Get Snacking With These Bar Snack Ideas

8th December 2022

The pub and bar sector has been up and down the past few years. Mainly down to COVID, we saw a steep decline in value in 2020 for UK pubs and bars, but this is reported to make a full recovery by next year and even expected to exceed the value achieved in 2019.

This decline meant that menus were reduced, and they’re now 14.5% smaller than they were before COVID. This means that most people visiting pubs and bars are only going in for drinks, so we’ve looked at some great recipes to spice up menus around the UK to get people eating at pubs and bars again! Here’s some of our favourite bar snacks for your menu.

With beef being the most popular protein used in 2021, we have the ultimate beef burger recipe to introduce onto a menu:

Dirty Burger with Angry Sauce

Turn up the heat as this classic burger is paired with a hot chilli mayonnaise for an ultimate taste experience. This flavour can also be customised with the level of spice, and of course additional ingredients. We recommend some lettuce, gherkins, onions and of course, you can’t forget some cheese! Using our unsliced brioche bun, this will ensure the burger is light in texture and have a golden glaze to finish, ideal for this dirty burger. Try out our Dirty Burger for yourself.

Chicken is second in the list of the favourite proteins enjoyed within bar snack options, and we have the perfect chicken meal to add onto your menu:

Katsu Burger

As Japanese food continues to increase in popularity, you’ll find a katsu curry on the majority of menus around the UK. Adapting this dish into a burger will add some interest onto your menu, taking on a classic paired with the rich flavour of the katsu curry sauce. Our gourmet sliced brioche style bun is suited perfectly to this dish. A larger bun than the norm, this is also made from 100% vegan ingredients – the perfect accompaniment for our katsu burger.

There has also been a big increase in gluten free options for bar snacks and menus around the UK, as many as 6 main courses are seen to be added! From this, we have a gluten free recipe that will be a great addition to your menus:

Gluten Free Mexican Bean Burgers

A homemade bean burger flavoured with traditional Mexican seasoning, chilli, coriander, spring onions, laid onto a gluten free seeded roll by Genius with some tomato, avocado and red onion (wow!) for a high fibre flavour sensation! The enjoyment of a main course is sure to bolstered when paired with the right starter, and with our next vegan recipe, we’ve got the perfect way to start a proper, meat-free dining experience:

Roasted Curry Cauliflower Dip

Made from jalapenos, curry powder, lemon juice and coriander, this lively sharing platter will get your customers’ first course off to a flyer! A healthy dip, perfect for a group of four, that will not only leave them nicely satisfied, but with room for more. And the perfect partner for this dish? Our wholesale Artisan Sourdough loaves work a treat. But what if you’ve got a larger group with more mouths to feed? With hands flying everywhere across the table, a bite-size alternative is the answer, and we have a solution:

Cheesy Stuffing Balls

Whether served as an appetiser or as a side dish, they’re sure to be a hit either way…but not without a twist. While that rewarding feeling of eating a customary cheese ball is still there, we have also included the familiarity of a Sunday dinner, with a homely combination of sprouts, parsley and onion woven into the mix.

For the breadcrumbs that are ever so imperative to this dish, look no further than the Fletchers Traditional Thick Sliced White Loaf, available from Kara. Although our Cheesy Stuffing Balls have garlic in them, there might not be enough, as 40% of all Brits want to put garlic in all their meals and bar snacks! Here’s how to win them over:

Garlic Knots

With the help of our Kara Dough Balls, you can bring the flavour that everyone is craving for to your menu. Not only are they easy on the eyes but on the wallet as well, as this offering is quick and easy to make. Want to make it vegan? Not a problem! Just swap the butter for a non-dairy alternative and you’ve got a dish that everyone can enjoy.

Garlic Knots have become a very popular option in Italian restaurants across the country. And, with Italian food being the UK’s second-most searched for cuisine, it seems fitting to have our next recipe fit that bill:

Tear and Share Pizza

When you think of Italy, you think of pizza – and here is your opportunity to get inventive and offer your take on a classic. Any combination you want, you can have. However, what will forever remain constant is the base. With Kara’s soft Dough Balls, you can have your customers living La Dolce Vita, providing enough to go around. Lost for inspiration? We’ve got you covered, as we have provided some ready-made combinations to get your creative juices up and running. Check out our pizza recipes.

With the food and drink industry gearing up for its busiest time of the year, this is the perfect time to ramp up your bar snacks and menus. Kara offers a wide range of wholesale bakery products from wholesale baguettes to sliced bread. Take a look at our product range today or, to find your nearest stockist, visit our online finder.