decisions for beef and pork based on findings from an exclusive survey of 1,500 consumers.

Profiles – appendices feature detailed concept and menu profiles for 20 steakhouse and barbecue restaurant brands.

Source: Technomic