Trends and Forcasting

Recessionary behavior, increasingly sophisticated technology, advanced urban dwelling and savvy consumerism are among the factors affecting the the way we run our lives but what affect do these have on food and restaurants? See below for a few top tips on whats hot and what we can expect to see coming our way:

On Food & Cooking:

• Urban farming and its associated produce will be seen on menus
• New and alternative cooking methods – sous vide, oil-less frying, char-broiling, smoking
• Healthfulness – free-from ranges (gluten free, lactose free, veganism)
• Hand-held foods – greater innovation in Grab-and-Go formats for on-the-go lifestyles
• Food by post – subscription based food delivery especially in the workplace
• Ice – frozen items will rise in popularity from iced desserts to carved ice balls in drinks
• Popcorn in a variety of weird and wonderful flavours to become the new super-snack
• Bugs – snacking on insects will become commonplace as a sustainable and protein rich food
• Tea time – a boom in tea drinking spurred on by new exotic and interesting types and origins, not least Bubble Tea
• Modern meat – ultimate transparency and traceability in meat production, supply and preparation
• Artisan Pizza, cost effective, simple and authentic
• Proper BBQ – low and slow

Tech:

• Cashless payments – contactless, Smart phone payment, Paypal apps, QR scanners, POS touch screens, Square, Google wallet
• Smartphone apps will become increasingly more sophisticated, restaurant locations, food ordering, deals etc.

Marketing and Innovation:

• Use of the ‘embedded story’ to add authenticity to restaurant concepts
• Personalisation – greater connectivity with the ‘individual’ via social media
• Micro dining – smaller more cost effective outlets (including pop-ups and mobile units) and smaller portion sizes as people eat less but more often
• Generosity and Gifting – operators will attract custom and loyalty by creating a perception of kindliness, even greater attention paid to reputation, not least with a heightening of green credentials and corporate responsibility
• Usefulness – multifunctional operations, E.G. coffee shop/diner/roastery or cafe/bike shop, endless permutations Location, location, location – despite the proliferation of big brands they will work harder to be site specific and unique by location, creating uniqueness within wide coverage

Intangibles:

• Planned spontaneity – greater variety of dining options at lower prices allows for more spontaneous and flexible choices
• Fun – the importance of eating out as entertainment will be taken further

Sources: www.trendwatching.com, www.lostincatering.com, www.morgainegaye.com