Sector
Foodservice, hospitality
Category
Trends
Author
Maaike van Rooden
Reading time
11 minutes
On October 18, we attended the Food Inspiration Days 2022. The theme was Top Shape. How do you achieve this in an industry that is changing so enormously? A movement that was first caused by corona and is now under the influence of high inflation, staff shortages, new entrants, and changing customer needs. Various speakers talked about the innovations, best practices, insights and trends in the foodservice and hospitality industry. The growth in vegetable consumption and the need for sustainable alternatives were also high on the agenda. Inspired by all the presentations at the Food Inspiration Days, we spotted these 4 trends:
Trend 1: Food is everywhere
Not necessarily new, but still as influential as ever. Eating and drinking is an integral part of the street scene. People have become so accustomed to getting a coffee or sandwich on the go, and to eating out. An empty building quickly turns into a coffee bar, a chain outlet, or a dark kitchen or store.
After dinner and lunch, eating breakfast outside the house is now the latest that the hospitality industry and foodservice are responding to. Although actually, we shouldn’t even be thinking in terms of traditional eating times anymore. Due to the large and growing range, Generation Y and Z, the main target group for out-of-home consumption, go for several small meals a day.
New entrants onto the scene want to capitalise on these opportunities. Food retail has entered the foodservice market. And non-food retailers, such as book and clothing stores, are also happy to join in and start a coffee corner in their stores. So in addition to these moments of consumption, the sector boundaries are also blurring.
Trend 2: Eating adventurously and having a unique experience
The range for out-of-home consumption is enormous and is still growing. Even during corona, the number of catering companies has increased. Consumer demand may have increased, but it is also clear that the competition is fierce. A special and distinctive concept is needed. Customers no longer find ‘the middle ground’ interesting enough. They look for more of the extremes in experiences, in both the product and the context of service, interior, and branding. On the way to 2030, these extremes will manifest themselves in ‘indulgence’ on the one hand and ‘healthy cool’ on the other, says Reoewein Niesten of Conceptional. And all this with a high Instagrammable value. Indulgence is about spoiling yourself with special treats, that are tasty for the eyes as well as the taste buds. On the other hand, there’s the focus on healthy, local and sustainable food. Vegan and plant-based food is part of this, but also trendy 0% alcohol drinks and cocktails.
Both indulgence and healthy cool are about special products of high quality. More and more often, a dish or a specific cuisine is central: for example, sourdough bread or Korean cuisine. The younger generations in particular are adventurous eaters who like to try new things.
The movement towards these two extremes can be seen worldwide because markets are increasingly merging due to globalisation. Because everything can be found online and shared via social media, Millennials and Gen Z everywhere have, for the most part, acquired the same needs. From the atmosphere that appeals to them, to the products that they want to eat. Food culture is changing and is becoming more uniform worldwide. Online influencers play a bigger role in determining food culture. What they eat and where they go are seen as a reference by their followers, the source of pop culture. And what’s more, more and more famous people are starting their own food concept or product line. Because the market is ready for it, but also because it has become much more accessible, partly due to the emergence of virtual brands, which can operate without a physical outlet and use online ordering platforms and dark kitchens.
Trend 3: More food chains
That special experience that people are looking for doesn’t necessarily have to be found only in stand-alone concepts. More food chains – food concepts with multiple locations – are also entering the market. For entrepreneurs, this offers opportunities for their business model, such as purchasing advantages and the development of smart (technological and self-service) solutions, which can, for example, compensate for the shortage of personnel. More data will also become available, providing insights for optimising the menu and creating opportunities for upselling. As a result, the customer gets to experience convenience, relevance, and, above all, a good product for an affordable price. And this fits in well with the times – with the high inflation and geopolitical and economic uncertainty. Previous recessions have shown that chains perform relatively well compared to independents. The extra channels such as (flash) delivery, click & collect and dark kitchens also create more sales opportunities.
It is striking that the sale of coffee outside the home and the number of outlets is still increasing. And on delivery platforms, pizza has grown in popularity. There’s a huge, diverse, and high-quality range to choose from, but of course, there’s also that direct relationship between supply and demand. And let’s face it, people have a greater need for comfort food as consolation in uncertain times.
The so-called fast-casual chains are also increasingly offering a relatively small menu based on a theme or product, such as omelets for breakfast, the Korean bun, or udon noodles. Gen Z in particular really appreciates this: it helps them to choose where they want to eat. Dishes that are not easy to make at home, value for money, and a message and menu that match their interests and values are preferred by Gen Z. Again, the role of online branding and influencers is considerably valuable for the popularity of a food chain.
Trend 4: Commitment to our food
Over the years we have moved further and further away from our food production. Because of the almost infinite availability of food in the Western world and because of the efficiency and scale increase of both the outlets and the producers. That distance and the growing awareness of the negative impact of the food chain are starting to have more and more effects. This results in an increasing enthusiasm for learning about the origin of products and also to learning how to cook. An initiative such as Herenboeren allows people to grow fruit and vegetables together and participate in cooperative farms, which they jointly own. Members of the cooperative share the running costs of their farm, and for this, they receive weekly food from that same farm.
The Green Bronx Machine brings urban farming to the neighbourhood and into the classroom. Initiator Stephen Ritz has set up an education programme in which ‘growth’ is central. He started in the Bronx neighbourhood of New York City, where healthy food and greenery are far away from most residents. 31% of the inhabitants here live below the poverty line. And that makes the Bronx the poorest district in the United States. At the top of one of the many lists you don’t want to be in, says Ritz. The district is characterised by high-rise buildings, especially social housing, crime, gang activities, alcohol and drug problems, and fast food restaurants. According to Ritz’s belief ‘It’s easier to raise healthy children than to fix broken men,’ he teaches children to grow and cook vegetables, herbs, and fruits. This gives his students self-confidence, they can learn in a safe environment and learn to eat healthy. The Green Bronx Machine is a great success. To expand his reach, Ritz started a not-for-profit franchise formula that allows him to share the Green Bronx Machine philosophy and way of working. The Green Bronx Machine is now active in more than 500 schools across 15 countries, and 50,000 students are taught this method every day.
Learning about tasty, healthy food doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to put your hands in the ground, so to say. It is of course also about the preparation. There is a huge range of cookbooks, YouTube videos, and Instagram accounts that can inspire people to get started. The Parsnip app makes it even more fun and uses gamification to learn how to cook with confidence.
These are all initiatives that get people moving towards getting closer to the source. ‘But we cannot place all of the decision-making for a better food system with consumers, as is often the adage now’, says Drees Peter van den Bosch, general manager of caterer Hutten. The fact that the customer doesn’t always opt for the healthiest, best option doesn’t mean that he doesn’t want that in the near future and that he shouldn’t be offered that option, along with a proper explanation. He believes that, as a company, you should take a position and take the lead.
The social message translated to the plate. Fortunately, the use of local and sustainable ingredients is increasingly being embraced by players in the hospitality industry, and across the board from fine dining to street food and this is causing excitement among their customers. These delicious dishes provide proof that better food does not have to compromise on taste — on the contrary. A well-known example is the restaurant Eleven Madison Park in New York. Star chef Daniel Humm decided to switch to a 100% plant-based menu after the corona lockdowns. The forced standstill had also forced him to think: a different way of living and dealing with our food is needed. And with lots of success, because in October 2022 Eleven Madison Park again received 3 Michelin stars. This makes it the only three-star restaurant in the world that has a completely vegan menu. Read our article about high-profile vegan fine dining here.
Want to find out more?
Do you want to know what these and other trends mean for your company? Or do you want to see, experience and taste good examples in the market? View the possibilities for a trend presentation or inspiration tour here.
Photo credits: Samedy Nguon, Michael Dagonakis, Courtney Cook via Unsplash, and own photos.
