5
FOOD TRENDS
FOR EVENTS
Kerry Pearce
Kerry Pearce , head chef at The Venues Collection ’ s Kents Hill Park shares the five food trends influencing what and how we will be eating over the next year
1
Sustainability This is a huge focus for our industry as we start to see events come back , especially with the eyes of the world focused on COP26 next month . The whole food event chain , from supplier , to venue to organiser and to delegate will be taking a collective responsibility for their part in ensuring event food choices are sustainable . We ’ ll see a rise in circular agriculture and vertical farming to bring food production into built up areas and thus reduce transportation .
Event organisers can really make a big difference because their choices impact on so many delegates ; if they choose their partners wisely and work with a venue who has already integrated sustainably into their menus , takes a zero-waste approach and is working towards Carbon Net Zero it will alleviate any eco-anxiety they have about how to achieve a sustainable and balanced menu .
2
Plant-based Plant-based food will carry on growing in popularity and I also predict that a new trend of ‘ plant-first ’ food will lead the way .
Plant-first describes a way of creating a meal with the plant as the main ingredient and the star of the show , meat is still present , but just with a supporting role – such as burgers made from 50 % meat and 50 % mushroom . Moves such as these are encouraging more people to think differently and not to plan their meals around meat .
3
Zero food waste The western world throws away about one third of all food , so we all will be working harder to achieve zero-waste in our food choices and taking a root-to-stem , nose-to-tail approach to ensure that nothing is wasted . We will also see more recycled and reusable packaging too .
4
Health and wellbeing The old saying ‘ you are what you eat ’ has never been truer . How you fuel your body has a big impact on your health and wellbeing . This has been a key trend for the past few years , and it will continue to be a huge focus , especially for the 48 %* of people who said they put weight on during the lockdowns .
Foods that promote brain power , gut health , supports a healthy immune system or even contain natural remedies will be popular .
5
Mindful food This trend includes many of the other trends – but it just encompasses us all becoming far more mindful of what we are eating , how it is produced , how it travelled to us and of course how much we eat . People are already becoming more aware of the power : they must choose the right food to fuel their bodies by selecting different protein options , avoiding allergens and personalising their meals without causing waste . CN
l King ’ s College London and Ipsos MORI survey 2021 www . conference-news . co . uk