Spotlighting the trends and events that have occurred over the years in the month of July, as featured in our new 18 Years In Food & Beverage Trends EBook. Below, we've pulled together five highlights and moments from between 2006 and 2023.
thefoodpeople was established in 2005 rooted in our purpose to shift the future of food and drink by inspiring and informing people, business and institutions to harness the power of trends and foresight. Why do we do what we do? Well, we believe that food & drink connects us all, by working with our community, industry and our collaborators, positive impact in food & drink can shape a better future for all.
Since then a lot has changed across the food and beverage landscape, change that we've looked to capture in our latest edition of the EBook, 18 Years In Food & Beverage Trends. We look at what events, people, culture, regulations, technologies, and products defined these years, as well as the changes and impact on these for the future.
Here are some of the highlights captured from month of July between 2006 and 2023.
July 2009 - This was the year that canned wine shone through. Australian company Barokes made history when their Cabarnet Shiraz Merlot won Gold Medal at the Berlin Wine Trophy Awards. Each serve is 250ml, with light cans that can be easily recycled. In the restaurants business, Heston Blumenthal announced that he was opening his second restaurant (and first in London) - Dinner by Heston, in collaboration with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Whilst 2009 saw the start of the global spread of Scandinavian food philosophy and the all-natural approach to eating and drinking. René Redzepi, head chef at the world-famous Noma, Copenhagen, was one of the pioneers spearheaded this new age of Scandi food.
July 2012 - This year saw shrubs making a substantial come-back on the cocktail scene, especially with bartenders making shrubs their own way, using history as a source of inspiration. The summer of 2012 also saw somewhat of a revival for the humble British scone, often put down to a mixture of the Jubilee's influence as well as that of the London 2012 Olympics. Whilst at the Cateys Awards, Jason Atherton took home Best Chef and Quo Vadis, London, won Menu of the Year.
July 2015 - Activated charcoal started to hit our drinks in big style this summer as many of us began to utilise the health-giving properties of this previously unused food item. Also shining this summer in drinks was Rosé, with it being the go-to booze we were drinking. July saw Oppo, the low-calorie ice cream packed with superfoods, come to market. Whilst we also saw celebrity chef Jamie Oliver add a surcharge to all sugary drinks served in his restaurants in England.
July 2016 - We had seen it in cocktails back in 2014 but now was the sugary Gluttony Shakes: A fully-loaded, cataclysmic dose of sugar + cake + sprinkles + indulgence. Behold: The Freak shake. Blended burgers first came to market in 2014, but in 2016 they became bigger and better. In an effort to reduce the amount of meat in a burger the patty was blended with mushrooms. Elsewhere, we saw the rise of Savoury Danishes, for when you didn't want your treat to be so sweet.
July 2019 - Supermarket chain Waitrose trialled their first packaging-free store this summer, Unpacked, in Oxford. The trial aimed to provide a more environmentally friendly shopping option, to determine whether customers might be prepared to shop differently in the future. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay opened his latest restaurant venture, Lucky Cat, in London. Whilst The reign of the vegetable invaded the frozen dessert aisle, as veggie ice creams started to trend.
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A lot has happened in the month of July over the years - discover more in our 18 Years In Food & Beverage Trends EBook. Find out how you can get your copy here.