On Wednesday, 21 October, Spur did just that - collaborated with media, parents, kids and the government at a taste testing event at their head office in Cape Town. All attendees were given the opportunity to taste and rate the new menu and give alternative suggestions and comment on the design of the new menu, which is set to launch in December 2016.
Pierre van Tonder, Spur's CEO, explained the motivation for the proposed menu improvements: "We take the responsibility for the wellbeing of the families who eat with us very seriously, from menu ingredients to food preparation to restaurant cleanliness. We have already made several changes in our shift towards an improved healthier menu by offering 'better for you' meal options. We are also decreasing the salt content of the food we serve. I am proud to say that 98% of the products on our menu are hormone and MSG free. It really is important to us that customers know exactly what they, and their kids, are eating and drinking. So, at no additional cost, we give our customers the opportunity to improve their food-and-beverage habits by swapping, for example, chips and potato smileys for 'better for you' options, such as salad or veggies and milk instead of fizzy drinks."
He continued: "You'll also find an online app on our website, which provides the nutritional analysis of our entire menu. It allows customers to customise their own meals, for example, switch chips for salad and understand the nutritional content of the meal items they have chosen in a simple and convenient way. The app also alerts you to certain allergens a meal may contain."
The modern-day diet is heavily criticised as we are consuming more processed and refined foods and beverages, which often have a very high salt, sugar and fat content, respectively. We are also living more passive lifestyles, which comes with medical consequences such as increased chronic diseases like obesity, Type 2 diabetes, some cancers and heart disease; to name a few. More than ever, there is a need to adopt the lifelong habit of eating healthily and being active.
Input from parents on the development of the improved menu is particularly valued. Parents ideally play an important role in monitoring what their children eat, and without their buy-in it will be difficult for restaurants to change the eating and drinking habits of children. By way of example, when Spur implemented a sweetcorn and pea veggie mix with every kids' meal in 2014, 90% of these vegetables were returned - untouched - and had to be discarded. Other previous improved food innovations also failed as kids may not have been encouraged to choose the better menu options.
This time around, Spur wants to hear from the parents - in particular the mums - of the children who will be consuming the new menu items, as to ensure that the new 'better for you' menu options are well received and enjoyed. Van Tonder elaborated: "We've learned an excellent tip from mums, namely to 'hide' veggies within the food! One of our proposed new meal options has a minimum of 15% hidden vegetables. And as an additional step to cater for our younger customers wellbeing, we will no longer be 'upsizing' any meals or beverages.
All Spur's children's meals are well researched and developed in collaboration with independent dieticians and nutritionists who work closely with us, and we also take customer feedback very seriously. Being physically active is also key to good health, and all Spur restaurants have large play areas that are managed by trained play canyon attendants, where we encourage active play."
Van Tonder concluded: "We'd like to invite parents, the media and the government to work with us in developing 'better for you' food and beverage choices for children. The prosperity of any country is dependent upon the wellbeing of its population and the health of our children is a great place to start building a brighter future."
Spur's 'better for you' new kiddies menu will launch in selected Spur Steak Ranches in December 2016.
