Our seasonwatching Summer 2024 report is now live on the hub! And though the weather may have been rather cold and damp this year… restaurants and retailers alike have worked hard to make sure our tastebuds, at least, are fired up. Our annual roundup of all things summer looks at trending flavours, dishes, techniques, soft drinks, cocktails, desserts and more.
Three key takeouts from our report are:
1. New Ice Age – Summer has ushered in a revival of ancient, icy desserts – as well as bringing cool (pun intended!) techniques to the fore. And there's something for everyone… There are granitas and shaved ice (e.g. sweet Korean bingsu), for instance, and look out for Afghan 'sheer yakh' ice cream, fragrant with rose water and cardamom. Indeed, flavour and technique twists in the ice cream sphere abound. Think tropical twists on Italian gelato, for the ultimate summer refresher. Piña colada gelato with pineapple, huacatay and coconut cream, anyone?
2. Hot Grill Summer – Whether on a plancha, over coals or under the grill indoors (because of the classic British summertime, of course!)… the barbecue (or imitations thereof) continues to be a defining feature of summer. The UK National Burger Awards saw a smash burger crowned 'champion of champions', hot dogs are ditching the ketchup & mustard for truffle or heaps of pulled pork, bacon & cheese sauce. Meanwhile barbacoa taco meal kits minimise prep time whilst maximising taste, ribs leave no bone to pick when it comes to flavour, be they lamb, pork or beef whilst the age-old method of grilling meat on a stick gives rise to wagyu yakitori, spicy lamb kofte and more.
3. Critical Drinking – The drinks space is pouring huge measures of progress when it comes to flavour. Cryo-concentration intensifies the flavour of fresh juice by removing the water content as ice, which can then be melted to offer gradients of dilution for other drinks, meaning zero waste, too! Tomatoes drive flavour profiles in multiple sectors, but most notably in drinks; from the newly iconic 'Tomatini' with a Caprese garnish or the distillation of provenance in heirloom tomato juice, to a tomato & ginger cordial! Meanwhile, heat is still on everybody's lips, and the spicy margarita (aka picante) gets a makeover with the addition of peach, watermelon, sweetcorn, coriander and other unexpected twists.
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trendhub subscribers can access the full 109-page Summer 2024 seasonwatching report on the hub, here. If you're not yet subscribed, but are interested to find out more, please get in touch.