2022 is serving a fresh batch of food and drink trends catered to the new, conscious consumer.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, April 1, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — A report compiled by real-time customer collaboration and insights company Bulbshare has detailed 10 of the hottest food trends right now. The future of food is sustainable, health-conscious, and driven by rapid digital innovation.
The report reveals some surprising trends: Not only is today’s consumer an experimental health idealist and ecologically minded, but they’re also more likely to embrace the possibilities technology can bring to their relationship with food, and to want to grow their own food.
“The past two years have dramatically changed almost every aspect of our lives, from the way we work to how we play and workout,” says Bulbshare CEO Matt Hay. “Food, fundamental as it is to our survival, is no exception. The next 12 months will see revolutionary new consumer behaviours, progressive lifestyles and eccentric eating habits.”
These are the top 10 trends that will define the future of food as detailed by Hay.
1. Digital dining
QR codes made a major comeback in 2020, with restaurants using them to allow customers contactless access to menus. But their potential applications go much further. They also have the potential to become an augmented reality portal into nights ‘out’ with friends and family across the world. QR codes aren’t the only way digital technology will change eating out either. Restaurants could, for example, recreate physical spaces in the metaverse (as Chipotle has already done in the Roblox gaming platform).
2. Freshly clicked food
Where family recipes were once closely guarded secrets, people can now access a galaxy of recipes at their fingertips. Trends catch like wildfire until everyone is recreating ‘the TikTok pasta recipe’ with feta and tomatoes or whipping their own Dalgona. And the more people get involved, the further the word spreads. In fact, 54% of respondents source their recipes on social media, particularly TikTok.
3. Waste-free cooking
There’s no room for waste. 79% of the respondents are initiating waste-free cooking in 2022 and as sustainability grows ever more important, using every part of every ingredient will be the new norm.
4. Mushroom magic
People are paying attention to what they consume, and more and more, they’re looking
for superfoods that can pack nourishment. One in two respondents thinks mushrooms are a superfood and think mushroom powder, mushroom coffee, and mushroom shakes are the future.
While mushrooms are the ones to watch right now, they’re not the only superfood on
the menu, with 65% of respondents vowing to incorporate more brain foods into their diet, and 80% intending to eat more healthily overall.
5. C.B.Delicious
It’s becoming increasingly clear that CBD is much more than a passing trend. In the UK alone, the CBD market was predicted to generate £690-million in sales for 2021, vastly surpassing previous predictions. It should hardly be surprising then that 54% of respondents predicted CBD will be even more popular this year especially in cooking.
6. Sourcing locally and growing your own
One of the best ways to support communities is to source our food locally. It’s also a far more sustainable approach than buying produce shipped from across the world.
As such, 68% of respondents will be sourcing food locally and 42% will be growing their own food – with 58% predicting the trend will grow. 60% are attempting to only
eat low air-mile food.
7. Home-cooked and wholesome
People are keener than ever to make homemade food. Some 80% of respondents report wanting to cook more at home arguing that it gives them greater visibility of what goes into their meals. Half of respondents also feel more confident in the kitchen post-COVID-19.
8. The continued rise of subscription services
Initially the preserve of startups such as HelloFresh and Blue Apron, big-name retailers are now providing food subscriptions too. The rise of these services can be attributed to cost, convenience, curation, and potential for personalisation. 61% of the community have tried a subscription service before while 43% of respondents said they would engage in a food subscription service in 2022.
9. Abstemious alcohol and sober spirits
People are trying to take a healthier approach to drinking with some 59% of respondents expecting alcoholic abstinence to become a trend. Additionally, 83% are familiar with dry January, and 30% put a lid on the bottle for the month. Of those who abstained in January, 40% hope to carry on their healthier relationship with alcohol into the following months. Around 52% of respondents also think alcohol free spirits will be a big trend.
10. Pea milk, potato milk and plant based produce
Once on the fringe, we’ve witnessed an increase both in vegans and in the products available to them. Half of the UK customer community have tried to cut out meat in some way during their lifetime, with 12% of the Bulbshare community being vegan, 7% identifying as plant-based, 19% classified as vegetarian, 13% being flexitarian, and 8% being pescetarian.
Some 48% of the community think veganism will become an even bigger trend this year- and 61% think plant-based foods will be more popular. More than half (51%) of respondents said they drink vegan milk alternatives, with soy and almond milk voted as most popular types. Of those who had previously dropped meat in their diet, 88% were also drinking plant milk.
A milk trend we may not have anticipated though, is the rise of pea milk, with 49% of the community saying they are seeing pea and potato milk now more than ever – and 1 in 5 expecting it to become more popular due to its low carbon footprint.
Download the full Bulbshare report here.
About Bulbshare:
Bulbshare’s global insight communities drive 1000s of real-time responses every day in over 50 markets worldwide – allowing the organisations we work with to make more agile, reactive and customer-led decisions. From product heat mapping to virtual workshops to AI response analysis, our technology is changing the face of consumer insight and revolutionising how brands develop products.
PD Hattingh
Irvine Partners
pd@irvinepartners.co.uk
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