On The Menu Summer 2026: Fresh Flavours, Festive Inspiration & Smarter Summer Service
Summer is here – bringing longer days, busy kitchens, festive functions and plenty of opportunities to give customers a reason to get out and enjoy great food and drinks.
The latest edition of On The Menu Summer 2026 is packed with fresh ideas to help New Zealand hospitality operators make the most of one of the busiest trading periods of the year.
From peak seasonal produce and summer seafood to crowd-pleasing ribs, refreshing drinks and smarter ways to prepare for the festive rush, this edition is all about creating memorable menus while keeping service practical, consistent and profitable.
What’s Inside This Edition?
🍍 Taste the Best of Summer Produce
Summer produce brings colour, freshness and natural flavour to the menu.
Explore seasonal inspiration featuring Dole Tropical Gold® Pineapple, cherries, cherry and heirloom tomatoes, baby cos, Jersey Benne potatoes, finger limes, radishes and fresh herbs.
From vibrant salads and chargrilled vegetables to fresh salsas, cocktails and summer desserts, discover simple ways to let peak-season ingredients do more of the work across your menu.
🍍 Meet the Grower: Dole Tropical Gold® Pineapple
Nothing says summer quite like fresh pineapple.
Travel to Mindanao in the Philippines and meet Dole Agriculture Manager Philip Gregory Cacatian to discover what goes into growing Dole Tropical Gold® Pineapple.
Learn about its unique balance of sweetness and acidity, why pineapple doesn't continue to ripen after harvest and how this versatile fruit can move well beyond the fruit platter into salads, salsas, grilled dishes, drinks and desserts.
🦑 Get More From Squid
Light, versatile and quick from kitchen to table, squid earns its place on a busy summer menu.
The Seafrost squid range provides plenty of possibilities across starters, share plates and mains. Think salt and pepper squid twists, Mediterranean-inspired squid with chorizo and tomatoes, stuffed squid tubes or crispy crumbed rings with summer salsa.
One ingredient. Plenty of opportunities to put your own signature on the plate.
🔥 Rockin’ Ribs
Few dishes capture relaxed summer dining quite like a plate of sticky, smoky, finger-licking ribs.
Explore different pork rib cuts and discover how cooking techniques, glazes, rubs and fresh seasonal sides can transform them across everything from casual share plates to substantial mains.
With flavours spanning sticky hoisin and beer BBQ glaze to coffee, spices and fresh summer salads, there's plenty of inspiration for creating your own rib offering this season.
🎄 Make Festive Service Work Smarter
Christmas functions, catering, shared tables and end-of-year celebrations can put enormous pressure on hospitality teams.
This edition includes The Festive Collection, packed with inspiration for Christmas entertaining – from grazing boards and canapés to premium proteins, seasonal sides, celebratory drinks and easy desserts.
We also look at practical ways to prepare for peak service, simplify your menu, make ingredients work harder across multiple dishes and identify the small changes that can save valuable kitchen time when demand is at its highest.
🍹 Summer Starts at the Bar
Long afternoons and warm evenings call for a drinks menu made for summer.
Discover cocktail inspiration featuring Altos Tequila, with fresh seasonal flavours including grapefruit, watermelon, peach, pineapple, finger lime and chilli.
You'll also find ideas featuring East Imperial premium mixers, Barker's Professional Chunky Mix and Steinlager Pure Gold, giving you plenty of ways to refresh your alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage offering.
👨🍳 Restaurant Feature: Soul Quarter
Step inside Christchurch's Soul Quarter, where owner Seth Hamilton and Executive Chef Shivam Chhibber have built a restaurant around generosity, consistency and genuine hospitality.
The team shares its approach to seasonality, menu planning, reducing waste and maintaining standards – along with the philosophy behind its MICHELIN Bib Gourmand recognition.
Their message is simple: before trying to be flashy, focus on being exceptionally good at what you do.
More Inspiration Across Every Menu
There's plenty more to discover throughout the Summer edition, including:
Fresh and colourful ideas from Barker's Professional
Summer beer inspiration featuring Steinlager Pure Gold
Easy outdoor dining solutions from BioPak
Sweet treats from Emma-Jane's
Award-winning cheese inspiration from Kāpiti
Premium mixers from East Imperial
Practical Asian menu solutions from Asian Essentials
Menu psychology ideas to help encourage greater spend without simply increasing prices
Each feature is designed to provide ideas you can adapt to your own venue, customers and style of service.
Made for Summer Hospitality
Whether you're planning a new seasonal menu, preparing for Christmas functions or simply looking for ways to make a busy kitchen run more smoothly, On The Menu Summer 2026 is here to help.
Use it to:
Build menus around peak seasonal ingredients
Discover new products and menu applications
Prepare for festive and summer functions
Make core ingredients work harder across your menu
Find labour-saving solutions for busy service
Refresh your drinks and entertaining offer
Create memorable experiences that keep customers coming back
Explore the Summer Edition
Browse On The Menu Summer 2026, discover fresh menu inspiration and explore featured products available through MyBidfood.
Read the digital magazine today and get your summer menu sorted.
Check out On The Menu Summer now!
Comments