These are the new food trends

In the catering and food industry, it is always worthwhile to keep an eye on the latest developments and needs of customers. Those who recognise the wishes and demands of their guests early on can react quickly and expand their own clientele. By responding to current food trends, restaurateurs stay in the conversation and gain an edge over the competition.

Some developments that are on the rise today will probably also accompany us in the long term. At the moment, it is mainly topics from the areas of sustainability and health that are catching the interest of consumers. Against the backdrop of climate change and the experiences from the Corona era, environmental issues will probably continue to shape the gastronomy in the coming years. In this guide, you will find out which food trends you should be particularly aware of.

What are food trends?

When new trends emerge in the food sector, it is no longer just about exciting new tastes. Today, values and individual lifestyles influence eating behaviour much more than they did a few years ago. Consumers are informing themselves more intensively about food production and are paying more attention to sustainability issues - such as the origin and quality of their food. The composition of the menu is therefore becoming more complicated: desires, values and the personal taste of the individual come together here.

The target groups of food trends also differ - new ideas and preferences hardly spread evenly throughout society. People who eat a plant-based diet, for example, visit different restaurants than omnivores. Here, restaurants have to deal with very different social milieus. Food trends that cause enthusiasm among vegans in the city can pass another target group by unnoticed. In short: food trends are diverse!

Characteristics of food trends at a glance

For the year 2022, the Frankfurt Future Institute has once again published the annual Food Report by industry expert Hanni Rützler. The author names three criteria for culinary trends, by which the increasing importance of values and identity can be well understood. According to Rützler, food trends must:

• Respond to the longings, desires and needs in a cultural group
• Offer solutions to problems of our eating behaviour and food production
• Open up points of contact for the values and identification of consumers

What developments are taking place in the food service industry? And which food trends are currently popular with consumers? We give you an overview of current topics in the industry and show you how you can adapt to current food trends as a business.

In the gastronomy of the future, green topics such as CO2 avoidance and low-pollutant food are increasingly dominating - this is also reflected in our selection of the hottest food trends. Since global warming is unlikely to disappear from your guests' consciousness in the coming years, many of the following topics are probably more than just short-lived trends. What appears to be a young food trend today may be with the industry for a long time to come.

The zero-waste concept is not only gaining ground in the food sector. Behind the term lies an entire sustainability philosophy with approaches that relate to the entire product life cycle. In addition to recycling and upcycling, which are intended to make waste that has already been created usable again, zero waste aims to avoid waste in the first place. Therefore, restaurateurs who follow this approach have to deal with waste avoidance at an early stage. Because zero waste must already be considered in the basic concept of a restaurant.

In order to reduce their own waste as much as possible, restaurants have various options. For example, buffet providers can reduce the quantity of dishes that are not in high demand and, if in doubt, tend to fill up in smaller portions. Are there dishes that your guests rarely consume in their entirety? Then you may be able to reduce the size of the portions. Also, inform your guests directly about the possibility of taking their leftovers home wrapped. Here, too, waste can be avoided - ideally with sustainable packaging for transport.

To understand the growing demand for meat substitutes, just go to the supermarket. Here, the selection of vegan foods has visibly increased in recent years - from soy steak to pea-based burger patties. For Rützler and the Zukunftsinstitut, too, it is clear that the menu of the post-Corona era is becoming greener. In order to meet the demands of the "vegourmets", you need a lot of know-how and culinary imagination in addition to the appropriate ingredients.

However, with plant-based alternatives you don't just reach a single target group: the meat-free food trend is also becoming increasingly popular among omnivores who want to reduce their meat consumption but not give it up completely. The fact that plant-based meat substitutes have now also established themselves in discounters also speaks for a rethink in broad sections of society.

Plant-based substitutes are enormously important for the profitability of catering businesses! This is especially true for small and specialised businesses such as burger shops, steakhouses, pizzerias and others. There, the lack of plant-based alternatives quickly becomes a criterion for exclusion. After all, only one family member or part of the circle of friends needs to eat a meat-free diet, and places without meat alternatives are no longer considered for a visit.

The do-it-yourself food trend is all about consumers preparing delicious meals themselves and often thinking them up themselves. DIY food involves more than just classic cooking at home: the ingredients used should also be home-grown if possible: The collection of herbs on the windowsill or one's own raised bed in the garden offers an opportunity to do this.

In the meantime, there are various delivery providers who take advantage of the food trend and provide their customers with recipes and the appropriate food packages. The food is then prepared in the kitchen at home, where there is still room for creativity. Here, for example, families can celebrate eating together even more or teach their children how to cook for themselves.

An important driver behind the DIY food trend is consumers' increasing distrust of industrial food production. Whether omnivore or vegan, many people want more control over their diet and set their own standards for sustainability and environmentally friendly enjoyment.

DIY offers: Also interesting for the gastronomy sector

As a gastronomic business, you don't need to specialise completely in the DIY trend. It can be worthwhile to offer popular dishes from your menu as ready-made ingredient boxes. Since the ingredients are available in the business anyway, the effort involved is certainly limited. Meanwhile, hobby cooks can refine the recipes at home according to their own taste and get their money's worth.

Gastro goes green!

Less waste, more proximity and plant-based food: to be successful in the future, restaurants, bistros & co. should address the growing environmental and health awareness of their clientele. Current food trends such as DIY and plant-based meat alternatives show that sustainable gastronomy does not necessarily require a lot of effort. Keep in mind that the changing demands of your guests always represent an opportunity to tap into new target groups and to present yourself in tune with the times.