What’s Hot in 2012…Menu Trends

Winner of 17 NASFT sofi™ gold awards, Ciao Bella is no stranger to setting the standard in frozen dessert innovation. Committing to bold, unique, simple yet complex flavor with all natural ingredients is second nature to Executive Chef, Danilo Zecchin, an Italy native and former head chef of the famed Queen restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. Drawing on his vast culinary experience and world travels, Chef Zecchin’s discerning palette continuously places Ciao Bella ahead of the trends.

2012 Menu Trends - Sorbet Shooters

Every year National Restaurant Association releases the hottest trends for the upcoming year. Surveying 1,800 professional chefs, this year’s list showcases trends of 2011 as well as those that emerged later in the year. Below is the top 10 list.

Top 10 menu trends for 2012:
1. Locally sourced meats and seafood
2. Locally grown produce
3. Healthful kids’ meals
4. Hyper-local items
5. Sustainability as a culinary theme
6. Children’s nutrition as a culinary theme
7. Gluten-free/food allergy-conscious items
8. Locally produced wine and beer
9. Sustainable seafood
10. Whole grain items in kids’ meals
Source: QSR Magazine

Leading the pack in this year’s trends, Ciao Bella is a great fit for any menu. All natural ingredients including organic evaporated cane juice, rBST-free dairy and no corn syrups means our gelato and sorbet is a better for you frozen treat for both adults and children.

Are you a parent concerned about artificial food coloring? You need not worry, artificial food coloring such as Red Dye #40, linked to behavioral issues in children, or any other artificial food coloring won’t be found in our ingredient label.

If you are looking for a ‘free-from’ food, look no further – Ciao Bella offers a wide range of gluten-free gelato and sorbet. For the lactose intolerant look to our list of sorbets where dairy-free is never a sacrifice on flavor or texture.

Ciao Bella and Chef Zecchin firmly believe the best ingredients make the best gelato and sorbet. This is why we have a blend of locally and internationally sourced ingredients. Simply put, there are flavor profiles that are unique to where a fruit, nut, herb, etc are grown.

Did you know a blood orange from Sicily, its origin and where Ciao Bella sources this fruit, simply has deeper flavor notes than a blood orange grown somewhere else? It’s true! Our award-winning Blood Orange sorbet is unmatched in the industry. The same can be said for a strawberry or raspberry grown in Oregon, Ciao Bella’s backyard – the taste, color and texture is simply the best. Ciao Bella always looks to source locally while remaining committed to unparalleled flavor profile.

Head over to booth #477 at the Winter Fancy Food Show and learn about these latest menu trends and another emerging trend, Greek frozen yogurt.
If you aren’t visiting the show stay tuned for more information on Adonia, Greek frozen yogurt, by Ciao Bella.

To learn more about Ciao Bella give us a call 800-GELATO3, send us an email or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.