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 embrace pulled turkey breast marinaded in sage and onion, sausage, smoked bacon and onions, and a cranberry drizzle.
The invention was extraordinarily nicely thought out, defined Louise Pilkington, who heads up innovation on the fast-food main. Cooked turkey can simply develop into dry, which dangers changing into even drier in a pizza oven. However the chosen mixture of toppings assures the turkey is actually ‘actually moist’. “Loads of element goes into how you can make every particular person ingredient phenomenal.”
Discovering options to those sorts of issues is a component and parcel of Pilkington’s position at Domino’s, she instructed FoodNavigator. “My job is to develop meals concepts that don’t simply hold customers coming again, however that additionally appeal to new prospects.”
Innovating a tried-and-tested favorite
Pizza is without doubt one of the most-loved meals on the earth, 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 over time starting from its ‘heatwave scorching luggage’ for higher supply to authentic pizza toppings comparable to ‘The Cheeseburger’.
So within the kitchen, how does the Domino’s innovation staff go about considering up new ideas and recipes? All of it begins with shopper analysis. Pilkington stated that each on and off the job, she ‘all the time’ has an eye fixed on future meals tendencies. “I really like meals and also you couldn’t do that job for those who didn’t love meals.”
The innovation staff partakes in meals safaris to discover what’s ‘up and coming’ throughout the board, from excessive road eating places to meals markets.
On the identical time, Pilkington and colleagues are ‘continuously’ speaking to customers, not simply in regards to the consuming events that Domino’s could play a task in, but additionally consuming events wherein they don’t. “That may additionally spotlight alternatives,” she defined.
Different current improvements to land on Domino’s menus embrace 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 supplied potato-based sides, however shopper insights recommended fries could be nicely obtained. “We did loads of work with our provider to try to get a crispy golden fry that will ship.”
And it’s not all about simply getting the product proper. There was loads of back-end work to make sure it delivers the proper 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 had been instructed.
There’s been an ‘explosion’ in international cuisines, which have largely come from road meals markets. “We did some analysis just lately that checked out completely different meals ideas, and noticed those who had been linked to international meals had been way more thrilling and well-liked.”
An excellent 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 crimson 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 Hen Mexicana pizza is topped with taco spiced pulled hen, tomatoes, onions, inexperienced and crimson 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 urge for food for brand spanking new, completely different and thrilling flavours that problem the buyer. That’s what drives us on: that, coupled with a need 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 trying 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 additionally lighter for lunch, kind of area. There’s loads of work coming.”
Highlight on vitamin
A few of Domino’s improvements cater on to extra health-conscious customers. The corporate has noticed attitudes in direction of wholesome meals change over time, 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. Shoppers are much more conscious now of what’s wholesome, so what we try to do is to recreate actually sensible Domino’s flavours…likes Texas BBQ or Pepperoni Ardour, however with fewer energy.”
This health-by-stealth strategy 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 nearly precisely the identical pizza however in a smaller format. The goal is for every Cheeky Little Pizza to return in at 650 energy or much less. “To this point, it has examined rather well with customers.”
As to the corporate’s strategy to vitamin throughout the board, Domino’s Pizza UK & Eire has completed ‘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 straight 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% lowered 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 how you can talk what you’ve already acquired to assist customers make completely different selections; and the opposite is innovation.
“Now we have a really strict vitamin coverage, which is all about having targets we have to meet after we’re creating something new…in addition to working with suppliers to search for methods to cut back fats, salt, sugar, and in the end energy in our menu.”
Bettering sustainability with pizza innovation
From a sustainability perspective, Domino’s UK & Eire has dedicated to reaching internet zero emissions by 2050, and just lately had its targets validated by the Science Based mostly Targets Initiative (SBTi). This 12 months, the corporate activated its decarbonisation plan, taking a look at know-how obtainable 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 (slightly than franchisees), all now solely ship on e-bikes or electrical mopeds. “That is actually vital for those who consider the variety of miles a driver does to serve our 1.5m orders per week. That may have fairly an affect,” 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 big buildings that may generate an enormous quantity of photo voltaic power.”
Trying to components, Domino’s is eager to help customers who need to eat much less meat. The corporate has doubled its plant-based choices over the past two years, which incorporates choices to ‘construct your individual’ plant-based pizzas with greens, in addition to incorporating plant-based meat and dairy options. “We actually try to deal with ensuring individuals have extra selection in that area.”
Because the 12 months attracts to an in depth, Pilkington and her innovation staff should not simply trying to 2024 menus, however a lot additional forward to 2025 and 2026. “We’re taking the time to think about what life can be like then, how customers may need modified, and the way we will be certain that we’re persevering with to play a much-loved-brand position of their lives.”
