Spirited Ideas for Halloween

If you’re looking to generate “frightfully” good profits, Halloween could be a good place to start. October 31 is a growing opportunity in the catering calendar, driven by our love for all things American, and an increasing number of foodservice outlets are taking advantage of the ghoulish goings-on.

From spooky cocktails to themed savoury and desserts menus, you can offer as many tricks and treats as you feel comfortable with, all in the knowledge that Halloween spending in the UK topped £1billion in 2023.

This was largely driven by a significant uptick in spending from younger generations, with 16 to 34-year-olds being the highest spending age group.

And, this year, Halloween falls on a Thursday, whilst the annual Mexican fiesta ‘Day of the Dead’ is on Saturday, November 2, providing plenty of scope for several days of celebration.

Devilish Delights

There are lots of ways your venue can get into the spirit of Halloween. You could go all out with decorations and themed menus – or, at the other end of the spectrum, offer a sensory experience of dining in the dark!

Themed bottomless brunches and afternoon teas are a fun option, or you could host a Halloween costume competition with free drinks for the winners. Alternatively, a Medieval banquet or laboratory-themed menu served in test tubes, syringes, and jars might entice your customers.

‘Deadly’ Desserts

An easy way to embrace the fright night opportunity is to give your desserts menu a ghoulish update. Colour and creativity are the key drivers for Halloween – and there are plenty of brilliant products to help and inspire.

Black, green, purple, red, and orange are your go-to colour palette, making it easy to switch up familiar favourites by adding vibrant fillings and frostings. Karin Janssen, bakery expert and business development manager at leading ingredients supplier Henley Bridge, explains:

''Consumers are looking for cakes and desserts which literally ‘scream’ Halloween. Rainbow Dust’s range of stunning food colour gels are a great place to start for making vibrant, ghoulish creations''.

“People love the element of surprise, and Irca’s Chococream pistachio filling paste, with its natural green colouring, is ideal for oozing out of doughnuts and muffins. For the perfect finishing touches, Hillbo and Dobla have created brilliant ranges of Halloween décor, which include chocolate bats, ghosts, pumpkins, eyeballs, black cats, skulls and Halloween candy canes''

If you’re feeling particularly adventurous - and feel your customer base can stomach it! -, edible insects are a novel topping! 

Black Magic

Make the most of the dark arts with deZaan’s Carbon Black cocoa powder and Riso Gallo’s Nero rice. Henley Bridge’s Head of Innovation and Training Samantha Rain has created two recipes using these two innovative products specifically with Halloween in mind.

For a sppoktacular main course, Samantha’s black rice salad comprises black rice, roasted chilli butternut squash, lemon oil, olives, feta and roasted confit tomato salad – making it suitable for the healthiest of spooks!

Black Rice Salad

Black Gallo rice, roasted chilli butternut squash, lemon oil, olives, feta and roasted confit tomato salad

• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes
• Serves: 6-8 portions
• Other: 5 minutes chill time

Ingredients

• 750g of Riso Gallo Nero (Black) Wholegrain Sustainable rice
• 1 butternut squash roasted with chilli flakes
• 3 corn on the cob (Pre-cooked cobs works too)
• 10 spring onions
• 2 limes
• 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pickled red chillies
• 1 bunch of coriander or parsley to garnish
• 50g feta diced
• 50g mixed olives
• 40g of mixed toasted seeds
• 30g of unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2g Street Food Chef Chermoula Seasoning

Method

1. Cook the Riso Gallo Nero (Black) Wholegrain Sustainable rice. Once ready, place the rice in a mixing bowl and dress with a drizzle of oil and a little salt.
2. Peel and dice the butternut squash, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with crushed chilli flakes, bake until tender and coloured.
3. Mix the SFC Chermoula Seasoning with the softened butter and a drizzle of oil and put to the side.
4. Leave the husk on the corn and place it onto a microwave-safe dish. Cook it for about 4-5 minutes until soft. Let it rest for 5 minutes and when still warm peel it well. Flash them on a griddle pan or BBQ to give them a nice roasted flavour.
5. Brush them with the mix of oil, butter and Street Food Chef Chermoula Seasoning and cook them for 1 last minute in the microwave to allow the mix to penetrate the cobs. Separate the corn from the cob and chop into big pieces.
6. Cut in half the olives and dice the feta.
7. Wash the spring onions and chop.
8. Mix all the ingredients together, season with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, lime zest and lime juice of 1 lime.

Assembly

Mix all ingredients together and dress onto a presentation plate. Garnish with micro leaves, herbs, and pickled chillies. This recipe can also be adapted to use the Gallo red sustainable wholegrain rice.

Nightmare noir rice pudding

• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Cook time: 1 hour
• Serves: 10 portions

Carbon Black Rice Pudding

• 150g Riso Gallo Nero Rice
• 475g Whole milk
• 150g double cream
• 100g sugar
• 50g deZaan carbon black cocoa powder

Method

1. Add all ingredients to a pan and cook until the rice is tender (more milk may be required, so keep an eye while cooking).

Plum Compote

• 6 plums
• 100g caster sugar

Method

1. Dice the plums and cook down with sugar until soft.

Garnish

Place the risotto in a bowl and drizzle the plum compote over the top.

Discover more Halloween recipes:

Halloween tarts

Pumpkin cupcakes