2022 Food/ Operations Trends part 1

It is becoming increasingly more difficult to predict upcoming trends as supply chains continue to falter. What we want, and what we get in the food industry right now are completely separate conversations. There will be many creative changes along the way, and tons of innovation in 2022! Let’s take a look at some topics/food that are trending throughout the industry. This is not a comprehensive list, but an every growing one.

·        Restaurants will continue to innovate to meet customer needs, but also rely more on online ordering than ever before

-         When people go out to restaurants they are looking for a full experience; Ambiance, food quality, ambient room temperature, polite staff, creative beverages etc… Right now we are in a time period where that isn’t guaranteed. Because of this we are seeing more people look for a sure fire experience of eating in the comfort of their own homes. These experiences are no longer certain for most operators. Wine didn’t show up, half the ingredients for the Alfredo on the menu got lost in transportation, there’s one server and she/he/they have worked 70 hours alone this week and is a bit on edge.

-         This is leading to more creative and stable online ordering platforms. Before this was mostly an add on or after thought to the consumer experience, whereas now it is settling in as a permanent part of the operation.

·        To improve on online ordering we are seeing the rise of more “Ghost Kitchens”

-         Restaurants are beginning to use virtual brands and expand “ghost kitchen” facilities to prepare to-go orders without placing strain on the original operations. Operators are seeing an increase in revenue and a way to continue to drive sales with low staffing needs. Not only are sales growing, but being able to capture customer data/preferences are becoming easier as other information can be tracked online.

·        Drastic changes in work schedules have appeared, and the way we work has changed dramatically.

-         More people are now working from home grabbing convenience foods and changing their habits.

-         COFFEE! More coffee is being consumed at home which in turn has led to innovation in this category of the beverage sector. We are beginning to see coffee mixed with soda, higher quality coffee coming to market and a wider variety of blends between different producers.

-         Both of these categories have consumers expecting advances in “at-home” convenience foods. Think restaurant quality, all the time. Tik Tok and Youtube accounts boomed during the Covid pandemic with people picking up cooking as a new hobby/creating content and finding purpose

Food Trends:

·        Taste over function

-         Consumers are willing to spend more time creating something with more flavor as they have more time at home to be able to prepare items. As skill increases, look to see more complicated recipes come from consumers.

·        Yuzu/Lychee/Ube/Dragon Fruit

-         Yuzu is a small Japanese citrus fruit that looks like a bumpy grapefruit. Yuzu is commonly used in ponzu sauce/bread/tea. Use it as you would a lemon to get a tart and citrusy note.

-         Lychee and Dragon Fruit go hand in hand to me. Both relatively mellow flavors that have a refreshing aspect to them. Dragon fruits tend to be extremely eye appealing, while lychee’s tend to look like sea urchin. Used in mocktails/cocktails/fruit platters/add to yogurt etc…

-         Ube is a purple sweet potato that will be sweeping super market shelves soon. Being able to add a plant based aspect to deserts, while adding a unique color makes this ingredient extremely attractive. Another great way to add fiber to one’s diet as well!

Ube (pictured below)

Dragon fruit (pictured above)

·        Barbeque of all cultures

-         Korean barbeque and meals shared of the same style are trending.

-         Brazilian, Kansas City, Carolina etc… are all flavors making their way more into consumers. Sauces, dry rubs, pre-made meals all hitting shelves as ways to extend product lines and improve home cooking. Smokey guajillo chilis, gochujang, fermented sauces and variable woods for smoking are all here to stay!

·        Passionfruit, hibiscus, elderflower and clementines

-         Drink mixes and desserts are all featuring these items. I like to use hibiscus and elderflower in simple syrups that make cocktails fragrant and unique!

-         Passionfruit, clementine, blood orange and guava are excellent additions to your favorite salads to add some citrus. Passionfruit tea and drink mixes are making a comeback, as well as blood orange in sorbets and ice creams.

-         Consumers are showing a want to experience international flavors. Having identifiable citrus in unfamiliar international cuisines is a fantastic way to showcase “same, but different” styles of food. Consumers like to have some comfortability while also having a semi “exotic” experience.

Trends are always a growing segment and continue to change day by day. With consumers becoming more open minded, and chef’s trying to create more never been done flavor combinations we should see some interesting products hitting the shelves in 2022 and 2023. Look for barbeque and sweet, citrusy and spicy, cool and refreshing to lead summer trends. Most of these flavors will also have an international flair.

Enjoy the weekend, and make something delicious!

-Stephen