Future Food Update - February 2021

The Future Food Trend Tracker has now been tracking consumer behaviour for a year, and as such we have reviewed the topics covered and updated with additional emerging trends, which include lab grown meat, importance of meat sourcing and appeal of restaurants offering meal kits/part prepared meals.

Here are six key takeout's from the February 2021 panel:

1. Although year-on-year the proportion of Flexitarians has grown (when eating at home) and remained stable (when eating out), we have recorded a slight dip from January which most likely is due to the fact that media hype around Veganuary was heightened in January.
   
   
2. For eating out/ordering from a food delivery service locally sourced produce remains of upmost importance, and year-on-year plant-based offerings have become more prevalent, as has interest in restaurants using all parts of fruit and vegetables, which indicates growing consumer awareness around food wastage.
   
   
3. Lab Grown Meat is still in its appeal infancy but there is an appetite for it, with more than a fifth of experts and consumers being open to the use of it by restaurants. This indicates that there is potential for the use of it in the future as awareness grows, appeal is also likely to increase.
   
4. The type of meat offered is clearly important to many consumers, with ethical meat generating the highest levels of interest, following by the availability of meals for a climatarian diet, illustrating an area of growth.
5. There are a number of attributes consumers feel restaurant/food delivery services are missing and they are clustered around desserts, menu inclusivity and food presentation. They are aware that certain aspects are hard to replicate in this new environment but they feel they are lacking from the current offering.
   
   
6. Consumers are open to all types of food delivery from restaurants, specifically hot food, but also meal kits. This indicates an opportunity for local restaurants to diversify and cater for consumer needs during the pandemic but also through the exit roadmap and beyond.

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