Food and Hospitality trends for 2011 as predicted by Baum + Whiteman, International Restaurant Consultants from New York.

I still find it fascinating to stay up to date with food and hospitality trends around the world. I found this article which highlights trends for this year. Some trends are perhaps more suited to America...but none the less interesting for us here in Africa.
I will kick off with the first few trends....and follow up with the balance of the 15 trends later.

Old Italian Favourites are making a return..... such as Meatballs and gravy....except my version here is a meatless Monday version!

Apparently this trend is so popular that Disney have opened a Meatball and Beer Bar, as well as some establishments offering Meatball Monday's....as opposed to our following of Meatless Monday's here in South Africa!

Money will always be available for fine dining experiences at good restaurants.

Competition between retailers for the Grab - and  - Go business.

 

Items such as pre packed salads, sandwiches, prepared meals and bakery items are popular as the pressure on working mothers increases. Food retailers and others are catering for this market and competing for a bite of the grab and go business.
I still believe in being old fashioned and baking my own treats, as illustrated in the image above!

Me, preparing for some catering at the Yacht Club.

Chefs and Restaurateurs have learnt the value of creating Pop Up Restaurants by using catering vans and wagons whereby they can take the food to the customers....this is a bonus to the restaurateur as they do not have to carry the fixed costs of a permanent establishment.
In a reversal of Roles, the chef now moves to where the customers are located, and not the customers searching for a suitable eatery!

Everyone is looking for a slice of the lucrative breakfast business.

  Many traditional fast food outlets are creating breakfast type meals that slot into their individual brands. Together with the grab and go business, the early morning breakfast business is just as important.

Celebrity Chefs are promoting healthy eating at schools.

Many celebrity chefs have created a following at local schools, where healthy meals are prepared according to the school budget. Together with this education on basic nutrition, eating local and ethical is also being promoted. Some schools even start their own vegetable gardens and encourage  the children to start creating their own small herb and vegetable patches at home if possible.


The balance of these food and hospitality trends will follow next time.