According to a report from Food Business News, 84% of Millennials say they enjoy speciality foods. With that in mind, speciality foods and also beverages are a key focus for entrepreneurs and even larger businesses. So what exactly can we look for in the way of speciality food trends over the next year or so?
The following is a breakdown.
Upcycled Food
You may in the past few months have seen a lot of commercials for food that you can order that isn’t perfect or might have otherwise been discarded in a traditional grocery store setting.
Upcycled foods are produced using a traditional supply chain, but because of a reason that doesn’t impact the actual flavour, safety or overall usefulness of the food, they might have been thrown out.
With upcycled food, consumers like the ability to reduce their environmental impact. It’s a sustainable approach to food.
You can order a box of imperfect produce, for example, and it’ll be delivered to your door.
Plant-Based
The plant-based movement is picking up steam for a number of key reasons. First, there’s a positive environmental impact that can come from eating this way.
The second reason plant-based is popular right now is that many people feel it’s a healthier way to eat.
With that in mind, a lot of companies are creating products to appeal to people who are eating plant-based or maybe just dabbling.
Impossible Foods is one example, and a couple of years ago they got quite a bit of media attention for their Impossible Whopper that they partnered with Burger King on.
While burgers were the primary focus, now it looks like plant-based chicken and fish will likely grow in popularity.
For example, STIMULATE Foods recently introduced their Nuggs 2.0, which are vegan chicken nuggets.
Now, Sophie’s Kitchen and Good Catch are working on products like fishless tuna.
Egg alternative options will probably continue to expand. Eggs are a versatile food that you can use in various recipes and eat on their own, but there aren’t a huge amount of vegan or plant-based replacements right now.
Restaurants are wading into the plant-based world too. Michelin star chef Daniel Humm recently announced that his eatery Eleven Madison Park was going to have a completely vegan menu. His reasoning was primarily for sustainability, and it’ll be interesting to see if any other big names follow his lead.
Adapotgenic Beverages
Throughout the pandemic, mental health has become a key area of focus for so many people.
Consumers want to practice self-care, and they want to find creative ways to improve their mental health. These are probably some of the reasons the adaptogenic beverage craze is taking off.
Adaptogens are herbs that have been used in Ayurveda for thousands of years. Ayurveda is holistic traditional Indian medicine.
Adaptogens can theoretically help you deal with stress better, lower cortisol levels in the body, and boost your mood.
Now, you can get those benefits in delicious drinks.
A lot of brands are creating teas and flavoured waters that also include adaptogenic ingredients like ashwagandha and holy basil.
Functional ingredients, in general, are a big trend. People want what they eat and drink to boost their health in one way or another. There might be added vitamins or ingredients that are included in a food product for the purpose of boosting immunity, in addition to ingredients that help with stress.
Purposeful Purchasing
Consumers are increasingly showing that they’re interested in spending their money with the brands that share their values. Conscious consumption is important in food, so many brands are working on highlighting their ethical practices.
Cooking at Home
Even though many places are starting to open up entirely following the pandemic, people became more used to cooking and eating at home over the past year.
That’s also led to trends in speciality food.
For example, a lot of people are shopping online for speciality food items and international-inspired ingredients.
Low Alcohol Drinks
Finally, there is a huge demand for drinks that are alcohol alternatives or are low-alcohol.
Many people want to focus on the flavours of what they’re drinking, but they don’t want high alcohol content that is going to make them feel bad the next day.
Younger consumers, in particular, are starting to shy away from alcohol in general, and they see it differently than the generations before them which is likely driving this trend in a big way.
Additionally, people might be drinking less, but they want really high-quality products when they do.
