Share and Share Alike: The Rising Popularity of Sharing Dishes

Whether served together on a platter or tapas-style in several little bowls, dishes designed for sharing are indeed popping up on the menus of virtually all kinds of restaurants. But what is it that makes them so appealing?

It’s Not Just Tapas

We’re all familiar with tapas, but petite plates of food are no longer reserved just for Spanish cuisine. Every type of food, from Thai to Turkish, burgers to barbecue and virtually everything in between, can now be found in ‘sharing form’. Undoubtedly this adds an exciting, modern twist to classic cuisines, but we think it’s the potential for menu experimentation that many restaurant guests find interesting.

After all, why restrict yourself to just one meal when you could have four or five small ones? Sharing dishes allow you to sample a wider variety of flavours, and mix-and-match to create your ultimate personalised meal.

Flavourful and Flexible

With sharing dishes, you can often order as much or as little as you like. This is perfect for groups of diners who inevitably have differently sized appetites, plus it’s a more casual way of eating as guests can start with just a few plates and order more when they fancy. These small dishes often have shorter cooking times too; perfect for on-the-go eaters who want the restaurant experience but at their own pace.

Sharing dishes also offer plenty of exciting potential for chefs, as while some dishes or flavour combinations may not lend themselves to a full plate, they work perfectly as part of a miniature sharing selection.

Perfect Presentation

Another aspect of unmistakable appeal with sharing dishes is that they just look fantastic. There’s no end to the creative ways in which these dainty dishes can be presented, from on wooden chopping boards to hefty stone slabs, which often gives rise to another type of sharing: smartphone snaps of the food, posted instantaneously and expansively on social media. Have a look at our innovative Share Options from the latest edition of our Trend Set Magazine.

Savvy restaurant owners have been quick to latch onto this part of the trend too, with even the most casual dishes arriving on tables looking as magnificent as a Michelin-starred feast. So the message is clear – if you want to bring guests to your restaurants in droves, sharing truly is caring!