As household budgets tighten and consumer habits evolve, one major trend has emerged across the food industry: more people are choosing to dine at home.
Whether it’s the rising cost of restaurants, the ease of online cooking content, or a new appreciation for home comforts, the shift away from eating out is real – and it’s growing. Butchers are uniquely positioned to benefit from this trend, not just by supplying ingredients, but by offering complete food solutions that rival a night out.
At IFI, weโre supporting this shift with a new series of Tapas-style recipes, designed to help you give your customers easy, affordable and exciting ways to dine in.
Dining at Home Is the New Going Out
Over the past few years, economic challenges have encouraged consumers to re-think how and where they spend their money. Dining out is one of the first luxuries to go. However, this doesnโt mean customers want to sacrifice the quality, variety or enjoyment of a great meal.
Instead, theyโre seeking ways to recreate that experience at home – often for a fraction of the cost.
Why Butchers Should Lean Into This Shift
This is a golden opportunity for butchers to move beyond raw cuts and become meal-time heroes. By offering added-value products and inspiration, you position your business as more than just a place to buy meat – you become a trusted partner in your customerโs kitchen.
Hereโs how:
1. Sell the Experience, Not Just the Ingredient
Rather than just offering meat, offer meals. Think:
- Tapas-style small plates for a night in with friends
- Ready-to-cook marinated skewers, meatballs, or slow-cooked joints
- Meal bundles that include sides, sauces or spice rubs
People donโt just want to cook – they want to entertain, share, and enjoy. Tap into that mindset.
2. Make Home Dining Easy and Affordable
Help your customers understand the savings. A restaurant-style tapas meal might cost ยฃ25โยฃ30 per person, but with your curated products and recipes, they could feed four for under ยฃ20.
Clear signage or marketing messages that compare cost-per-head vs. eating out can have a huge impact.
3. Offer Tapas-Style Meal Kits
This is where we come in.Weโve developed a brand-new range of Tapas-inspired recipes tailored for butcher shops – think flavourful meat-based dishes like:
- Caribbean Jerk Pork & Pineapple
- Bombay Potatoes
- Southwest, Sundried Feta Chicken
- Harissa Lamb & Halloumi
Each recipe is simple, packed with flavour, and designed for quick, sociable cooking at home.
Best of all, weโve created downloadable recipe sheets that you can offer your customers, either in-store or online.
4. Educate and Inspire
Use your counter space, social media, or email list to promote:
- โTapas Night at Homeโ ideas
- Weekend sharing menus
- Quick โhow-toโ guides for pan-frying, grilling, or oven-roasting the dishes
The more confidence customers have, the more adventurous – and loyal – they become.
5. Create a Memorable โDine At Homeโ Brand
You donโt have to compete with supermarkets on price. Instead, compete on quality, experience and service. With these Tapas-style recipes and meal solutions, you can offer something totally unique:
- โTapas Night Inโ packs
- โButcherโs Tapas Clubโ recipe cards
- Loyalty stamps for every 5 dishes tried
These touches elevate your brand and help customers see your shop as a food destination, not just a supply stop.
Add Restaurant-Quality with Sous Vide Options
For butchers looking to take ready-to-eat meals to the next level, Sous Vide is a game-changer. This slow, precision-cooking method locks in moisture and flavour, delivering perfectly tender results every time – with zero guesswork for the customer.
Whether it’s pork belly, brisket or chicken, sous vide makes it easy to provide restaurant-quality dishes that are simply reheated at home.
We offer a full range of Sous Vide products designed specifically for butchers, including rubs, binders and sauces – ideal for creating delicious, high-margin offerings.
Tap Into the โFakeawayโ Movement
Another booming trend is the Fakeaway โ giving customers the thrill of takeaway-style meals without the cost or calories. With the right products and recipe support, butchers can create mouth-watering alternatives to popular dishes like Katsu Curry, Sweet Chilli Chicken or Madras Beef Curry.
Our AVO Maritop Stir-Fry Sauces make it effortless to assemble complete fakeaway meals your customers can cook at home in minutes. Paired with your fresh cuts, they offer the flavour and satisfaction of a Friday night takeaway โ at a fraction of the price.
Ready to Help You Deliver
To help you get started, weโre offering free downloadable Tapas-style recipes to inspire you.The rise of home dining isnโt a short-term trend – itโs a cultural shift. Customers want restaurant-style quality without the restaurant price, and butchers are perfectly placed to deliver that. With a few simple tweaks to your offering – and some fresh inspiration from our new Tapas range – you can turn this trend into a powerful new revenue stream.
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