At the beginning of 2020 we started an exciting collaboration with Good Sense Research to create a regular Future Food Trend Tracker which sets out to demonstrate the relationship between future trend predictions and customer acceptance, readiness and importantly how that manifests over time. The end product is a report each quarter which shares actionable trends and insights for you and your business.
With the cost-of-living crisis pushing 64% of consumers to cut back on dining out, plus skyrocketing inflation and spiralling operational costs all off the back of the challenges of the pandemic, the UK foodservice industry has never had it tougher.
To stay on top, understanding and delighting your diners is essential.
Presenting the Future Food Trend Tracker - our ongoing monthly survey with 400+ consumers in collaboration with Good Sense Research, designed to help the industry understand and quantify the appeal of food trend predictions with consumers over time.
Our latest report reveals six pivotal consumer trends for 2023, transformed into action plans for foodservice businesses to lure in diners and keep seats full.
Detailed below are the six key insights from the 2023 Q1 report:
1. Comfort cuisines
Diners are increasingly seeking comforting, indulgent, and familiar eating experiences when dining out. The most popular cuisines of 2023 include British, Italian, and American which are often related to comfort, as well as Spanish and Greek which evoke escapist memories of Mediterranean holidays in the dark and cold of winter.
2. Meat strikes back
The number of diners ordering meat-based dishes when eating out or ordering from a restaurant delivery service has increased by 14% since 2020, compared to the number of diners ordering plant-based dishes which has remained relatively stable year-on-year. Diners are increasingly viewing meat as a 'treat' when eating out.
3. Waste not, want not
Restaurants that utilise every part of an animal or vegetable in menus have grown in appeal amongst diners, as diners start to care more about food wastage and become more knowledgeable about food.
4. Loving local
The use of locally sourced ingredients in menus is an important factor for 79% of diners as they choose where to eat out, or what to order from a food delivery service.
5. Is your menu in season?
A menu that includes seasonal ingredients is an increasingly important factor for diners as they choose where to eat out. The number of diners aware and interested in restaurants having shorter, seasonally abundant menus has also increased by nearly 15% since 2020.
6. The power of sustainability
Sustainability is an increasingly important factor for diners as they choose where to eat out. Restaurants that adopt sustainability initiatives have increased in appeal amongst diners by 6% since 2020. Despite being squeezed by the cost of living pressures, it will continue to be a pivotal factor for consumers in the medium and long term so it is important to place emphasis on it.
To receive the full report and find out more about Future Food this exciting collaboration between thefoodpeople and Good Sense Research click here.
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Webinar Replay: Future Food Trend Tracker 2023 Insights
Did you miss the exciting reveal of the Future Food Trend Tracker 2023 insights by Charles Banks (thefoodpeople) and Kelly Dowson (Good Sense Research) at the Hotel, Restaurant & Catering show last week and webinar?
Fear not - get comfy and catch them presenting all the crucial findings in yesterday's webinar replay!