2022 Food and Operation Trends Part 2

Food trends are a great way of studying the competition and staying ahead of the game. Not only do food trends give you insight of what you will see on your plate for the next few months, but they can also open your eyes creatively. Product improvement and reinvention are at the forefront of every company right now. We are all looking to adapt and continue to innovate. Let’s take a look at part 2 of 2022’s trends!

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·????????High end fine dining losing steam?

-?????????More casual concepts are beginning to take the reigns of the food industry. Fine dining giants have been finding ways to reduce the size of their menus to alleviate stress on their own operations.

-?????????Store front counters are now becoming more commonplace as staffing struggles continue. The old model of having 20-30 waiters at one’s disposal to put out elaborate tasting menus is slowly becoming unfeasible. Having a sommelier that is able to float from table to table educating consumers is becoming increasingly rarer, as most restaurant staff are having to fill multiple shoes.

-?????????Sommeliers/Cicerones are finding ways to still educate though and are an amazing tool for a restaurant/company to have. Individuals have taken to Zoom to teach classes about wine from afar, or to even market their company while not being able to be in the restaurant. If there is less time to touch a table and speak directly to the consumer due to staffing demands, there is still an outlet and a way for consumers to become more educated.

-?????????Restaurants are also creating wine clubs through these programs, which I highly recommend! This is an excellent way to step out of one’s normal order and get something selected by a highly educated professional.

Check out thestayathomesomm.com??One of my favorite online tools for wine education!

·????????Meal kits, meal kits, meal kits…

-?????????Look for these to start to calm down with restaurants re-opening and Covid 19 rates lowering.

-?????????However, we are still seeing restaurants come up with solutions to combat rising inflation rates. Multiple income streams for restaurants/hospitality entities are of extremely high importance right now.

-?????????Eleven Madison Park (THE fine dining giant in the U.S) is the latest to release a new meal kit program. A year ago, Eleven Madison Park become completely vegan and has recently posted news of a new vegan meal kit subscription. It will not be for the ordinary household but does tie in with the above statement of; More revenue streams/Counter service/Labor shortage in fine dining. Below is an excerpt from finedininglovers.com regarding this news.

-?????????“The current menu features whole-grain oatmeal with roasted pecan butter and rhubarb compote, tortilla soup with hominy, black bean & crispy tortillas, and mushroom kebab with Israeli couscous. However,?Eleven Madison Home?won’t feed a hungry family on the cheap, with a price point of $150 for one or $285 for a larger kit that feeds two.”

-?????????This is obviously pricey but look for others to follow suit!

Photo: timeout.com (Inside look at EMP's home meal kit)

·????????A5 Wagyu finally coming to a supermarket near you?

-?????????Japanese agriculture is planning to triple the export of wagyu by 2025 compared to the volume of 2019 according to Nations Restaurant News. Photo: A5Wagyu

-?????????The international meat department of Japan are expected to export to 10 Pacific nations and the EU once tariffs on beef imports are eliminated.

-?????????There is no benchmark for how this will affect the US markets but it is a step in seeing production rise, and potential lower prices.

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·????????Cooking oil shortage and rising prices

-?????????We are beginning to see more and more agricultural shortcomings due to the war in Ukraine. This time we are seeing a shortage of sunflower oil, and RBD palm oil due to export ban in Indonesia.

-?????????Business Insider states that UK supermarket Tesco has begun to put a cap on cooking oil. Customers will only be able to purchase a max of two bottles.

-?????????Greece, and Belgium have also begun following suit limiting their supplies to 2/3 bottles per customer.

-?????????UK supplies of sunflower oil will run out in a few short weeks.

Flavor Trends

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·????????Bocadillo Sandwich

-?????????This Spanish sandwich is served using an entire baguette, or demi baguette. There are less condiments on this style of sandwich, but instead focuses on the quality of meat inside of the sandwich.

-?????????Look for these to be stuffed with high quality serrano, iberico hams, chorizo, or tuna.

-?????????A great way to innovate this is with Tuna that is being prepared in the style of hams by many fine dining restaurants!

Photo: Spruceeats.com (Bocadillo with cured ham)

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·????????Plant Based Fast Food

-?????????Fast food brands are using the successful model of “old, but new” to start a wave of plant-based eating.

-?????????We are seeing the Impossible Whopper from Burger King and now the McPlant from McDonalds. Fast food giant Panda Express has also started to do their famous orange chicken with plant-based chicken.

-?????????It is too early to say how successful all of these items will be after the trend slows down, but right now it is red hot.

-?????????Sustainability needs to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind, and to attract more consumers to eat fast food, it will need to be approachable and environmentally attractive.

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·????????Seaweed/Seaweed Kimchi

-?????????I am most excited about this upcoming innovation in the seaweed/kimchi market.

-?????????Recently I was able to taste some kimchi that was made from a base of kelp. Cut into rings and fermented it added a wonderfully salty/umami bite.

-?????????This is still a relatively new concept being developed, but I’ve tasted some great varieties that are sure to hit supermarkets soon.

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There are many happenings and changes going on throughout the world’s supply chain. We will most certainly see trends begin to be driven by what items are available, and what items will be profitable to produce. As we have seen throughout history, scarcity can lead to the biggest innovation. It is amazing what we can do as people when we are forced out of our comforts, and into our creative realm.

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Have a great week!

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Stephen