As the seasons change, so should your menu, as a way to reflect the trends and to get your guests to try something new this spring. How do you decide what to add to your menu? There are some tricks to sticking with seasonal themes that will get your guests ordering and may even allow you to lower your costs.

Go in-season

When we live in a cold climate, seasonality is crucial to menu-making. Guests love to see ingredients that they cannot get year-round, and it creates a sense of urgency around trying items from your menu before ingredients go out of season. In fact, 79 per cent of consumers are interested in limited-time offers featuring seasonal ingredients, so think about this target market when you’re creating your menu.

As we get into late spring and summer, try incorporating ingredients like fiddleheads, radishes, spinach, peas, beans, strawberries, and rhubarb as they become freshest locally.

Add a splash of colour

After a dreary winter, it’s a welcome change to see freshness and colour reflected on the menu. Ingredients like prickly pear, açai, dragon fruit, and cotton candy are making their way spring onto menus as vibrant, creative additions. Think about using these ingredients in salads, drinks, and desserts to add a pop of colour to your menu this season.

Focus on florals

When spring is in the air, consumers think flowers and flavours! According to the spring trend report from Datassential, this season’s top picks are hibiscus, cherry blossom, rose, lavender, orange blossom, and elderflower. Look for ways to incorporate these in drinks or desserts for something fresh and seasonal.

Spotlight spring

Ever thought that just the word ‘spring’ might excite customers to order dishes off your menu? Many customers enjoy dishes with the season right in the name, like spring water (70 per cent), spring rolls (63 per cent), and spring salad mix (50 per cent). It’s nice to remind guests that your menu is current by featuring dishes that highlight the season.

Creating a seasonal menu offers your guests the chance to try something new, the opportunity to get creative with fresh ingredients, and a way to mix things up for your restaurant.