As professionals in the food industry, we can’t wait to indulge on the latest dishes and drinks in this new year. At the last Food Connections meeting we discussed how 2020 changed the food world and how those changes affected our predictions for the new year. Thanks to the diverse backgrounds and perspectives in Food Connections, there were varied ideas about what might change in the world of food service and restaurants in 2021.
Takeaway/ Giveback
Some of us who were novices to eating takeout came to be very comfortable with eating on-the-go this past year. Darcy Iserman loves the way takeout food has become elevated, and is inspired by the ambitious take-home meal kits. Jill Holter says that thanks to the home focus, and rise of so many new home chefs, “We’ve been caring deeply about where our food comes from.”
Sue Lang thinks that restaurants will be branching out with ways to take your cocktail kit home.
High Bar
With the challenges of 2020, our lives got a bit closer to home. The more concentrated focus on home cooking inspired many to become more comfortable in the kitchen. Amy Goetz thinks this will lead to more savvy restaurant goers in the future, as we’ve been “building a more confident food culture.”
Say Cheese
Instagram became our maître d’ this past year, and so we were all inspired to elevate our Netflix snacking. Chatcuritre boards were the perfect mix of simple and swanky for everyone to try their hand at food-prep. Many shared recent stories of creating beautiful charcuterie boards so we predict high-end cheese, crackers and spreads will come into the mainstream. Articles here and here highlight the rise of this trend. Sue Lang predicts that there won’t be an event in the “after times” that doesn’t come along with an edible addition, as a way to make everyone feel like part of the party.
Food Connections is a group that connects people who work in all capacities of the food industry to establish networking relationships and share in the joys and struggles of the food scene. Want to be a part of the discussion next time? It’s free to join! Shoot us an email at info@foodmarketing.com and join our LinkedIn and Facebook groups to stay connected.