If it feels like you’ve suddenly become surrounded by foodies, you’re not alone.
According to the National Restaurant Association’s 2024 “What’s Hot Culinary Forecast,” social media is influencing how consumers cook, eat and interact with restaurants. And it’s now an essential ingredient to culinary professionals’ work, whether it’s incorporating social media trends into dishes or using social media to send a dish viral.
All that food & beverage content your audiences are consuming in their personal lives means chances are your event attendees’ expectations for an experience are higher. Event menus could become key talking points in marketing campaigns as well.
Among macro trends the “What’s Hot” report identifies, in addition to social media trends, are regional menus, streamlined menus, restaurants as entertainment, and inventory optimization (read: less waste). Overall, the association’s survey found that comfort foods with a twist are on the menu this year.
More F&B Trends:
- Sampling: Seedlip Shares Five Insights on the Booming Non-alcoholic Spirits Movement
- Hot Property: Three Ways to Activate a Farmers Market Experience
- Experiential Sampling: Five Brands Savoring the Comfort Food Trend
Top Trends include:
- World stage soups and stews
- Global chicken wings
- International BBQ
- Grilled or cooked cheese
- Wagyu beef
- Stuffed vegetables
- Hot honey breakfast sandwiches
Top Flavors include:
- Nashville hot (an example of regional flavor)
- Everything bagel spice
- Agave syrup
- Turmeric ginger
- Hibiscus
Culinary professionals say they’re seeing an increase in demand for “beverages that boost energy” but that are also healthy.
Top Alcohol Trends include:
- Botanical cocktails
- Hard coffees
- Low-alcohol cocktails
Other trending and emerging items this year include birria, a spicy and smoky stew to “elevate tacos, sandwiches, nachos, poutines, pasta and more.” Cannabis-infused dishes are also on the rise, as are exotic, tangy produce like calamansi (a Philippine lime) and cucamelon (an exotic cucumber).
COMFORT FOOD CREATIONS
In the 2024 Pinterest Predicts report, compiled from user activity, “mouthwatering mashups” are getting attention from Gen X and Boomer foodies. Think: burger quesadillas, pizza pot pies, gummy candy kabobs and carbonara ramen. Meanwhile, an “escapist aesthetic” has the attention of Gen Z via menu items like Hawaiian sheet pan chicken, pineapple upside down cake and tropical mocktails.
Photos: Courtesy of National Restaurant Association
