Trusting your instincts…Intuitive and Mindful food choices for 2023
As we return to work, many of us have kicked started the year with a healthy approach to eating, whilst rejecting a ‘diet’ mentality.
In 2023, we expect to see our customers eating more intuitively and mindfully. They will be focused on getting what they want to eat when they want it. Customers are more descriptive in their choices, whether that be dietary, allergens or just simply, personal preference. With agile working hours here to stay, we have to be on hand to offer a more flexible approach to the opening hours of our restaurants and the structured times of service by innovative fluid menus. We also expect to the see a more thrifty approach to spending, with many focusing on the more affordable options, and value for money dishes that save cooking at home.
Variety is key for customers to make considered meal choices. The growing market for plant-based dishes continues to rise. Our Eat with the Earth in Mind concept was curated to offer a more sustainable approach to eating without limiting choice and flavour.
Spicy!!
Subtle and delicately spiced is the new hot food trend. Mindful eating demands a sensory experience. Chillies and spices will certainly amplify the flavour of a dish through refined fiery infusions. We expect to see the continuation and enhancement of favourite international dishes. African cuisine is on the rise- spice blends like smokey harissa, umami-driven shito, and tangy berbere are predicted to be mainstays of the spice scene. Spicy and wholesome dishes that are easily adaptable to suit customer’s tastes look set to sit centre stage.
A newfound love for Guinness
The Irish staple is surging in popularity. The drink of the moment is rich in antioxidants and iron and surprisingly, lower in calories than most beers. Cooking with a pint of the black stuff is also seeing a revival. When the unmistakeable rich, roasted wheat flavour finds its way into food, it lends a new dimension to the dish. Watch out for some of London’s top chefs incorporating it in their sweet and savoury dishes. Also, the zero-alcohol alternative is amazing and as near damn it as the real thing. If I was served blindfolded, I’m not sure I’d know that it isn’t the real deal.
And finally, like Guinness’s variation in product, consumers are expected to continue to drive the unparalleled growth of the alternative foods market. Restaurants and workplaces are embracing this demand .The environmental and food security benefits are encouraging but the alternative proteins must taste and feel as good as the conventional foods they replace in order to eat more mindfully, boost energy and of course, satisfy the most intuitive of eaters.
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