Final month, Domino’s Pizza Group introduced its famed Christmas pizza ‘The Festive One’ was returning to menus. The pizza is a far cry from the traditional Margherita: whereas equally topped with cheese and tomato, additionally it is coated in Christmas trimmings. These embody pulled turkey breast marinaded in sage and onion, sausage, smoked bacon and onions, and a cranberry drizzle.
The invention was extraordinarily properly thought out, defined Louise Pilkington, who heads up innovation on the fast-food main. Cooked turkey can simply turn into dry, which dangers turning into even drier in a pizza oven. However the chosen mixture of toppings assures the turkey is the truth is ‘actually moist’. “A variety of element goes into find out how to make every particular person ingredient phenomenal.”
Discovering options to those sorts of issues is an element and parcel of Pilkington’s position at Domino’s, she instructed FoodNavigator. “My job is to develop meals concepts that don’t simply maintain customers coming again, however that additionally entice new prospects.”
Innovating a tried-and-tested favorite
Pizza is among the most-loved meals on the planet, with analysis from meals ordering firm Foodhub suggesting it was the most well-liked takeaway within the UK final 12 months.
For Domino’s, pizza is its bread and butter. Based in 1960, the corporate has since grown right into a fast-food main with 20,000 shops in additional than 90 worldwide markets. The corporate was an early pioneer within the made-to-order pizza supply area, and has launched improvements through the years starting from its ‘heatwave scorching luggage’ for higher supply to unique pizza toppings corresponding to ‘The Cheeseburger’.
So within the kitchen, how does the Domino’s innovation crew go about considering up new ideas and recipes? All of it begins with client analysis. Pilkington stated that each on and off the job, she ‘all the time’ has an eye fixed on future meals developments. “I really like meals and also you couldn’t do that job in case you didn’t love meals.”
The innovation crew partakes in meals safaris to discover what’s ‘up and coming’ throughout the board, from excessive avenue eating places to meals markets.
On the identical time, Pilkington and colleagues are ‘consistently’ speaking to customers, not simply in regards to the consuming events that Domino’s could play a job in, but in addition consuming events during which they don’t. “That may additionally spotlight alternatives,” she defined.
Different current improvements to land on Domino’s menus embody the growth of its loaded fries vary with pizza toppings: Pepperoni Ardour, Cheeseburger, and Double Bacon and Cheese.
Fries is understandably fairly an ‘uncommon’ addition to a pizza menu. The corporate already provided potato-based sides, however client insights prompt fries can be properly obtained. “We did a number of work with our provider to attempt to get a crispy golden fry that might ship.”
And it’s not all about simply getting the product proper. There was a number of back-end work to make sure it delivers the fitting style expertise, portion dimension, and worth level, Pilkington revealed.
Rising urge for food for flavours that problem the buyer
Pilkington heads up innovation for Domino’s Pizza UK & Eire, the place she has noticed customers are adventurous and enthusiastic about worldwide flavours. That is particularly the case in Britain, which doesn’t have its personal distinct delicacies, we have been instructed.
There’s been an ‘explosion’ in international cuisines, which have largely come from avenue meals markets. “We did some analysis just lately that checked out totally different meals ideas, and noticed people who have been linked to international meals have been way more thrilling and fashionable.”
A very good instance was The Final Spicy Sausage pizza Domino’s launched in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The providing was topped with tomato sauce, cheese, nduja sausage, salami and purple jalapenos. On the time, nduja – a spicy, spreadable pork sausage from southern Italy – was a ‘comparatively unknown’ ingredient, which is why the pizza firm known as it ‘Spicy Sausage’.
The pizza was successful, the innovation lead recalled. “Persons are clamouring for that to return again.”
One other innovation turned to Mexico for inspiration. The Final Rooster Mexicana pizza is topped with taco spiced pulled hen, tomatoes, onions, inexperienced and purple peppers, inexperienced jalapenos, tomato sauce and mozzarella. The pizza was impressed by mushy shell tacos, Pilkington revealed. “That was our best-selling innovation for 5 years.
“So we’re seeing increasingly more urge for food for brand spanking new, totally different and thrilling flavours that problem the buyer. That’s what drives us on: that, coupled with a want for barely more healthy selections.”
And it’s not all about pizza. Domino’s is increasing its facet vary and has been trialling different accompaniments like shakes. “We’ve been taking a look at how we’d drive dessert gross sales…and likewise seeking to issues like wraps and cheese pizzas [that are] excellent for lunch. [We’re investigating] how we will do extra in that wholesome consuming, but in addition lighter for lunch, sort of area. There may be a number of work coming.”
Highlight on diet
A few of Domino’s improvements cater on to extra health-conscious customers. The corporate has noticed attitudes in direction of wholesome meals change through the years, and sees to serve these in search of wholesome indulgence.
However that doesn’t imply its prospects need to be instructed to eat a particular pizza as a result of it has decrease energy. “Individuals need to make up their very own choices. Customers are much more conscious now of what’s wholesome, so what we are attempting to do is to recreate actually sensible Domino’s flavours…likes Texas BBQ or Pepperoni Ardour, however with fewer energy.”
This health-by-stealth method goals to keep away from emotions of punishment when consuming decrease calorie meals.
An innovation championed by Domino’s is its Cheeky Little Pizza choices. Utilizing the identical dough, the identical tomato sauce, lighter cheese and toppings, the corporate is recreating virtually precisely the identical pizza however in a smaller format. The intention is for every Cheeky Little Pizza to return in at 650 energy or much less. “Thus far, it has examined very well with customers.”
As to the corporate’s method to diet throughout the board, Domino’s Pizza UK & Eire has finished ‘fairly a giant’ piece of labor on its well being technique. The technique is led by its inner Well being Steering Group, which screens authorities laws in addition to customers’ altering attitudes.
Domino’s is taking a look at alternative ways to supply more healthy choices, however which aren’t immediately marketed as such. Ordering a pizza with a skinny and crispy crust, for instance, reduces calorie content material by round 150kcal. The corporate’s ‘Delight’ pizza vary makes use of a 30% diminished fats mozzarella. And wraps (coming in at round 400 kcal every) are bought in round 500 shops.
“There are a selection of various strands to our well being technique: one is about find out how to talk what you’ve already acquired to assist customers make totally different selections; and the opposite is innovation.
“We’ve a really strict diet coverage, which is all about having targets we have to meet once we’re creating something new…in addition to working with suppliers to search for methods to cut back fats, salt, sugar, and finally energy in our menu.”
Bettering sustainability with pizza innovation
From a sustainability perspective, Domino’s UK & Eire has dedicated to attaining internet zero emissions by 2050, and just lately had its targets validated by the Science Primarily based Targets Initiative (SBTi). This 12 months, the corporate activated its decarbonisation plan, taking a look at know-how accessible to cut back the carbon footprint of its amenities and provide chain centre fleet.
Of the 50 shops within the UK and Eire owned by Domino’s (fairly than franchisees), all now completely ship on e-bikes or electrical mopeds. “That is actually essential in case you consider the variety of miles a driver does to serve our 1.5m orders per week. That may have fairly an influence,” stated the innovation lead.
The corporate has additionally put in photo voltaic panels on high of its provide chain centre the place it makes its dough. “These are enormous buildings that may generate an enormous quantity of photo voltaic power.”
Seeking to substances, Domino’s is eager to assist customers who need to eat much less meat. The corporate has doubled its plant-based choices during the last two years, which incorporates choices to ‘construct your personal’ plant-based pizzas with greens, in addition to incorporating plant-based meat and dairy alternate options. “We actually attempt to deal with ensuring folks have extra alternative in that area.”
Because the 12 months attracts to a detailed, Pilkington and her innovation crew are usually not simply seeking to 2024 menus, however a lot additional forward to 2025 and 2026. “We’re taking the time to think about what life will probably be like then, how customers might need modified, and the way we will be certain we’re persevering with to play a much-loved-brand position of their lives.”
