Trend analysis 2020
For the 16th year in a row, Food & Friends has been trend spotting for the coming year. 2020 has a lot to offer - how about food wrapped in food, Taiwanese cheese tea and mushroom coffee?
Preface taken from "The woke up call - Food & Friends trendspotting 2020":
Many of the changes made in food and drink are good: Reducing environmental impact. Improving packaging. Making the most of waste. Developing its physical and mental impact. But this is not enough. Expectations continue to rise, now with a focus on social issues: how can what we eat make a difference in other people's lives? The answer is on your plate in the form of new ingredients, unexpected techniques and a renewed focus on local production. Our choices around food and drink can be part of the solution. Time to wake up to new norms in the food world.
Food Halls
The idea of several different restaurants in the same space is not exactly new, but the concept has been upgraded and is expected to evolve even further. In the Food Halls, you can expect a restaurant-level experience on your visit. The food, the drinks, the porcelain and the glasses, everything should feel "real". In Food Halls we can meet in large groups and everyone can eat exactly what we want. It's perfect!
Asian food
The Asian trend continues to grow. Japanese curry, Chinese Bings, Steamed Rice Rolls and Filipino cuisine are some of the new trends. It's also time to learn how to drink cheese tea*. Yep, tea with cheese!
*Cheesetea - cold tea topped with cream cheese, cream, milk, sugar and salt whipped into a fluffy foam.
Portable food
We eat more and more on the go and a hot trend to make it easier to take your food with you in a more environmentally friendly way is food wrapped in food, which means you only need a napkin to take your meal with you. Full speed ahead!
Do good
What we eat accounts for about a third of our climate impact, and climate and environmental aspects continue to be a big part of food trends, but social issues are also important to work with. In addition to climate and environmental issues, companies are increasingly expected to act on social issues, "to do good". In the restaurant and retail world, we already find many examples of helping vulnerable people.
Locally produced
The 2019 Food Report from Food & Friends shows that local produce is the most important factor when we shop. And now our farmers have started experimenting with crops that are not usually considered Swedish. How about sweet potatoes, quinoa and wasabi from Sweden?
Restaurants and bars are increasingly interested in locally produced ingredients. They have a long history of offering local delicacies and local is becoming increasingly important. But shops are also showing interest, not least when it comes to fresh meat. We want to see more of this!
New ingredients on the plate
We are constantly looking for variety on the plate and are increasingly looking to replace meat as a source of protein. One of the ingredients we will see more of is mushrooms. Many Asian cuisines already use mushrooms as a basic ingredient. We can expect mushrooms in all its forms, even in coffee!
You may have already heard about the mushroom coffee, as it has already become big in the US and elsewhere. Now the phenomenon is predicted to take off at home as well. Mushrooms are full of antioxidants and have several positive health effects. Fit and healthy at the same time, great!
Protein from virtually nothing
Finland's Solar Foods has created a process to extract protein from carbon dioxide, water and sunlight. The product is called Solein and is planned to go into production in 2021. In other words, protein from virtually nothing - wow!
Read the full trend spotting from Food & Friends here: The woke up call - Food & Friends, trend spotting 2020.
