2020 Pizza Insights to Help Build Your 2021 Strategy

Sponsored content from Ardent Mills.

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Consumers tout crust/quality dough as the most important component 

We know 2020 was a tumultuous year for foodservice, but one thing that remained constant, and even increased, was pizza consumption. According to Technomic, consumers ordering pizza at least once a month or more grew 14% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Furthermore, 52% of consumers indicated pizza was their most-preferred menu item, in part because of its convenience, comfort, familiarity and customizability. Simply put, people love pizza.

And when thinking of what entices people to order pizza from specific restaurants, considerations such as toppings, cheeses and how fast it will get delivered come to mind. But increasingly, pizza crust is what people are most interested in. In fact, Technomic’s 2020 Canadian Pizza Consumer Trend Report found that 57% of consumers say crust/quality dough is the most important component. 

“Pizza consumption is on the rise and there are a number of factors pushing this. We’re at home more; we’re returning to simple, familiar and comforting foods in times of turbulence; and there’s a rising need for purely joyful experiences,” says Matthew Schueller, director of Marketing Insights at Ardent Mills. “A few trends we’re seeing become even more prevalent in 2021 are the demand for authenticity and healthy/alternative pizzas — crusts play an important role here.”

Crust obsessed

For operators, offering a quality crust ensures the rest of the pizza can shine — after all, if a crust is flavourless, flimsy or otherwise sub-par, what’s on top doesn’t really matter.

Pizza crusts offer operators the opportunity to convey authenticity as well as offer flavour innovation and health benefits. And with trends such as those leading the charge in pizza sales, operators are wise to explore the various options out there for making crust.

New flour choices, as well as heirloom and ancient grains, open up a new world for pizza-dough innovation. They can help bring new textures to crusts and can also help meet the growing demand for healthier crusts such as vegan and whole grain. Another avenue to explore is crust add-ins such as quinoa, spelt and chickpea flour — they can help bring more nutrition, texture and new flavours to pizza recipes. 

Traditional flours, ingredients and crusts are also a great way satisfy authenticity trends. And, since consumers are still big fans of traditional pizzas — they will always be a staple.  

Innovate around on-trend lifestyle diets

Consumers are increasingly searching for healthy eating options tied to their personal nutritional values. Because of this, trends such as specialty diets and plant-forward are coming to the forefront in pizzas — even among consumers who don’t abstain from eating meat or animal products. An easy way to meet this trend in pizza is through keto-friendly options. Another trend that continues to make waves is gluten-free. According to Datassential, gluten-free pizza is the fastest growing pizza in menu mentions, up 63% over the last four years. 

To that end, operators can consider innovating with plant-forward and protein-rich gluten-free grains, as well as flours and flour blends based on alternative grains or legumes, such as quinoa and chickpeas. Chickpea flour from Ardent Mills, for instance, is a nutrient-dense, high-protein and versatile alternative flour option that holds up extremely well for many applications, including pizza.

Incorporate clean-label and health-halo callouts

Beyond plant-based and gluten-free choices, consumers are also interested in ordering and eating pizza made with quality ingredients. Technomic’s Pizza Report noted that 46% of consumers say they’d like more restaurants to offer pizzas made with natural ingredients, and 30% say they want restaurants to offer pizzas made with organic ingredients. 

Operators don’t need to worry about different suppliers for their clean-label or organic pizza-crust needs — Ardent Mills offers a selection of organic grains and flours, including organic all-purpose flour, organic whole wheat flour and more. For great pizza crusts, Ardent Mills’ Simply Milled® Organic Strong Bakers Flour is a perfect choice. 

Moreover, Ardent Mills’ team of R&D and technical experts understand the right flour, or flour combinations, for optimal dough performance necessary for most crust styles. To learn more about Ardent Mills’ available flour options for creating an array of pizza crust options, click here

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