Food Trends for 2020

A new decade is here, and that means Flavour Fields is starting to look at eating, dining, and cooking trends that could impact the way you experience food in the New Year. Food trends are incredibly important, particularly to a restaurant striving to be on the cutting edge of the industry. Here are a few emerging food trends we found from our friends over at Insider.com

Locavore eating

Whether you realize it or not, it’s true that more and more restaurants are turning to local ingredients year round when writing their menus. Ingredients sourced from nearby farms travel much less and are therefore fresher and taste better. It just makes sense!

Open kitchens

Gone are the days when a chef is banished to the kitchen, never to see the light of day (or the dining room for that matter). The times have changed, and guests want to see their food being prepared. They feel more comfortable about the cleanliness of a facility and enjoy watching the hustle and bustle of a modern kitchen. Alternatively, the chefs have an opportunity to observe the dining room, and make sure that the restaurant is being run the way they wish.

Amped up kids’ menus

Let’s face it, kids are picky. They will never not be picky. BUT, there have been some developments on that front. Today’s children, guided by their adventurous millennial parents are more willing to eat outside the box than ever before. Kids’ menus at restaurants are expanding, and becoming more diverse with their offerings. Goodbye chicken fingers hello pasta primavera!

Fermented beverages and non-alcoholic drinks

Guests want more options when it comes to n/a beverages. They want more than tea, water, and soft drinks. Enter, the emergence of the craft n/a beverages. Chefs and bartenders alike are geeking out over their brews and concoctions that are safe for everyone to drink from kombuchas and unusual teas to complex crafted cocktails. It’s time to ditch the booze. This trend is here to stay.

Biodynamic wine

For years, the only thing on a wine drinker’s mind has been “How good is the wine?” Now they’re starting to think “how good is the wine for me?” Many new up and coming wineries are starting to consider this more thoughtful approach to winemaking. But don’t get us wrong, making wine without the use of pesticides is hard, really hard. But as more and more drinkers begin to appreciate the fruits of their labor, more wine producers will start to take notice.