#F&B #pandemicmusings #trends
- Mommade & homemade food now represents safety, health & family bonding. Loads of ‘novice chefs’ means an increased demand for social media recipe videos. This is the perfect time for those who are passionate about cooking, to start documenting their recipes and skills. You never know what opportunity may come your way, after a while. Also my thinking is that all novice chefs love products that would help whip up a meal in a jiffy which means an increased demand for ready made gravies, sauces, spice blends from reputed brands. What do you think?
- Healthy Eating will see an uptick with vegan, plant based, immunity ‘boosting’ (wrong usage actually, ‘supporting’ is more #teamscience), gut health, vitamin C, antioxidants & superfoods continuing to be star words in the F&B industry. But ironically, I also think fast food chain restaurants will stay afloat because even when you don’t have money an AED 10 meal box will fit the bill for a treat.
- Single portions will be the new norm. Time to re-examine menus, portions and prices to cater to this new reality. If we are to consider the need for minimal contact even between those at the same table then perhaps are we talking about pizza by the slice ?
- As much as we love it, street food will take a hit with people wanting to avoid anything that ‘looks’ suspect or unhygienic. I do see a potential for F&B companies to pick up on this need and come up with some innovations.
- I also sense an increase in demand for highly talented ‘freelancing’ Chefs at competitive price points especially for small scaled private events & social gatherings by high-end consumers. Chefs are likely to welcome this demand given the income constraints faced by many.
- Food will definitely lose some of its social media glamour, restaurants that ‘made it’ because of their instagrammable décor and food presentation should have changed their strategy by now to stay afloat.
- Perhaps this should have been the first point but technology will no longer be an optional expense. Organizations will see it as an essential investment starting with digital menus and / or QR code menu cards, etc.
There's so much more in my head from what I've been gathering but i'll end it by saying that things are not easy. The pandemic is all about change and that too, fast change and a change like never before! Those that will learn to ‘cope’ with newer realities, will survive and i am not just talking about establishments, i am also talking about us as individuals. #staysafe #inthistogether