Technomic identifies five U.K. restaurant trends for 2013

Technomic identifies five U.K. restaurant trends for 2013 PR Newswire READING, England, Nov. 27, 2012 READING, England, Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The foodservice scene in the U.K. continues evolving in appealing ways, with some trends mirroring developments also seen in other parts of the world, while others are distinctly British. Looking forward, Technomic has identified five key trends expected to play major roles in the coming year: 1. Customisation encourages experimentation. For customers, the lure of customisation is control. Restaurant-goers increasingly want more command over nearly everything on the menu, from ingredients and portion size to flavour combinations and healthfulness. They also want value and convenience, both of which are satisfied through a flexible menu. Operators who incorporate a service model of customisation into their concepts will propel themselves ahead of their competitors by creating unique, customer-created food and drink. Think made-to-order meals a la Chipotle Mexican Grill or Coca-Cola with its Freestyle beverage machines. Expect to see operators branching out with more creative approaches to build-your-own dishes, offering mix-and-match combo meals, and even making customisation a cornerstone of their concept. 2. Ingredients from two extremes. The U.K.