Since January 2020 we have been tracking consumer behaviour through our Future Food Trend Tracker on a monthly basis so we can share actionable trends and insights with you. Take a look at what we've covered in August.
Over the past 6 months we have seen a rise in the interest of 'Local Food, Place and People' and although the importance of sustainability may vary among diners when eating out, year-on-year growth of circa 10% has been recorded for the use of seasonal ingredients and menus with more plant-based dishes.
Detailed below are the 5 key insights from the August 2021 report:
1. The proportion of those enjoying a pure Vegan diet has doubled in 12 months when eating at home and eating out. Growth has also been recorded for eating on the go, but not to the same extent. Agreeably the overall proportion of pure vegans is small in comparison to flexitarians and meat eaters but this growth shows how the popularity of being vegan is steadily growing and peaks are recorded when there is heightened media coverage.
2. Local Food, Place and People has been a topic of interest over the past 6 months and remains just as important today, specifically for 'having farm/estate branding on menu, having shorter seasonally abundant menus and the use of urban farms', which have recorded year-on-year growth of 10% or more since August 2020. This is likely to have been driven by concerns around carbon footprints which have recently been highlighted in the news.
3. Although the most important sustainability issues when dining out saw a slight dip in August, there has been a year-on-year growth, specifically for 'seasonal ingredients, and menus with more plant-based dishes' which have grown by more than 10%. The recent interest has most likely been driven by the latest reports released by the UN.
4. Consumer interest in modern cuisines are growing, with year-on-year growth since last August recorded for Mexican and Modern Chinese. Although participation in the lesser well-known cuisines isn't as high, interest is growing. Do diners want to travel through their taste buds?
5. Plant-based, Vegan and Street-food remain popular among consumers; most likely driven by Local Food, Place and People and overall concerns around carbon footprints.
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