Small Bites: The Universal Appeal of Tasters & Selections
Harvest season promises a plethora of fresh and delicious product from all over Europe, with many ingredients to be salted, cured, fermented, pickled and otherwise saved for traditional small plates & selections, destined to make their way over to (very enthusiastic) British tables …
Q - How and why do we Brits enjoy small plates & selections from abroad?
Q - Where do seasonal and/or provincial products come in?
Variety, The Spice of Life
For even the mildly enthusiastic eater, a variety snack/tasting menu offers a diversity aspect just too enticing to ignore…
Each small plate offers something different - igniting a bonanza of sweet, salty, sour, spicy, soft, crunchy, crispy experiences in one flavour-packed mouthful.
Follow that with another bite from a different packet or dish, and those taste buds are firing overtime for maximum enjoyment.
This peaks if the food on offer features seasonal ingredients only available at certain times of the year, as we’re left with a sense of seizing the experience.
Fond & Foreign Flavours
As with tasting menus, snack selections - especially those inspired by dishes from nations abroad - present a range of ingredients, combos and foodie traditions Brits often love to discover. Moreish flavours from foreign cultures shine - a fact brands like Sakura Co & Waitrose know all too well.
Sakura Co’s Authentic Japanese Snack & Candy Subscription Boxes are a prime example of mail order appeal, while on the highstreet Waitrose’s Luxury Baklava Selection a sumptuous snack experience that can put partaking Brits in mind of sun, sea and special moments extraordinary to daily life.
In OOH hospitality, Tapas, Mezze & Mexican establishments thrive most in our cities - where they can be foreign and familiar to a diverse range of patrons looking for tear-and-share style dining. Phranakhon (York) takes Tapas further East with a zesty Thai spin, offering fresh fusion dishes such as Gaeng Lueang Kung Yai - essentially Gambas (prawns) in a sweet, spicy yellow curry.
On the other hand, nostalgic flavours close to home served by Restaurants such as The Mulberry (Cornwall) champion local, seasonal produce (such as oysters and samphire) in small plate fashion - with explosive flavour and attention. There’s also an excellent and extensive tasting menu on offer.
Social Sustenance
Not only do limited menus and sampling selections offer so much punch with very few plates, but they also bring a powerful sentiment to the table that enhances their dining appeal: sharing is caring.
Inherently, smaller plates and variety picks make for fantastically social fare. Best enjoyed among others (like most adventures), these smaller selections are designed to encourage shared exploration, facilitating conversation about the different tastes & textures, accommodating diverse preferences, and creating a social dining experience that leads to a buzzing sense of connection. Think party snacks too, or chat-inspiring canapes at a fancy swoiree.
Tapas, in fact, is traditionally enjoyed in favoured company within a relaxed and communal setting, an important part of sharing quality time. In Spain - the birthplace of Tapas - it's common for groups of friends to go Tapas bar-hopping during a leisurely evening wining and dining, sampling different dishes from varied chefs and laughing the night away…
An ambience Plates By Purnells (Birmingham) have sought to capture with their Tapas-inspired sharing platters, which this June bagged the restaurant a coveted place in the Michelin Guide.
On the snacking front, a grab bag, variety box or sample selection - such as Serious Pig’s Delicious Savoury Pub Snacks Box or Raw Halo’s Vegan Chocolate Taster Collection - make the perfect light bites for company. Limited, seasonal editions also bring an extra aspect of specialness and reward.
Perfectly Pairable
Bite-sized and big on flavour, the nature of small plate dishes makes for an ideal accompaniment to a crisp white wine, a bold red, a cold beer, or even a fruity cocktail - there's a perfect pairing for every small bite ready to elevate the experience.
This of course adds to small plate appeal and brings yet another aspect of personalised adventure to the dining experience, much as Salt Yard (London) encourage with a bring-your-own-bottle and free corkage night on Mondays.
Airlines and travel companies too prefer to offer a range of beverages with their on-the-go snack selections, hoping to enhance the culinary experience in seat.
Explorative Bites
Naturally, the intrinsic sense of exploration & discovery felt from small plate menus fits perfectly within the travel sector, where satisfying snacking can make all the difference to a revitalising and enjoyable journey.
In our succulently-Spanish Tapas Selección Box, we present an authentic Iberic jamón (ham) sampling experience, Jamón Duroc:
An intensely-flavoured, deliciously smooth delicacy, Jamón Duroc comes from the Duroc pig (the only breed authorised to cross with the prestigious Iberian) and is salt-cured & hung for 16+ months to slowly (and deliciously) mature in taste and texture.
To perfectly partner our hero ham, we've carefully curated two combination accompaniments to create the most authentic Iberian, savoury snack boxes in the air.
easyJet customers will find their Jamón offered with a superb Chorizo and zingy Tomato Tapenade, while those flying with Jet2 are likewise treated to an accompaniment of Garlic & Thyme Olives and truly-mouthwatering Sobrasada Paste.
Both ambient Tapas Selección Boxes feature traditional (and iconically Iberian) Pico Breadsticks to perfectly balance the mellow, matured fat within the Jamón Duroc.
Perfect for snacking on solo or sharing mid-journey - with sultry Spanish flair - as a pair …
And don’t forget to consult the airlines’ beverage pairing suggestions, found within the onboard magazine, for an even more beautiful bite. easyjet, for example, have a created high-value pairing bundle, grabbing the Tapas Box and Malbec for a steal. Travelling Jet2? Be sure to enjoy the onboard Rioja with the Tapas Seleccion Box.
Conclusion
British enthusiasm for diverse tastes & textures has long since transcended family tins and variety crisp packets - we’re a melting pot of colourful cultures, seasonal delicacies, local produce and powerful pantry treats from our favourite places abroad.
And that’s what enjoying these foreign fancies offer us - memories of magic moments in shared company, fantastic new places half-explored (we must go back there some day) and, most importantly for many Brits …
Damn good weather.
