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EatingOut
| Hospitality Today | Winter 2020
News & Trends
The UK Eating Out Market is estimated
to have grown 1.3% to £91bn in 2019,
down from 1.4% in 2018. However, a
modest recovery is expected across the
next three years, with forecasted growth
of 1.8% in 2020, 2.0% in 2021 and 2.1%
in 2022, according to the UK Eating Out
Market Report 2019 from MCA.
To find out which key food and drink
trends will be shaping menus in 2020, the
trade show Casual Dining asked some of
its regular visitors. Over a dozen industry
experts took part. Between them they
operate over 8,000 venues, serving tens
of thousands of customers a day. These
businesses value keeping up with (or
ideally ahead of) of the latest trends in
consumer preference.
Health, sustainability and
plant-based foods top trends
list
While their responses were varied
– banana blossom, bergamot, better
beef, mussels, ‘seacuterie’, kohlrabi,
Asian broths, premium fried chicken,
protein drinks, British seasonal produce,
prebiotic ingredients, fermented veg,
alcohol free seltzers, coloured gins, and
Picpoul wine for example – the majority
agree that health, sustainability and
plant-based innovations will all continue
to have a big influence on what diners
will be eating and drinking in 2020.
The highlights of Casual Dining’s
research are below:
Delicious, fun & meat free – Brian Trollip,
ops director at Dishoom
We’re all pretty exhausted by the
constant squabbling, politics and
polarisation, and I think 2020 will be
great for anyone who helps people to
escape for a while and to have fun and
let go. Restaurants offering a delicious,
fun, inclusive experience with little or no
meat will do very well.
Sustainability = the new norm – Jane
Treasure, food & beverage director at
PizzaExpress
Consumers will be increasingly focused
on self and their sense of wellbeing,
plus their impact on the world. Strong
sustainable credentials to all ingredients
and removal of unnecessary packaging
will be expected and become the norm.
Mindful eating – Amir Ali, culinary
innovation strategist at Mitchells & Butlers
It’s hard to sell fish that are not one
of the big five (cod, haddock, tuna,
salmon and prawns). Aquaculture has
traditionally been given a bad rap – but
things are changing and eating mussels
is one way of getting good quality protein
while having a small impact on the
planet.