Jumeirah Group has launched a brand-new kids’ menu developed by chief culinary officer and former Michelin Guides director, Michael Ellis.
We chat to Ellis about what FoodieKiDS hopes to achieve, the brand-new dishes and why kids will actually want to eat healthily on holiday.
How did FoodieKiDS come about?
FoodieKiDS is the result of extensive research carried out with more than 5,500 families from the UAE, KSA, UK, US, Germany and Russia, which identified that 58 percent of parents find getting their children to eat healthily on holiday is one of their biggest challenges. What we also discovered was that 77 percent of parents thought that hotels around the world need to provide more healthy options on kids’ menus and 79 percent said that an attractive, varied and healthy food menu for children would enhance their holiday experience.
As a global luxury hospitality provider, we wanted to help, so we used our culinary expertise to create FoodieKiDS – a fun and imaginative dining experience for children with a healthy twist.
What is the main aim of FoodieKiDS?
We wanted to give parents even more choice in terms of delicious dishes packed with goodness that the kids will love to encourage healthier choices when on holiday.
At Jumeirah, we like to do things differently when it comes to dining and always strive to meet the ever-evolving needs of our guests so they can make the most of their time with us. FoodieKiDS does just that and is something that will not only give parents extra peace of mind, but also make their stay with us even more memorable.
Have you removed all menu items that fall into the ‘unhealthy’ category, or is it OK to have a treat on holiday?
Everyone enjoys a treat on holiday, but the staples on many children’s’ menus can be repetitive and do not necessarily offer much nutritional value. What we wanted to do was offer more healthy options. We’re not ruling out treats for kids but we want to make sure there is an equally, if not even more, delicious alternative to those classic meals on our menus. For example, a selection of our new FoodieKiDS dishes are now available at Dhow & Anchor, our much-loved family British gastropub, in addition to its already popular kids’ menu.
It’s all about having that choice.
What sort of healthier kids’ food is now on offer?
We have something to capture the imagination of all our younger guests with dishes such as Make Your Own Chef’s Salad, Fish N Chips ‘Locally Sourced’ which includes a buckwheat battered sea bass and baked potato wedges, a whole-wheat pizza margarita and heritage veggie sticks served with red pepper hummus, guacamole and tzatziki. We also have healthier desserts such as a watermelon pizza and a healthy spin on an Eton mess called ‘Mess Me Up’.
How will you drive kids to choose these healthier options?
We found that when meals are prepared and presented in a way to appeal to kids, our dishes with more fruits and vegetables, wholemeal options and less salt are a huge hit. Our talented chefs came up with an imaginative menu with a healthy twist which doesn’t just look appealing but is also packed with flavour. We already know kids will want to eat these dishes, because we actually had some little foodies help us create the menu. A group of young diners tasted our healthier options, had fun with our theatre on a plate and told us what they wanted from their menu, so we’re confident that more little foodies will really enjoy trying the new menu and will opt for the healthier options without much persuasion.
Why do you think kids will be more willing to eat the healthier food?
Our research showed that some of the main reasons why kids were eating unhealthily on holiday included the fact that unhealthy options are too visible and are usually on display in a restaurant so kids see them and want them, 42 percent of parents said they struggled with this. Also, a third of surveyed parents, 33 percent, said the healthy options never look very appetising and one in four, 25 percent, said they are not very imaginative. This is something that we’ve definitely worked to combat with FoodieKiDS through our imaginative and fun menu served in a way that will make kids forget it’s the healthier choice.
Adults expect to see a choice of healthy and less-healthy menu options when they eat out, so why do restaurants tend to compile kid’s menus that house unhealthy food like burgers, hotdogs and nuggets?
It’s true, we found that the top three most eaten foods globally for young travellers are pizza – 44 percent, chicken nuggets – 35 percent and chips – 32 percent. The reason for this is that kids tend to shy away from trying anything which is unusual or that they haven’t heard of before, 26 percent of parents admitted this was the case on holiday. With this in mind, parents will then stick to the tried and tested favourites just to make sure their kids can eat something at mealtimes and in response, restaurants make sure they have these to offer kids and parents.
Why is it important to offer kids more healthy choices?
Parents struggle with getting their kids to eat well on holiday and they are desperate to make the right choices for their children’s wellbeing. Our research found that children are most likely to eat junk food with low nutritional value while on holiday and this is a big concern for parents. It’s important to be able to offer a solution for parents and by giving more healthy options on kids’ menus, we’re giving parents the right tools to ensure their kids are enjoying a balanced diet.
Do you think parents will find it easier to keep their kids eating healthy on holiday now?
Absolutely! Once FoodieKiDS is rolled out at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, and then across the wider Jumeirah portfolio, our guests will be able to visit our restaurants knowing that their kids will have delicious and nutritious options, and crucially, will want to eat them.
