November 12/London/Food & Beverage Close-Up -- A Technomic report revealed that restaurant patrons in the U.K. are on the lookout for new flavors, with 35% of consumers saying they are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers new and innovative flavors, and more than a quarter saying they are more interested in new flavors now than they were a year ago.

"Restaurant operators can certainly take note of these numbers," says Darren Tristano, executive vice president at Technomic. "A menu item with a signature flavour profile can not only help a restaurant gain new customers, but can also encourage repeat traffic."

Technomic's "2010 U.K. Flavour Consumer Trend Report" was designed to help restaurant operators and suppliers identify and capitalize on opportunities to differentiate their menus, ultimately attracting new patrons and increasing frequency of current customers. The report covers consumer preferences and menu occurrences for flavors imparted during food preparation, as well as those added through sauces, dips and condiments.

From the November 29, 2010, Prepared Foods E-dition