Honey Glazed WingsFoodservice Tips

National Honey Board studies indicate one out of every two foodservice operators uses honey. Nearly 60% of these operators use it on a daily basis. Honey's widespread acceptance and appearance on menus presents foodservice distributors with a golden opportunity to grow honey sales and profit from a sweeter bottom line.

There's never been a better time to promote and sell honey. Consult the National Honey Board's promotion guide for a year-long calendar of terrific operator promotion ideas. And remember, September is National Honey Month. While operators are planning fall and winter menus, demonstrate perfect timing by sweetening sales presentations with honey recipes and promotion suggestions. Merchandising honey couldn't be easier. The National Honey Board offers a complete honey Reference CD with all the honey information you need.

Profit from Honey's Natural Appeal

Profit from Menu Trends

Profit from Versatility

Honey harmonizes with sweet or savory ingredients to create:

Profit from Menu Fit

Keep honey on hand to top/sweeten:

Profit from Quick and Easy Combinations

For golden results, blend honey into:

Here's the Buzz on Building Sales with Honey

Honey Beer-Brew and Food Pairing

Adapt the "meet-the-winemaker" concept for beer lovers. Host a brew master dinner where customers can sample and enjoy hand-crafted beer and food pairings. Start with a selection of domestic and imported honey beers. Or, if you’re properly equipped, make your own. Call the Honey Board for a copy of Honey Microbrews, a comprehensive guide to brewing honey beer.

Site Seen

Your Web site is a customer destination and a powerful, cost effective sales tool. Broadcast e-mails to alert customers about special events and promotions at your restaurant. Train customers to visit your site for menu updates, to make reservations and/or to enter contests. Make sure to make good use of the resources you are browsing on these pages - browse our extensive foodservice recipe collection, check out our "Featured Chef" and the archive to compare notes with our featured operators.

Beverage Boom

These days, what you drink is as important as what you eat. Smoothies, vitamin and nutrient-enhanced to improve their functionality, top the list of meal replacements. Unlike other sweeteners, honey contains trace minerals and antioxidants, as well as boasting a positive, healthful image.

Grill Happy

Marinades and glazes rate among the most popular honey applications. Quick to caramelize to a rich, burnished color, honey sweetly complements spices, herbs and condiments, such as mustard, ketchup and vinegar. Check our Web site for a sampling of honey-enhanced barbecue marinades and "amazin’ glazes."
Freshly Baked Fast

Artisan breads have risen to one of foodservice’s hottest trends. The National Honey Board offers a user-friendly solution for operators with limited bread baking capabilities. See how to prepare one-of-a-kind treats like Honey-Sweetened Breakfast Calzones and Lemon-Kissed Honey Scones from frozen dough or prepared mixes. Select one of the honeyed toppings and spreads to serve alongside.

Honey, I Love You

What can we say? Valentine’s Day provides the ideal occasion for a honey promotion. Consider a two-for-one special on a featured honey dessert for customers who reserve early. Ideally suited to the day, honey is reputed to be one of nature’s most effective aphrodisiacs!

Getting Saucy

Serving sauces and condiments with an international flair takes advantage of the popularity of bold flavors, as well as adding value to your menu. Honey brings its own global perspective to the mix–around 3,000 honeys are produced worldwide. In nearly every country, honey contributes its unique sweetness and silky texture to the native sauces, salpicons, salsas and sambals.

¡Viva Honey!

Don’t overlook the sweet potential of Cinco de Mayo. This gala celebration is one of year’s top restaurant occasions. Customers love the gala atmosphere, as well as the Mexican specialties. Some restaurant chains, like Azteca, extend their Cinco de Mayo menu to include dessert. Honey’s golden touch makes dessert sales jump, especially when drizzled over buñuelos and sopapillas.

Promotion idea calendar

January

Wake-Up Call. Let customers wake up on frosty winter mornings to a "Honey I Love Muffins" promotion. Distribute frequent buyer cards to ensure customers walk away with a honey-sweetened muffin. Twelve purchases guarantee the next moist, flavorful honey muffin is free.

February

Valentine's Day. It's the traditional day to say "Honey I Love You." Decorate heart-shaped honey cookies or prepare other irresistible honey desserts. Offer a two-for-one special for customers who bring along "their honeys."

March

Spring Fling. Balmy weather, spring flowers and the buzz of busy honey bees invite the return to outdoor activities. Observe National Nutrition Month with a "Power Bar" to fuel emancipated bicyclists, joggers and softball enthusiasts. Start your display with fresh yogurts and granola. Follow with high power toppings such as honey, dried fruits, wheat germ, toasted seeds and nuts. Finish with a station offering honey-sweetened fruit smoothies.

Sweet St. Pat's. Sweeten St. Patrick's Day sales with honey. Offer honey kissed Irish soda bread. A sure and simple honey glaze is the perfect finishing touch on any sweet dough or bread item.

April

Spring Holidaze. With both Easter and Passover celebrations at hand, plan menus featuring traditional favorites. Honey-glazed ham or turkey is a perfect seasonal choice. The Honey Board also has marinade recipes for lamb roasts, as well as honey-glazed vegetable dishes.

May

Take Me Out To The Ballpark. Honey mustard is a top-rated squeeze for hot dogs, hamburgers and pretzels. Make it your signature spread at a la carte concessions.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a South of the Border Flair. Prepare Mexican-Style Honey Sweet Buns and honey-nutfilled empanadas for dessert.

For Mother's day, prepare cool honey strawberry or honey lemon tarts.

June

National Salad Month. Offer a menu of streamlined salads drizzled with low-fat, honey-based salad dressings. Use the Honey Board's fanciful "I Flip For You Honey" posters and table tents to set the mood for your sensational and slimming salad menu.

Get summer off to a great start with cool honey desserts. Try mixed berry honey pies topped with honey whipped cream. Offer honey shortbread cookies for Father's day.

July

Amazin' Glazes. Fire up the barbecue and offer customers summertime specials of grilled poultry and ribs glazed with one of the Honey Board's tantalizing recipes.

August

Summer Daze. Start a "Bee-Line Beverage" club. Feature cooling honey-sweetened beverages and smoothies. Issue club cards offering a free beverage or plush honey bear toy after a specified number of purchases.

September

Celebrate September! National Honey Month and National Breakfast Month share the limelight. For a unique breakfast treat, set up a self-serve biscuit or oatmeal bar. Begin your array of tempting toppers with honey, honey butter or another of the Honey Board's tasty breakfast toppings and spreads.

October

Wing It! Capitalize on the popularity, convenience and profitability of chicken wings. Offer "wings by the dozen" with a special sauce bar. Let customers choose from a variety of honey-based dipping sauces. May we suggest Honey Barbecue, Honey Dijon, Sweet and Sour and Honey Cajun?

Trick or treat - with honey it's always a treat! Nothing tops off Halloween celebrations better than honey cookies in the shape of pumpkins, witches and ghosts.

November

Giving thanks was never sweeter. Make delicious honey pumpkin pies or honey pecan pies to greet Thanksgiving festivities. Bake soft and delicious honey rolls to serve with dinner.

December

The naturally sweet way to end your year. Add honey’s magic touch to the holidays. Prepare rich and moist honey fruit cakes, colorful honey Christmas cookies and honey Christmas breads for everyone to enjoy.

Sweet Treats. Showcase honey's golden touch in holiday inspired desserts and baked goods. Trying staging a "Cookie Cut-Up" contest for your customers. Have honey cookies in holiday shapes baked and ready to decorate. Supply colored frostings and edible decorations. Winners take home a gift basket of freshly-baked honey treats.