It’s been more than a year since my last blog post on this website. What used to be a monthly thing has now turned into a yearly thing—from regular restaurant reviews and food finds to yearly food trends. Writing and publishing my own blog post reminds me that what I do is more than just “cooking.” I also develop recipes and design menus both for myself and the clients and brands I work with. In order to keep their food and beverage selections appealing and relevant, I always have to be in the know of the latest trends and emerging patterns in the culinary world. Throughout the year, I’m always on the constant lookout for trends, trying to feel the market on what could possibly be the next big thing—what’s hot and what’s not. This “2019 year in review” and “2020 food trend forecast” may have come much later than I’d hoped, there’s just too many tragic things happening in our world today. I did not want to upload this in January - too many things were going on. But I think Valentine’s Day came at just the perfect and appropriate time for posting this. The atmosphere and overall feeling all around seems much later compared to the year’s gloom and doom start. Here is a list of thoughts I’ve gathered throughout 2019, which will be informing my recipe development and menu planning decisions this 2020: TRENDS THAT ARE GOING STRONG (AND GETTING STRONGER) The popularity of such eating trends is no surprise. These types of diets have been in existence for many years now, but what has caught my attention is the way it is packaged and branded now. One, eating healthy has attracted a greater following and more attention from the media because of the problem of global warming becoming more obvious. Before Al Gore’s first Inconvenient Truth documentary (and in the years after it as well), people didn’t pay much attention to caring for the environment. But now, loving the earth has become trendy as well. Concepts such as zero-waste living, sustainability, urban farming, and more, are becoming increasingly popular. I believe that the rise of these concepts is tied into the increased attention people have been giving to healthy eating practices (no-meat diets, plant-based living, vegetarianism, etc.). Two, thanks to the wonders of Instagram, Pinterest, and people’s desire for pretty packaging, the healthy snacks of today come in more appealing boxes and wrappers than ever before. The branding and design elements of products related to this healthy eating trend capitalize on the fact that people like beautiful and Instagrammable things. 2.) Belonging in a (food) community If cultural changes like addiction to social media and increased eco-anxiety for the earth have both influenced the healthy eating food trend, then I firmly believe that the world’s growing loneliness problem has created a shift in the way people perceive the act of eating itself. We see the prevalence of the problem of loneliness concretely documented in credible statistical reports about the rise of depression cases, suicides, and number of people with anxiety disorders. Even in a world so hyper connected via the internet, people feel lonelier than ever. Observe the spread and success of co-working spaces and businesses—you have WeWork, Acceler8, and more. In the same way, the food world is affected by the loneliness epidemic. What is trendy now are public kitchens, supper clubs, soup groups, and meal delivery services and food-related newsletters that make people feel like they are part of an exclusive community or club. Also, take note of the unprecedented success of the Let’s Eat Pare group on Facebook. It is an active and engaged community that has hundreds of thousands of members—each one is bound to the other, all because of their love for food. 3.) Easy luxury Influencer culture was still very much alive in 2019 and will continue into 2020. However, as more people try to make it into the digital spotlight, more of them become learned in the ways of marketing and communications. People are more aware than ever of what’s real and what’s fake. They know the effort that goes into social media posts, ad campaigns, and commercials. People have a bigger peak into the world of media than the people a couple of decades ago could never have dreamed of. (Now, anyone can get their five seconds of fame!) They also have less patience and mercy in dealing with self-absorbed influencers that have no “cause” or “advocacy.” And so, people gravitate towards influencers whom they deem as sincere and authentic. Today, it is preferable to dazzle people with what seems easy, effortless, and still luxurious.Take the cheese plate, for example. It is ridiculously easy to assemble, but it gives off such a “simply luxurious” or “easy luxury” vibe. We also have the various “bowls” that are popular amongst Instagram and Youtube influencers. Such food bowls follow the cheese plate’s same “easy luxury” vibe. Examples of these bowls are: buddha bowls, poke bowls, acai bowls, and even a bowl of oatmeal with beautifully arranged elements on top of it. And last but not the least, a whole new concept of dining at home and experience will slowly emerge or has already made an opening for caterers and restaurant owners. I’m talking about this Samgyup sa Bahay concept—the first food business that delivers ready to cook ingredients at the comforts of your home. Talk about a new concept in catering service. It’s a more interactive way of enjoying food at home—minus the traffic and lessening the threat of getting the feared Corona virus. I have even tried entertaining guests last Christmas with a Shabu-Shabu/hotpot lunch at home. It’s a whole new kit with the package of food, equipment, and sometimes personnel service within easy reach. 4. Merging Food with Tech
In the past, the first few food delivery apps were pioneered by the culinary world’s bigger players—megacorporations like McDonald’s, Jollibee, Pizza Hut, etc. They would have their own apps customized for their specific brands. This was intimidating, especially for medium sized businesses who wanted to get in on the action as well. But today, SMEs have an equal chance of making it big on these platforms. The barriers of entry have lessened and now technology is more accessible than ever to elevate the businesses of these entrepreneurs. - - - One thing is for sure, this 2020 and the years moving forward, the food world will be greatly affected by the shifts in culture or circumstances. This is a phenomenon that has been happening since the beginning of human history. But the presence of social media and the changes in technology today make this reality even greater and more obvious for the people of this day and age. Cheers to a new year!
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AuthorIm Chef Peach and it's obvious that I love food. In fact, I love food so much that I decided to make it my profession. You know what's ironic, I was a Finance graduate! Archives
January 2021
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