Bidfood has revealed its latest food, drink and dining trends, predicting that diners should expect “an explosion of flavour” in 2020, alongside a yearning for nostalgia, more experiential dining, a continued drive to wellbeing and authentic cooking methods.
The five trends highlighted in the report are:
Feed the senses
The 2020s will be about interactive dining experiences and feeding the senses. Communal dining will continue to grow in popularity as shared meals that encourage interaction. Tabletop cooking with colourful dishes and sharing plates will bring interactive meals out of market halls and street food spaces and onto restaurant tables.
Simply global
Flavours from countries and regions such as Lebanon, the Pacific Islands and Australasia all look set to make an appearance on menus in 2020. The trend is making global cuisine more accessible, using authentic ingredients to create fusion dishes that incorporate more than one cuisine, developing food without borders.
Products to look out for Gochujang paste and bang bang chicken.
Ingredients to try out Tahini, miso, chai, yuzu and chimichurri.
Creatively sustainable
‘Eco-anxiety’ has taken hold and there will continue to be a heavy focus on the health of the planet. Creative root-to-stem recipes that use the whole plant will drive focus and ‘dirty’ vegan food will continue to gain popularity.
Products to look out for Pulled jackfruit, kombucha and smoked tofu.
Ingredients to try out Banana blossom, nut butters and kimchi.
Skilful flavour
Expect to see a rise in pickled and cured gut-friendly dish elements, as well as blackened and burnt food from high-temperature cooking over a fire, all creating complex flavours and textures.
As health concerns focus in on sugar, our palates are gradually becoming used to flavours that aren’t so sweet.
Products to look out for Blackened peppered beef, kefir and street food.
Ingredients to try out Harissa and sauerkraut.
Beyond the basics
With continued uncertain environmental and political times, many diners will be looking for ways to anchor themselves to the familiar. Food and drink that evokes feelings of nostalgia will be popular, with basic well-known dishes such as toast, eggs, salads and sandwiches, such as sandos, being given gourmet makeovers using the best quality ingredients. Expect terms such as ‘Crazy croissants’ that are over-filled, and brightly coloured eggs from ducks, pheasant or quails boiled or fried, cooked in shakshuka or tea-stained.
Ingredients to try out Spirulina powder and coloured croissant doughs
Commenting on their 2020 trend predictions, Lucy Pedrick, head of insights and customer experience at Bidfood, said: “The past 10 years have brought about huge change in the way we eat and what we eat, and we can only expect this to accelerate in the next decade.
“We’re particularly excited about the ‘Feed the senses’ trend that we’ve identified, as dining increasingly becomes about the whole experience.
To view the full report, click here
