As National Biscuit Month approaches in September, General Mills Foodservice declares it’s the biscuit’s time to shine and is launching a program to help restaurants maximize the popularity of the flaky, buttery rolls of goodness. According to NPD Group/Crest, restaurant servings of biscuits grew across all applications and dayparts in 2016, up 9 percent to more than 2.7 billion biscuits. Interest in biscuits is expected to continue, due to consumers’ undying love for the American classic and the number of restaurants finding new and creative ways to showcase biscuits on their menus.
To help restaurants spread the biscuit love all month long, General Mills has created a Biscuit Month Kit with weekly menu ideas and marketing materials to charm customers and excite staff: server buttons, door clings, kids’ placemats, table tents as well as social media promotion ideas and biscuit trivia. There is also a map showing the most popular biscuits by state.
“Biscuits have always been the ultimate comfort food, but now we are seeing them go from supporting cast member to center stage on restaurant menus,” says Chef Ted Osorio, who serves as the lead chef for commercial foodservice operations at General Mills Foodservice. “With specialty biscuit shops popping up and more restaurants adding them to menus, biscuits are having ‘their moment’ as restaurants discover how versatile they are for creating endless menu options, from sandwich carriers to center-of-the-plate and across all day parts.”
For instance, Chef Ted says restaurants can experiment and turn the humble biscuit into something extraordinary by playing with unique ingredients and flavor combinations such as Sweet Potato Biscuits, Fig Gorgonzola Biscuits or Chipotle Cheddar Corn Biscuits. He also uses biscuits as the base for signature dishes such as a Southwestern Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich or Crispy Fried Chicken on Biscuit Pistolette. Chef Ted is also known for a number of tempting desserts featuring biscuits, from Biscuit Bread Pudding to Biscuit Pull-Apart Bread and Biscuit Berry Shortcakes.
For more information on biscuits, including biscuit mixes and products, recipes and a free downloadable kit with marketing ideas and materials to promote National Biscuit Month, restaurants can contact their General Mills Foodservice sales rep or download a customizable digital version at www.generalmillscf.com/biscuitmonth.
