2016FOOD TRENDS

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MORE THAN 190 IDEAS ABOUT YOUR FUTURE

The National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot in 2016 culinary forecast shows that mature menu trends maintain momentum, while sub-trends evolve in their wake.

The annual survey of nearly 1,600 professional chefs – members of the American Culinary Federation – found that local sourcing and environ-mental sustainability continue to rule the top of the menu trends list for 2016, from overall culinary themes to more focused versions of thosethemes. Also prominent in the top 20 are various takes on global flavors.

“True trends evolve over time, especially when it comes to lifestyle-based choices that extend into other areas of our everyday life,” said HudsonRiehle, senior vice president of research for the National Restaurant Association.

"Chefs and restaurateurs are in tune with over-arching consumer trends when it comes to menu planning, but add their own twist of culinarycreativity to drive those trends in new directions. No one has a better view into the window of the future of food trends than the culinary professionals who lead our industry," Riehle said. "We are excited to see how foodservice establishments will incorporate these culinary trendsfor 2016," said Thomas Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC, national president, American Culinary Federation. “Chefs enjoy being creative and many of thesetrends give them the ability to do what they love: make fresh, delicious food for people to enjoy.”

There is some synchronicity among several of the top trends for 2016. For example, locally sourced items are tied to the grow-your-own conceptof hyper-local items, which in turn drills down to the make-your-own trend of house-made items.

Top 2016 food trends fuelevolution of menuswww.restaurant.org Nov. 5, 2015

International influences are also making a strong showing at the top of the list in2016, including ethnic condiments andspices, authentic ethnic cuisine, ethnic-inspired breakfast items, and street food.

Additional analysis of the survey results reveals which trends are gaining momen-tum and which ones are slowing down.For example, African and Middle Easternflavors are on the rise, while kale saladsand gluten-free cuisine are losing groundas hot trends.

When asked which current food trend hasgrown the most over that last decade, 44 percent of the chefs said local sourcing.Looking forward, 41 percent said thetrend that will grow the most in the nextten years is environmental sustainability.

In September 2015, the NRA surveyed1,575 American Culinary Federation members, asking them to rate 221 items as a “hot trend,” “yesterday’s news,” or “perennial favorite” on menus in 2016.

Download the NRA’s 18-page survey results absolutely free by visiting www.restaurant.org/FoodTrends

“No one has a better view into the future of food trends than the culinary professionals who lead our industry.” – Hudson Riehle, Senior V.P. of Research, National Restaurant Association

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www.foodingredientsfirst.com Nov. 17, 2015

  10 Food & Beverage Trends

1. Organic Growth for Clear Label“Clear label” established itself as a key trend in 2015, with greater transparency and the focus on simpler products with fewer artificialadditives taking “clean label” to the next level. The biggest surge inNPD has been reported in organic products, indicating that this will be a key platform going forward in the short term, although the challenges involved may result in more beneficial platforms for clearlabel in the longer term.

4. Processing the Natural WayEstablished food processing practices that have been around for centuries are in the spotlight. They bring with them a natural and authentic image to counteract some of the negative perceptions of heavily processed foods. The health benefits of fermented foods are seeing increasing awareness among western consumers. Newer technologies such as HPP (high pressure processing) may alsosucceed if they are seen as a fresh alternative to using preservatives.

The “clean eating” trend has inspired a back-to-basics approach in product development and is an overarching theme in our 2016 projections.

3. The “Flexitarian” EffectThe rise of part-time vegetarians, who have reduced their meat consumption because of health, sustainability and animal welfare concerns, is having a major impact on new product activity. This includes the technological development and promotion of better-tasting products more reminiscent of meat, as well as the use of alternative protein sources and more animal-friendly processes.

2. Free From For AllMany consumers don’t need products that are free from gluten,wheat and dairy, but demand them,believing them to be healthier. Industry has little choice but to respond and the recent surge in mainstream gluten free productshas been incredible. Other “freefrom” platforms are also expanding.

5. Green Light for VegetablesConsumers know that they need to eat more greens, but shy away because of taste expectations. Children can be encouraged to eat more through hidden vegetable products, while the rise of fusionsmoothies and high vegetable pastas indicates that adults can also be encouraged to increase their intake.

6. Creating a “Real” LinkThe rise of the Millennial consumer as a key product development target group has led to growing calls for a back-to-basics approach, to re-establish links with “real” food. “Real” is telling a story about where the product comes from and goes beyond certification alone. Consumers want to know that the product is local, sustainably sourced,or created by well treated and well-paid workers if it comes from a distant land. Staple foods from a specific region have a marketing advantage over generic staples. Williams said: “Big trends relating to the consumer where it comes from and making the link to ‘real’ food are on the increase.

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7. Small Players, Big IdeasBig companies used to have a few major competitors, now they havehundreds of small ones. Many of these small players only do one thing,but they do it well, which holds high appeal for discerning Millennialconsumers. Because they are less restricted in their developmentprocess, small companies are getting their ideas out much quicker andserving as inspiration for the big boys, who are resorting to copyingthem, or just buying them out altogether.

Williams took the rise in use of kale as an ingredient as a case in point:“If we look at kale, we separated out product launches that use kale as an ingredient, launches are being led by small companies. It hasbeen on-trend and there is a lot of conversation in the media and consumer press surrounding kale and it is all influenced by small companies that have become thought leaders. We need to be watching small companies to see what they do next.”

8. Beyond the AthleteMajor sports nutrition manufacturers have realized that they can only get so far in targeting the saturated niche of bodybuilders, eliteathletes and fitness fanatics in western markets. The benefits of sportsnutrition components such as protein and energy ingredients can beexploited by all demographic groups and manufacturers are thereforediversifying on the “healthy living” platform for everyone. Previouslyspecialized product portfolios are expanding into new categories,while some major manufacturers are launching products that in thepast could have been seen as the athlete’s domain.

“In terms of products that contain protein, the trend is not going away but it has definitely moved beyond the athlete now and becomea product for the mainstream. It is about healthy living and healthylifestyle. The categories with a lot of protein claims now include cerealsand baby food,” says Williams.

9. The Indulgence AlibiFor some categories such as desserts and chocolate, there will be novalid argument to take up a health positioning. It can be confusingand detrimental to a brand steeped on a premium and indulgent platform. But health conscious consumers do want to justify consuming a product purely for pleasure and therefore look for an excuse. A classic “indulgence alibi” can be the wholesome or natural quality of ingredients. The trend is also an opportunity to create smaller, but still highly indulgent treats.

“There will be a lot of change in portion size of these indulgenceproducts as well as guilt-free indulgence, particularly dark chocolate,” says Williams.

10. Tastes for New ExperiencesWell-traveled and highly adventurous consumers are expecting more authenticity and originality from food and beverages that they consume. They are looking for highly specific and authenticproducts from all corners of the globe. Their curious flavor palate is open to trying out new taste experiences, which can include combining apparently non-complementary flavors in a single bite or opening up to unusual textural ideas through layered flavors. Creative marketing and the development of 3D printing are just two platforms driving this innovative trend.

3. Beyond SrirachaHaving established that many Americans love spicy food, we’ll likely seerestaurants move beyond the now-ubiquitous Sriracha sauce.

This is a well-established practice at independent restaurants, many of which are making their own hot sauces, but new types of heat arespreading to chains, too (and of course the hot sauce bar is a signaturefeature of Firehouse Subs).

The Korean hot-sweet chile paste gochujang was on the Korean streettacos at California Tortilla earlier this year, and Noodles & Company isrolling out Korean meatballs with gochujang in 2016. If you see “Koreanbarbecue sauce” on a menu, chances are good that it’s gochujang.

Calabrian peppers also are popular among indies, and it’s also part ofbrunch at Romano’s Macaroni Grill. Yogurt with the North African spiceblend harissa was on the menu at Brick House Tavern + Tap this spring.The October limited time offer at Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Wild PepperTenderloin, was marinated in habanero pepper, aji amarillo and Szechuanpeppercorns. African piri piri and Middle Eastern Aleppo peppers also are spreading at independents.

There probably won’t be a single hot pepper or pepper sauce to replaceSriracha, but instead a proliferation of varieties to suit each restaurant andits customers.

4. A Lot of VegetablesJust as there will not likely be a new Sriracha, there probably won’t be anew kale. But the drumbeats of local/seasonal and farm-to-table continue,and they’re best expressed with produce, meaning the floodgates areopen for chefs to highlight and celebrate vegetables, offering them as thecenter of a meal rather than nutritional obligations. As chain restaurantsface requirements to post calorie information on their menus and menuboards, vegetables offer the opportunity to add color, flavor, texture andperceived value to dishes as starches (which, to be fair, are also vegetables)and high-fat proteins — and calorie counts — shrink.

Diced vegetable medleys are now common accompaniments for meatyentrées at independent restaurants, such as the blend that chef SerenaBass serves to accompany her lamb chops at Lido restaurant in New York.She combines butternut squash, celery root, carrots and sweet potato,hazelnuts and coriander seeds and roasts them all together with salt, pepper and olive oil.

Similarly, at Petrossian in New York, Richard Farnabe’s steak is accompaniedby diced roasted sunchoke in maple bourbon sauce.

1. Clean LabelsAmericans are likely going to continue seeking out clean labels andsomewhat lighter options, while continuing to eat bacon doublecheeseburgers with seeming abandon. Their diets are likely to shiftwith their whims, from high-protein to gluten-free to meatless. They also will likely be eating a lot of fried chicken.

Kale will probably continue to be popular, but quinoa might gradually fade from the scene as more grains, especially wheat varieties like farro and kamut, become more mainstream.

2. DIY EverythingA number of chefs returned to butchering their own hogs and lambyears ago (beef less so). Then they started pickling, and now they’refermenting their own kimchi, sauerkraut, potatoes (it tastes kind of like they were pre-treated with vinegar, they say) and just aboutanything else they can think of. House-made mozzarella’s almost normal in trendy Italian restaurants. House-churned butter used to be a rarity; now, not so much.

Some chefs have taken to milling their own flour. What’s next?

Well, Priscilla Young, the beverage director for Travelle Kitchen & Barin Chicago, is talking about distilling ready-to-drink cocktails (possiblylike a very complex gin). I bet some chefs already keep their owngoats to make cheese, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see mushroomscultivated in their basements. (I have no idea what the health codeimplications might be for that.) In-house beer brewing, after boom-ing and busting in the 80s and 90s, is coming back, and given the fact that The Culinary Institute of America just started its own microbrewery at its Hyde Park, N.Y., campus as an instructional tool, it looks like that practice will be around for awhile.

www.nrn.com Dec. 17, 2015 by Bret Thorn

NRN predicts 2016 menu trends

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7. Wine You’ve Never Heard OfSure, some wine drinkers — a lot of them — will always drink Chardonnayor Pinot Grigio or Cabernet Sauvignon or White Zinfandel. But those looking to explore have shown an interest in pushing the limits. Few American wine drinkers have been raised on classic varietals, so the adventurous ones are open to whatever you have to offer.

Many Millennials have shown an abiding interest in sweet wine, particularly Moscato, but that leaves the way open for off-dry Rieslings,and then maybe even dry ones. Young red wine drinkers are enjoying affordable Argentine Malbecs these days, but they’ll likely be open to a Greek Xinomavro, Uruguayan Tanat or even those affordable Romanian wines your distributor’s trying to unload. In the next year, the wine drinker’s sense of adventure will likely continue to expand as evolving wine preservation technology allows all wine-serving restaurants to offer strong by-the-glass programs.

8. One More Year of India Pale AleAccording to the Brewers Association, the trade body for craft beer makers,IPA consumption actually accelerated in 2015, even after a banner 2014,and now comprises 27 percent of the craft beer market. Although there’slittle sign of hop fatigue yet, craft beer just accounted for 11 percent ofbeer sales by volume in 2014, and Bart Watson, the Brewers Association’schief economist, expects it to fall somewhere between 12 percent and 13 percent for 2015. As craft beer becomes more mainstream, or as mainstream beer drinkers turn to craft beer, we’ll likely see a resurgence of traditional American favorites such as lagers in general and pilsners in particular. But I think IPA still has another good year or two in it.

5. Shake ShootersI’ve been waiting for this to happen for years, and maybe in 2016 it finally will. We know snacking is on the rise. So are smoothies andother drinkable foods, as well as miniature desserts. So why hasn’tanyone offered these quick pick-me-ups for mid-morning snacks or those 4 p.m. low-energy moments: 4-ounce milk shakes of around200 calories each, priced at around $2. It seems like a no-brainer.

Starbucks tested the waters a bit this past spring with the Mini Frappuccino — a 10-ounce version of its signature smoothie, pricedat 20 cents to 30 cents less than its 12-ounce “tall” Frappuccino.

6. Hybrid BurgersMushrooms cost less than meat, are low in calories, have micronutri-ents and are umami bombs. Grind them up finely, mix them withground meat, and you have a nice, flavorful, lower-calorie burger.

It’s an idea that the Mushroom Council has been pushing for a fewyears now, and it’s starting to catch on. College foodservice operatorsare starting to introduce them, and the feedback has apparently beengood. Restaurants looking for lower-calorie burger options as menulabeling rules come into effect at the end of 2016 will likely follow suit with these blends or similar burger hybrids.

Back Yard Burgers has done something like that for its MediterraneanChicken Burger, a limited time offer from November. It mixed groundchicken with spinach, mozzarella, quinoa and peppers. That patty wasserved with crumbled feta cheese, lettuce and tomato on flatbread.

thefoodchannel.com December 11, 2015

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3.  Tangy: the Newest Flavor Palate — As we look beyond spicy and sweet, we are moving into territory that incorporates a more nuanced palate. What used to be sweet is now savory, and vice versa.Everything is getting flip-flopped as we try to figure out the newestand edgiest, or seek a new experience. It’s leading to stronger flavorsthat pack a punch to make sure we notice them.

4.  The New Vegan — As we customize the way we eat, we keep assigning new terms to it with new definitions. This goes beyond flexitarian, beyond pegan (paleo/vegan), and into true personalizationof what works for YOU. That may include figuring out how to eat at a fast-food restaurant on a vegan diet. Restaurants have beenscrambling to accommodate this and are essentially making their ownrules. We’re also seeing companies trying to fill the vegan niche withvegan alcohols. And we can’t forget what amounts to a rebranding of beans to accommodate the need. Check out the “pulse,” which is essentially the dry legume formerly known as the bean. India expects its pulse exports to double this year.

Top 10 Food Trends

1.  Clean Label — “Clean Label” is a term that needs no definition in the food world, where growers and food manufacturers are beingasked daily to remove preservatives, artificial flavors, antibiotics and other potential allergens. Farm-to-table is no longer enough.Given the realities of how we eat, not everything is farmers’ marketfresh. Businesses of all sizes will be responding to consumer demands for transparency.

2.  A No Tipping Future — Restaurateur Danny Meyer is used to setting the standard—in food, in service, and in taking care of his employees. So we shouldn’t be surprised to see him leading thecharge to change the way we pay at a restaurant. His policy is notwithout controversy as pundits debate the merits of incentive pay,but he’s also not alone. Joe’s Crab Shack is the first major chain to testa no-tipping policy. Leaside, a Toronto-based restaurant, dared toopen with the policy in place, and worker-owned Casa Nueva hasmade the switch. Watch for phrases such as “hospitality included,” and for the impact to extend into the kitchen, where shared tips hadbecome the norm. Will higher wages all around lead to menu pricesthat make us rethink the value of eating out, or will we adapt and lovenot having to pass judgment on our servers? Watch for “hospitality included” signs in the near future.

Based on research conducted by The Food Channel in conjunction with CultureWaves® and the International Food Futurists, the list identifiessome of the significant changes expected to hit the food world. 2016 marks 28 years since The Food Channel began identifying food trends.

7.  Cultural Diets — People are searching for their own culture, andin doing so, are realizing that there may have been health benefits fortheir genetics and body type. The great American melting pot that is represented by our food may actually start to get sorted back out,as people embrace ethnicity without “Americanizing” it into some-thing potentially unhealthy. Watch for cultural influences particularlyfrom the American Indian and Nordic cultures. We believe this includes a shift into mixing lifestyle and food choices. Just look at theHealth Goth movement, or at entertainment such as Holy & Hungry,where faith and food are mixed, or at the growing interest in ritualssuch as Kung Fu tea, where part of the food pleasure is in maximizingthe customs around it.

9.  Searching for Super — Everyone is trying to find the next superfood, leading to the quick introduction of new foods, with quickturnaround if they don’t “stick.” While this appears to encourage innovation, it’s really become more about throwing an idea or productout there to see whether it takes off. The pattern is beginning to diluteour ability to enjoy “good food” when we require “super.” That said, startwatching for more seaweed on the menu—and not just seaweed, butdifferent strains of seaweed! (We may also start calling it “seagreens” toappeal more to the masses.) Other items on our radar are lingonberriesand elderberries instead of blueberries, kohlrabi or collard greens instead of kale, avocado oil instead of coconut oil, and the everyday use of banana peel, BroccoLeaf, baobab, pitaya, chlorella and more.

10.  Food Entertainment — We called this out in 2012 when wehighlighted the trend toward TV, YouTube and celebrity chefs. Now we’re seeing it integrated into mainstream television andmovies, with shows such as Fresh Off the Boat (based on Chef EddieHuang’s life) and movies such as Burnt. Also growing in popularity are the food-related movies airing on Hallmark Channel and the newHallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel. They’ve gone so far as to adaptculinary mysteries into fun movies that include recipe references. It seems our appetite for food programming is still being fed, with no sign of anyone pushing back from the remote.

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5.  Coffee Flavor and Flair — Instead of flavoring our coffees, nowwe are flavoring nearly everything else with coffee, caffeine boost included! We’re moving beyond mocha cakes and cookies and rightinto things like chewable coffee cubes, coffee candy, coffee rubs, and coffee beer. We haven’t really substituted home brews for ourcoffeehouse addiction —we’ve expanded it. Hotels and restaurantsare incorporating a coffee process story into their brands, too—making the story as relevant as the flavor. Chains such as FairmontHotels, Marriott, Hilton and Le Méridien are all implementing higher standards of coffee service, and new hot spots are offering an all-decaf experience.

6.  Merging Markets — Hershey and Krave. Hormel Foods and Applegate. Heinz and Kraft. Snyder’s-Lance and Diamond. Marriottand Starwood. Are we making better companies or just bigger ones?The merits of consolidation can be debated all day, but the reality is that mergers and acquisitions are big in the food and hospitalityworld. The reasons include everything from insurance against cropshortages all the way to calling it a sign of a maturing industry. It could also be that, outside of health, we haven’t seen a lot of true innovation in food in years—it’s been a lot of duplication, enhance-ment, or redesign—so that the only way to grow is to combine. That stimulates the competition to follow, since the only way to keepup is to grow. Some global implications come into play here, too, as some of the mergers include overseas acquisitions. That could pavethe way for emerging-world countries to boom in the food world.

8.  Decadent Desserts — Decadence is making a comeback. If we are regulated everywhere, apparently we have to have an outletsomewhere. We’re seeing it big time in things such as boozy cerealmilkshakes and fried milkshakes. We’re also seeing darker chocolateshow up, thanks to the implied benefits from higher cacao. There is the move toward incorporating marijuana or hemp in recipes.It’s not just the THC-laced brownies of the 60s and 70s. Now we havefoods with the hemp-based CBD additive that reportedly pulls thebeneficial effects out without the psychoactive effects.

www.nrn.com Nov. 9, 2015 by Bret Thorn

2016 Beverage Trends

1.  Mocktails — Designated drivers, pregnant women, dieters “and even ‘foodie’ children,” are all target markets Freeman points tofor beverages that are carefully crafted but free of alcohol, including the Côte de Beet at Atera in New York City, a combination of blackcurrants and beets “that are aged in hopes of matching the taste of red wine,” Freeman said.

Hard Rock Café introduced a new mocktail this season called RockYou Like a Coconut, made with Monin Salted Caramel syrup, CocoReal syrup and caramel sauce blended with half-and-half and servedover ice in a mason jar topped with whipped cream and caramel popcorn (pictured above.)

4. New Styles and Uses for coffee — Nitro-coffee, in which iced coffee is infused with nitrous oxide to give it a creamy texture similarto Guinness beer, is spreading in specialty coffee shops, and themorning brew is also being incorporated into other beverages. Those include a sort of coffee horchata at Coffee Bar in San Francisco,which is a blend of cinnamon, vanilla-infused cold brew coffee, ice and milk; and the Kaffe Tonic at Saint Frank, also in San Francisco,which combines tonic water and espresso.

Other examples, as reported by NRN, include the Espresso Old Fashioned at Everyman Espresso in New York City, which combines a shot of espresso with bitters, simple syrup and a citrus twist (above).

Here, NRN looks at Andrew Freeman & Co.’s 2016 beverage trend predictions and gives real-world examples.

2. Kombucha — This fermented tea drink “is being incorporated intococktails to create more botanical and fruitful alcoholic beverages,”Freeman reports, adding that Crooked Stave in Denver keeps at leastone kombucha on draft. So does Flower Child: A Food Revolution, a restaurant opened last year by Fox Restaurant Concepts in Scottsdale, Ariz.

5. Barrel-Aged Gin — Spirits manufacturers are adding color anddepth of flavor to this aromatic spirit, which Freeman said give gin“hints of vanilla, maple, and brown sugar, creating a gin that is easy to sip and is the perfect complement in any number of cocktails.”

3. Carbonated Drinks — Sales of traditional sodamight be down, but Freeman sees a spike in “fancyhouse made sodas” and other higher-end sparklingdrinks, including a rise in craft ginger beers, crafthard sodas and adult root beer.

Sonic Drive-In entered the fray last year with its lower calorie, less sweet line of Splash Hand-Crafted Sodas in flavors such as blackberry-pineapple and Sunshine Berry (at right).

6. Tropical Cocktails — “Umbrella decorated drinks are on the rise andbringing a little more flare to yourglass,” Freeman reports, pointing toplaces such as The Well Bar and Grill in Kansas City, which has a tiki cocktailmenu featured weekly (Tiki Tuesday),and Fair Weather in San Diego, whichhas an “artisanal Piña Colada” and variations on the classic Mai Tai. Margaritaville added more tropicalflair to its signature drink earlier thisyear by adding ginger and citrus to it.

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7. Food & Cocktail Pairings — “Bartenders are creating drinks withflavors designed to specifically complement dishes,” Freeman reports.That includes a Sazerac paired with a Florentine-style porterhouse steak at North End Grill in New York City.

Such pairings have long been a housespecialty at Hopscotch in Oakland,Calif., including beef tataki toppedwith yuzu kosho, nagaimo and radish and served with a highball made of Satsuma Shiranami Mugi Shochu,seltzer and yuzu (at left).

8. Frozen Cocktails — The Beyond Zero icemaker, which gets coldenough to freeze alcohol, is providing new opportunities to helprestaurants sell frozen cocktails. Freeman pointed to Loopy Doopy atthe Conrad Hotel in New York City as an example. It has frozen boozyice pops served upside-down in wine glasses containing Prosecco.

Church Key in Los Angeles takes a different approach, making frozencocktails tableside with liquid nitrogen (pictured above).

10. Bloody Marys — Freeman expects “to see more and more creative presentations” of this brunch classic, including innovativegarnishes, new components and carts allowing for customizable versions, such as the Bloody Mary Cart at 1313 Main in Napa, Calif.

Legal Sea Foods introduced a Green Bloody Mary this spring (pictured), made with vodka, the chain’s own spicy tomatillo greenBloody Mary mix and pickled tomato.

9. Photogenic Cocktails — Operators have responded to the trendof consumers posting pictures of their drinks with “Instagram-worthygarnishes from gold-dusted flowers, dehydrated fruits, sugar stirrersand designer straws,” Freeman said. Examples include the smokedpork belly that garnishes a bourbon and pepper-honey cocktail at Toki Underground in Virginia.

Perhaps going beyond that are video-friendly drinks, like Berries &Bubbles, a signature cocktail at steak and seafood chain Ocean Prime,which is made with dry ice and appears to be smoking (pictured.)

11. Matcha — This Japanese powdered tea,praised for its healthful qualities, is finding itsway into drinks, as are other plant-based ingredients, Freeman reports. Haru introduceda Cucumber Matcha Margarita, made withtequila, cucumber-infused sake, Luxardo andmatcha mixed with a cucumber-jalapeño infusion (pictured with the chain’s watermelonlemonade).

13. New Wave White Wine — Freeman said white wines, particularlymoderately oaked ones, are growing in popularity. “Even traditionalred wine drinkers are exploring more white wines,” the firm noted,pointing to double-digit growth in Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris varietals. More oak, but otherwise fewer interventionist measures is the trend among winemakers, the firm reported.”

12. Wine on Tap — “More restaurantsand wineries are offering wines ontap,” Freeman reports, noting thatkeeping wine in kegs increases preservation time and speed of service “rather than going through the traditional process of poppingopen a stubborn cork.”

Hot Food Trendswww.nrn.com Nov. 6, 2015 Article by Bret Thorn

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Nation’s Restaurant News breaks down the ever-popular annual food trend predictions from San Francisco-based hospitality consulting firmAndrew Freeman & Co., and gives real-world examples. Visit www.afandco.com for the full 2016 Trend Report.

1.  Go Veg or Go Home — “Vegetables are the hero this year,” and that doesn’t necessarily mean vegetarian or vegan. Vegetableportions are rising and meat portions are shrinking — somethingmany Millennials see as being gentler on the planet.

“People want less animal protein and are requesting that veggies areramped up to their fullest creative potential,” Freeman said, notingthat Bon Appétit magazine’s restaurant of the year went to Al’s Placein San Francisco, where meat dishes are served as sides.

Pictured: True Food Kitchen’s roasted seasonal vegetable board withavocado green goddess dip and pimento cashew cheese spread

4. Fiery, Fiery Foods — “From the obvious chili oil to the ubiquitousSriracha to the creatively inspired spicy maple syrup, Americanpalates are embracing and relishing the heat,” Freeman said, notingthat chile’s even finding its way into beverages and desserts, such asthe Chili Tamarind Margarita at E & O Kitchen and Bar in San Franciscoor the ancho-chocolate ice cream at Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream in San Francisco.

Pictured: Salsa Verde Brisket Nachos at Applebee’s

2. Hawaiian Food — Poke, a Hawaiian dish made with raw fish, saltand a wide array of flavorings is becoming a staple in Los Angeles.Freeman points to restaurants elsewhere, such as Liholiho Yacht Clubin San Francisco, Poke to the Max in Seattle and Noreetuh in New YorkCity as Hawaiian-oriented restaurants helping to spread the trend. Pictured: Beef tongue with kimchi and cucumber in poppy seedsteam bun from Liholiho Yacht Club in San Francisco

5. Lobster Roll — Diners have shown a willingness to pay for these pricey sandwiches that are popping up acrossthe country, including the growing Lobster ME chain. Uno Pizzeria & Grill introduced lobster rolls (pictured) as a limited time offer this past summer.

3. Sliders — Going beyond burgers, these small sandwiches have become carriers for many fillings, including Rock Cod Sliders at theHungry Cat and shrimp cake sliders with Sausalito Springs watercressat The Dorian in San Francisco. Arby’s reportedly sold 29 million oftheir new non-burger sliders (pictured) in their debut month.

6. Discarded to Delicious — Moves to save money and reduce wasteare coming together in this trend, Freeman said, “and you will findthat chefs are embracing and utilizing the bits and pieces of all sortsof ingredients that were previously discarded to create delicious new dishes.”

Several restaurants have used this approach for marketing, too, suchas Belcampo, a chain in California that offered $1 burgers with underuti-lized beef trim, and Sauce by Nature, which has a “zero waste” approach,changing its menu daily to use leftovers from the night before.

Sweetgreen introduced a “WastED” salad as a limited-time offer at its New York City locations, developed in partnership with Blue Hill chef Dan Barber. It’s made of lesser-utilized vegetable parts, such as broccoli stalks, kale stems and cabbage cores.

Pictured: Ingredients in Sweetgreen’s WastED salad

7.  House Made Flour — Restaurants seeking the next frontier of house-made items have started buying small grainmills to grind their own flours.Restaurants doing that includeBaker Miller in Chicago and JoseyBaker Bread in San Francisco.

11. Table Service — Freeman said the “once overdone tableside saladand flambé cart” are coming back in new forms, sometimes with thechef or sous chef performing tableside. Restaurants returning to thatservice style include the Barcelona Wine Bar chain, which slices itscured Mangalitsa pork tableside; and Poggio Trattoria, which servesits Italian bollito misto tableside.

NRN recently reported on the trend of restaurants rolling out carts fordim sum-style service. Among those restaurants is Church Key in LosAngeles (pictured).

8. Cucumbers — Freeman said cucumbers are the “it” vegetable, andrestaurants are sourcing different varieties of them and using them to “add texture, coolness [and] freshness” to dishes. Superiority Burgerin New York City smashes cucumbers and mixes them with yogurt,jalapeño honey and crushed sesame breadsticks, and M.Y. China inSan Francisco serves honey-glazed cucumber shrimp with wasabi.

Pictured: Fogo de Chão combined diced watermelon and cucumberfor a salad this summer.

9. Compressed Produce — Sous-vide machines are used to changethe texture of root vegetables and melons, and Freeman said the results “are becoming staples in both high-end and casual establish-ments.” As an example, Freeman points to the compressed cucumberswith beet cured salmon tartare at Bluestem Brasserie in San Francisco.

10. Stuffed Dough — Items such as Indian samosas, Central Americanempanadas and Chinese dumplings are popular and are being servedat places like Russ & Daughters in New York, which opened a café thatoffers items such as cheese blintzes, and Sens Restaurant in San Francisco, which offers chorizo empanadas. As part of its Chinese NewYear menu in February, P.F. Chang’s offered Flaming Pork Wontons inspicy garlic and sesame soy sauce, finished with scallions (pictured).

12. Indulgent Breakfast and Lunch — “Why not throw caloric caution to the wind once a week?” Freeman asks, noting that dishessuch as French toast and pancakes with duck-liver butter abound. He points to Brioche French Toast with Foie Gras frosting at Longman& Eagle in Chicago as an example of this trend.

IHOP, no stranger to indulgent breakfast, added new treats to itsmorning mix with items such as its summertime special of CinnamonSugar Double-Dipped French Toast, garnished with cinnamon sugarand whipped topping (pictured).

13.  Ice Cream Sandwiches — Newfangled versions of this American classic include one flavored with Cheddar cheese at Qui in Austin, Texas, and a do-it-yourself offering at The Meatball Shop in New York City, where guests are brought out house-made cookiesand ice cream and are set loose to make their own creations.Ice Cream Sandwich chain Coolhaus hasintroduced a line inspired by Jewish delicatessens, including the Reuben (pictured), made by combining a Marbled Rye cookie (chocolate andvanilla whoopee-pie style cookie withcaraway seeds) and pastrami ice cream,which is made with an ice cream basecontaining a savory “special sauce” by boutique ketchup manufacturer Sir Kensington spun with caramelizedpastrami.

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7 Trends for 2016

Americans’ hankering for down-home foods is also bolstered by theirgrowing distaste for mass-produced foods—and a yearning for the daysof simply prepared dishes. Take Kevin Gillespie’s recently opened Revivalin Decatur, GA. The James Beard winner is serving up his grandmother’sfried chicken as well as items like spiced Mississippi catfish in low country tomato gravy.

Similarly, at Muscadine in Portland, OR, Mississippi native Laura Rhomanserves up dishes true to her roots (many recipes are eight generationsold), taking full advantage of the produce of the Northwest. Rhoman offers comforting meat-plus-threes with choices like fried chicken,salmon croquettes, Andouille sausage, red peas and collard greens.

Chefs are getting creative with chicken frying techniques. At Leon’s OysterShop in Charleston, SC, executive chef Ari Kolender experimented forweeks to come up with a signature brine and breading regimen that results in a thin, bound-to-the-skin crust that shatters when bitten.

Dec. 7, 2015

1. Cool BowlsBowl foods will show up on more menus. Heard of acai bowls?They’re the new smoothie, according to consultants and trendwatchers Baum + Whiteman in their annual trends report. Acai bowls start with frozen pulp from the superfruit, thinned outto a scoopable texture with milk (usually soy), and finished withfruit, granola, chia seeds, coconut flakes, peanut butter or othertoppings. Like the one at right from Jugos in Boston, they menu for about $10.

Savory bowls are also easy to serve and are growing in popularity.Jose Andres’s expanding three-unit fast casual Beefsteak chainspecializes in bowls of cooked-to-order vegetables assembled withdifferent grains, sauces and toppings, as well as optional meats or other proteins.

Poke bowls are next on the raw fish front. Cubed ahi tuna or otherfish is marinated in a bolder, more savory sauce than its cevichecousin and served over seaweed-seasoned rice. The Hawaiian dishis all over L.A. and is also popping up in Boston, New York and SaltLake City.

2. Snacks and Blurred DaypartsMake room on your menu for snacks as customers continue to wantcustomizable experiences and something to nosh whenever thecraving hits. Increasingly, guests are looking for snacks that deliverprotein and other nutrients. The ideal snack combines sweetnesswith salty, spicy or smoky flavors. The chorizo-stuffed dates at PaulKahan’s Avec in Chicago are a perfect example. Here are more:

• At The Violet Hour cocktail lounge in Chicago, snacks includeroasted nuts with cayenne, paprika, sugar and oregano; and a truffled ricotta tartine of toasted rye bread topped with ricotta,truffle oil, herbs, honey and arugula.

• At Bryant Ng’s Cassia in L.A.: Kaya (coconut jam)-filled toast madefrom brioche and served with a slow-cooked egg.

• At Al’s Place in San Francisco: French fries served with smokedapple sauce.

• At Sambar in L.A.: Chicken wings finished with Malabar hot sauceand summer fruit chutney.

3. Southern Roots2016 will embrace the South and its ultimate culinary icon, friedchicken—a carryover trend of the last few years that’s showing nosigns of fatigue.

In fact, the experts at Baum + Whiteman have called 2016 “the yearof fried chicken.” The dish not only crosses geographical lines, butthe dining spectrum as well. A host of startup and independentfast casual chicken concepts (including David Chang’s Fuku, a friedchicken sandwich shop in NYC, and Danny Meyer’s Chicken Shack)will expand and give the chicken chains a run for their money.

Planning next year’s menu or your next great concept? 2016 will be a wildy interesting year with hundreds of exciting possibilities. We’ve talked to chefs and experts to narrow down what you’ll need to know in the year ahead.

For a start, great chefs will continue to open casual concepts. Bowl foods and restaurants specializing in them will keep growing. Wage wars?Unfortunately. Food halls? You know it. Vegetables? Keep ’em coming. Snacks throughout the day? Yes. Here’s what to expect in ’16.

Are acai bowls the new smoothie? The superfruit-based dish’s popularity will take off in 2016.

The latest fried chicken trend is Nashville style,or “hot,” chicken. It’s popping up in unlikelyplaces such as Brooklyn, NY, where “The Chew”host Carla Hall has just opened Carla Hall’sSouthern Kitchen, selling this iteration. Hot chicken gets a kick from a final douse of pepper-based sauce (each chef has his orher own). Hall marinates her chicken in picklebrine, rolls it in seasoned flour, then pressurefries before it gets sauced. (Hot chicken is usually served on bread to soak up any errant juices and oils).

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4. Chef CasualAs Americans’ appetite for casual dining shows no signs of waning,savvy upscale operators will implement a high-low strategy.

For example, last year, celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson openedthe funky Street Bird Rotisserie in Harlem. Michael Mina of BourbonSteak and Michael Mina restaurants launched a fast casual RamenBar in San Francisco. Karen and Quinn Hatfield shuttered their minimalist haute cuisine L.A. restaurant, Hatfield’s, and opened thebakery-café, Sycamore Kitchen, and a casual churrasco concept,Odys + Penelope.

2016 will bring more examples. Joshua Skenes of Michelin-starredSaison is testing the world of casual dining with Fat Noodle, a fast-casual Chinese concept that’s slated to open soon in San Francisco.

In San Diego, Mike Rosen and Richard Blais—the duo behind theupscale Juniper & Ivy—just opened Cracked, a quirky, downscalefried chicken joint serving an all-day menu of dishes centeredaround chicken and eggs.

In a risky act of foodservice subversiveness, well-known L.A. chefRoy Choi and Daniel Patterson of Coi and Alta in San Francisco aretaking on the fast food giants where they’re most in demand—theinner cities of places like San Francisco, L.A. and Detroit. Their fastfood concept, LocoL, is looking to disrupt Big Fast Food with acleaner and healthier alternative.

5. Vegetables are Still StarsAs Restaurant Hospitality predicted last year, vegetables will still be center stage in restaurant dishes in 2016, often taking center-of-the plate roles and pushing protein over to the side.

Consumers seeking more antioxidants and fewer hormones, risingbeef prices, locavore-ism, a preponderance of farmers’ markets…these are some of the forces driving the trend. Plus, vegetables’seasonal nature and variations among species make them excitingfor chefs and patrons alike. The radish plate at Vedge in Philadelphia,for instance, features eight different varieties of the vegetable, prepared in eight different ways.

Vegetable-forward eating is shedding its earthy-crunchy rep and associations with odd meat substitutes. Hearty cauliflower or portobello steaks aren’t trying to be something they’re not.They’re out and proud because chefs are making them deliciousand satisfying. Watch for the “root to stem” movement (similar to the zero-waste, nose-to-tail movement) to gain traction, says Baum + Whiteman.

That’s not to say meats are going away. Not at all. Aaron London of Al’s Place in San Francisco uses meats as sides, garnishes or elements of composed plates. Along with your yellow-eye beanstew, you can order a side of duck breast with peach sauce. That balanced approached is the real future of eating.

Another great example comes from Nico Osteria in Chicago, where the Brussels sprouts sandwich shows the how beautifullyvegetables can headline a dish. Served on grilled toast, the crispysprouts are topped with stracciatella and hazelnuts and finishedwith drizzled olive oil and honey.

6. Food HallsThe U.S. got its first taste of the modern iteration of the food hall in 2010 when Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich launched Eataly in NewYork. Influenced by European markets, today’s food halls are showcasesfor local restaurant operators, food artisans and other purveyors.

2015 saw a food hall boom, and more will join their ranks in 2016. Often housed in repurposed urban spaces, and featuring attractive communal dining spaces, these elevated offspring of the 1970s foodcourt are showcases for local creativity and a stylish, social and convenient way to eat and shop. Some developers have even seen fit to include short-term incubator spaces for emerging concepts (Avanti, Denver; 4th Street Market, Santa Ana, CA.)

Recently-opened food halls have included additional Eataly outposts,Manhattan’s popular Gotham West Market, the Southern food-focusedPonce City Market in Atlanta, revamped markets in L.A. (Grand CentralMarket) and New Orleans (St. Roch Market). St. Roch is emblematic of the taste level, depth and sophistication of the food hall movement,featuring a craft cocktail bar and coffee roaster, butcher, oyster bar and a handful of ethnic restaurant stalls.

Like Eataly, another food hall chain-in-the making is Seattle’s MarketHall, a project by Los Angeles restaurateur Tony Riviera. It’s being followed up by locations in Dallas, San Diego and San Francisco.

Other food halls in development include:

• Anthony Bourdain’s yet-unnamed 155,000-sq.-ft. food hall at Pier 57,lower Manhattan. Once completed in 2017, the “chaotic, in a goodway…Asian night market,” as the No Reservations star has described it,will be New York’s largest food hall.

• James Beard Public Market, Portland, OR, is named for the culinary iconborn there. The indoor-outdoor waterfront space will be served by 90vendor stalls.

7. Watching Wages and WorkersTips and minimum wage are the hot-button issues for restaurants in 2016.

First, tipping: A few restaurants have tried doing away with tipping in recent years with limited success, only to lose good servers to thecompetition. But with high-profile restaurateurs like Tom Colicchio and Danny Meyer (citing the public’s often-arbitrary and unfair tipping practices) testing the no-tip waters, experts think the trend stands a chance of catching on. Bel Air Bar + Grill will go tipless in 2016. “I think that we will soon see a lot of restaurants converting to a tiplesssystem, with the restaurants paying both higher wages at the front-of-house and back-of-house...Wages should be determined by the employer and not the customer’s whim,” opines Chris Emerling, the restaurant’s chef de cuisine.

A Quinnipiac survey released last month showed the public isn’t buyingin just yet. The majority of New York City residents surveyed called increasing menu prices or charging a 20 percent administrative fee to cover compensation a “bad idea.”

Minimum wage? That’s a different story. In the Quinnipiac survey, 70 percent of those polled said they favored New York’s plan to up theminimum wage for fast food workers to $15 per hour over the nextthree years.

The National Restaurant Association, however, predicts mandatorywage hikes will have a devastating effect on the industry and workers.In a position paper on the topic, the group states that restaurants “are labor-intensive businesses that already devote about a third of their sales to wages and benefits...Pre-tax profit margins for restaurants typically range from 3 to 6 percent. Many restaurateurs would be forcedto limit hiring, increase prices, cut employee hours or implement a combination of all three to pay for the wage increase.”

Vedge’s eight different radishes, eight different ways.

2016 Flavor Trendswww.comaxflavors.com Nov. 30, 2015

Cuban CultureThe recent lift of the U.S. Cuban embargo is creating new opportunities for Americans and propelling Cuba into the publiceye. Research by the International Monetary Fund estimates thatCuba is bracing for as many as 10 million American tourists peryear versus the 700,000 U.S. tourists it received last year. Airlines,cruise ships and businesses are gearing up for Cuba’s expansion.Cuban culture with a focus on cuisine will be influential in theculinary scene. “As we know, multicultural consumers and theyounger generation are driving new flavor profiles. We see Cubaas a natural extension for the next ethnic food inspiration andwanted to offer authentic flavors,” says Armstrong.

Flavors in this group include:• Café Cubano• Cuban Sofrito• Mamey Mojito• Toasted Coconut Flan

Chef’s Table‘Customer experience’ is a hot buzzword as brands and servicestry to capture and engage consumers. Driven by technology,consumers are getting accustomed to sensory experiences; and their desire to actively participate in a myriad of experiencesis growing. Consumers seek social, interactive and authentic culinary experiences and chef’s tables are meeting this need.This trend is evidenced by Netflix’s 2015 docu-series Chef’s Table, which profiles renowned international chefs. From thepreparation of the ingredients to the plating of their meal, consumers get to go behind the scenes and see chefs in action.“Flavor and texture are key factors in consumers’ culinary experiences. How food and beverages are prepared, such as fermenting, pickling and smoking, is becoming significant. We created an array of flavors based on specificpreparations to appeal to a wide audience,” notes Armstrong.

Flavors in this group include:• Coconut Vinegar• Pickled Artichoke• Roasted Strawberry• Smoked Avocado

There is a dizzying amount of food and beverage choices available in the marketplace. Today’s consumers continue to seek healthier choices and new culinary experiences.

In response to consumers demanding less processed, better-for-you products, Comax Flavors reveals the 2016 Green Goodness and Cup of Tea collections. The Cuban Cultureand Chef’s Table collections address the younger demographics,multicultural consumers and consumers craving authentic culinary experiences.

Each Comax Flavor collection is comprised of a variety of foodand beverage applications such as ready-to-drink beverages, alcohol, dairy, ice cream, baked goods, confections, sauces, marinades and seasonings.

Green GoddessAs part of the health and wellness lifestyle trend, consumers are looking for natural, less processed, better-for-you products. Naturally, consumers are gravitating toward green vegetablesand fruits, putting them in the limelight. Preparations range fromraw and cold-pressed to cooked and grilled. Supported by thewaste management and sustainability trend, stem-to-root cooking is gaining momentum, which is also contributing to thegrowth of green produce. “There’s been a gradual increase ingreen-themed products and to tap into this trend and meet thedemand for green vegetables and fruits, we created a uniquegreen range,” states Catherine Armstrong, Vice President of Corporate Communications for Comax Flavors.

Flavors in this group include:• Avocado Pear• Broccoflower• Green Jackfruit• Jalapeño Honey

Cup of TeaAccording to Mintel, U.S. retail sales of tea and Ready-To-Drinktea grew 19.8% to $7.3 billion between 2009 and 2014. The TeaAssociation of the USA cited that 85% of tea consumed in America is iced tea, and loose leaf iced tea is gaining in popularity. The popularity of tea has lead to a focus on specialty tea, namelyMatcha. According to the Sage Group, U.S. retail sales of Matchagreen tea powder reached about 55% in 2014. This tea trend isfurther evidenced by The National Restaurant Association’s annual “What’s Hot 2015 Culinary Forecast,” which revealed specialty ice tea such as flavored tea and matcha as trending in non-alcoholic beverages. “To address consumers’ affinity fortea with healthful benefits, we developed a variety of emergingtea profiles,” says Armstrong.

Flavors in this group include:• Cascara Tea• Dandelion Tea• Matcha Rose• Turmeric Orange Ginger

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www.thefiscaltimes.com by Beth Braverman Dec. 21, 2015

Seaweed is the new Kale

Foodies are fickle folk. Remember the summer of the cronut or themania surrounding food trucks? Burgers, cupcakes and coconutwater have all had their moment on the plate, but the obsessiondisappears almost as quickly as it’s digested. Next year promises a new crop of food fads. Some of the trends are influenced byAmericans’ desire to eat healthy, while others play off existingtrends. Here’s a look at what’s on the 2016 menu:

1. Seaweed is the new kale.Packed with antioxidants, fiber, iodine and good fats, seaweed is in the spotlight as more nutrition-focused Americans search forthe next super food. The ocean vegetable is “set to explode thanksto its sustainability angle and umami appeal,” referring to theJapanese word for the fifth basic taste, according to the 2016 Trend Forecast from the Specialty Food Association.

2. GMO animals hit the plate.Last month, the FDA approved AquAdvantage salmon for sale,making it the first genetically modified animal to get the controver-sial approval. Almost of a third of Americans said food that is notgenetically modified is an important factor to them, according to a recent survey from The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. While salmon is the first GMO animal to reach consumers, up to 80 percent of processed American foods contain plant GMOs.

3. African flavors are hot.Chefs are looking to Africa for inspiration in 2016, with 20% more chefs naming flavors from the continent as a hot trend fornext year, according to the National Restaurant Association. This month, Conde Nast Traveler declared that African cuisine is pushing Mexican aside as the ethnic cuisine of the moment, noting that chefs of Harlem’s Red Rooster and L.A.’s Revolutionarioare tapping into their African backgrounds to create new dishes.

4. Fast food restaurants go healthy.As diners become more aware of chemicals and additives in theirfood, fast food chains are adjusting their menus, according to foodconsultant Baum+Whiteman. Already, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Panera Bread, McDonald’s, Papa John’s and Subway have mademoves to make their menus healthier and devoid of artificial ingredients and additives.

Early next year, well-known chefs Roy Choi and Daniel Pattersonwill launch LocoL, a nutritious, eco-friendly, fast-food chain in so-called food deserts to bring healthier options to those whohaven’t been able to afford them. “They’re committed to offeringchef-driven, real, quality ingredients at fast food prices,” says L.A.-based food expert Jason Kessler, who runs the blog Fly & Dine.

5. The battle for grocery delivery heats up.Amazon Fresh has been giving Fresh Direct a run for its money, but the supermarket delivery market is getting even more crowded.This month, Target expanded its partnership with startup Instacartto offer home delivery of foodstuffs in Chicago, in addition to SanFrancisco and Minneapolis. Instacart has similar partnerships withWhole Foods, Costco and Petco. In September, Walmart expandedits free grocery pickup service in eight U.S. cities. Market researchfirm IBISWorld forecasts online grocery shopping to grow 9.5%each year with the potential of becoming a $9.4 billion industry by 2017.

6. Beer cans are back.While canned beer may conjure thoughts of high school house parties,the cheaper containers are experiencing a resurgence, thanks to growingdemand from craft brewers. Demand for the highly designed, 16-ouncecans favored by craft brewers (versus the 12-ounce variety used by bigbrewers like Anheuser-Busch) has grown so quickly that there’s a shortage of the larger containers.

7. Coffee gets creative.The latest coffee trends will perk up even the most jaded java lover with newfangled caffeinated concoctions that range from carbonatedcoffee to iced coffee mocktails, according to Sterling-Rice Group’s 2016 Culinary Trends report. ”Coffee is no longer just a hot beverage you have in a cup with breakfast in the morning,” says Andrea Graves, business planning and marketing specialist with the Robert M. KerrFood & Agricultural Products Center at Oklahoma State University.

8. Restaurant prices are on the rise.While overall food prices haven’t changed much this year, the cost ofdining out is growing five times faster than inflation, according to thelatest Consumer Price Index data. Next year, the cost is expected to increase slightly faster than the cost of food at home. Chain restaurantsare hiking prices to make up for weakening traffic, according to tradewebsite Burger Business. Shake Shack and Chili’s also are planningmenu price increases next year to accommodate rising wages.

9. Sugar is enemy du jour.Led by health-conscious Baby Boomers, sugar has become the top item that consumers are trying to avoid in their diets. The number of sugar-free, unsweetened, or reduced-sugar products being shippedand consumed increased by double digits last year, according to theNPD Group. The group expects consumers to return to eggs and oils as recent research has shown the nutritional benefits of certain fats.

“This isn’t just something that consumers are saying they want to do,”says Darren Seifer, the company’s food and beverage industry analyst.“They’re actually doing it. They’re cutting back on soft drinks and fruit juices and shifting away from sweetened snacks to fresh fruit or savory items.”

10. Snacks take center stage.Nearly a quarter of all snack foods consumed last year were eaten at mealtime, according to NPD group, which expects the trend to continue into 2016. One of the main drivers is the growing number of single-person households, since solo eaters are more likely to opt for snack foods for dinner. When making their selection, single diners prefer single-serve packages and are increasingly turning to “better-for-you” snacks, like fresh fruit, breakfast bars, and yogurt.

11. Ramen gets upscale.  Once the stereotypical fare of cash-strapped college students, the classic Japanese noodle soup has soared to new heights. This month, a Tokyo restaurant became the first ramen shop to receive a Michelinstar, and Conde Nast Traveler expects more ramen shops to pop upin 2016. “From Milan to Madison,” Conde Nast Traveler says, “ramen has spawned slurpworthy iteration after iteration of its standard components: noodles and broth.”

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To read more on Baum & Whiteman’s take on all of 2016’sHottest Trends, you can download the entire report freeat http://www.baumwhiteman.com/2016Trends.pdf

www.restaurant-hospitality.com Oct. 28, 2015

The two most noteworthy trends in for 2016 have nothing to do with food, according to long-time food trend mavensBaum+Whiteman. Rather, the consultants expect a revolution in high-speed food delivery and an ever-louder national conversation regarding tipping and pay disparities to have the greatest impact on the restaurant world.

Baum+Whiteman creates high-profile restaurants around theworld for hotels, restaurant companies, museums and other consumer destinations. Based in NYC, their projects include thelate Windows on the World and the magical Rainbow Room, andthe world's first food courts. The complete report can be found on their site at www.baumwhiteman.com/2016Trends.pdf

12 trends that will impact restaurants in 20162. Clean eating will gain more traction.After watching consumers attack Big Food over chemicals and additives,Big Restaurants are suddenly ditching some artificial and bad-for-you ingredients from their menus. A recent survey found that 36 percent of consumers worried about "chemicals" in their food. In another survey, 40 percent of consumers report it’s “very important” that foods use all-natural ingredients, free of GMOs and artificial flavors or colors.

Odd that most of this activity is occurring at quick-service and fast-casual chains, with little word from full-service restaurants. But gettingrid of selected no-nos is no mere fad. Everyone will scramble to "sanitize" their menus.

1. Amazon, Uber and others will shake up the delivery game.Tech-driven delivery is 2015-2016's Big Disrupter of food retailingand foodservice. Delivery affects everyone from McDonald's towhite tablecloth concepts. Smartphoners, latching onto the easeof locating a restaurant, ordering, paying, and getting loyaltypoints—without ever speaking to a human being—are driving this revolution.

Muscling into high-speed food delivery: Google, UberEATS, Amazon Prime Now, Postmates, Grub Hub, Yelp. None of themmake food. They collect fees and personal information about who orders what, when and from which restaurants.

Most fast-casual outfits, initially designed for consumer involvement in the assembly process, will have to wrestle with this delivery challenge.

They're all racing to your door. UberEATS gets a limited menu to your curb in ten minutes by preloading food into drivers' cars.Amazon's Prime Now app gets entire menus delivered in an hour(39 minutes in Seattle). The Postmates Pop app promises 15 minutes in San Francisco.

Now things get blurry. Outfits like Amazon and Google ultimatelywon't care whether consumers order rotisserie chicken fromBoston Market or Kroger or Dean & Deluca or a local food truck.This means the battle for food dollars among various distributionchannels will intensify.

The danger for restaurants: Suppose customers are craving barbe-cued ribs, and sites like Amazon or Uber or Google gave them a dozen restaurants and gourmet shops near their zip code, alongwith professional reviews of these producers, along with rankings?Poof! Restaurants lose marketing control of their businesses.

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3. Could pasta become an endangered species?In the last five years, pasta sales dropped 8% in Australia, 13%in Europe and 25% in Italy of all places. It isn't a crisis here yet, but pasta's down 6% as Americans focus on proteins and shed carbs, or shun gluten, or subscribe to Paleo diets.

Even carboholics have more nutritious alternatives, such as quinoa,chickpeas, lentils, spelt, barley, chia. So it looks like a trend.

Vegetable spiralizers are selling like hotcakes. Chefs will experimentwith vegetable ribbons to replace pasta. And look for pastas incorporating more vegetables, too.

4. Vegetables will continue to step up on the plate.We've reached a tipping point for vegetables. They're pushing animalprotein to the side of the plate, sometimes entirely off it. Relentlesslyrising beef prices, concerns over hormones, a scramble for ever-moreantioxidants, health and diet concerns, growth of farmers’ markets,locavore proponents, increasing numbers of flexitarians: All the starshave nicely aligned.

It helps that vegetables are more seasonal than animals, addingmenu excitement for restaurants recognizing that buying seasonallyreduces food costs and keeps menus fresh. Say hello to "root tostem" dining, a logical extension of the nose-to-tail movement, with restaurants serving vegetables trimmings otherwise headingfor the trash. Say hello to "vegetable forward" restaurants, with chefs deploying flesh as a condiment rather than the main act on the plate.

Not just vegetarians and vegans, consumers behind this shift are omnivores who believe they eat too many animals. It’s no accidentthat Bon Appetit named quirky Al's Place, in San Francisco's MissionDistrict, as best new restaurant of 2015. Most meat on their menu is listed under "side dishes," and the food is head-spinningly complex: sunchoke curry with black lime, cod and grapefruit; brinedand fermented french fries with smoked applesauce. Nothing'swasted; citrus peels are transformed into flavored oils that are frozenfor freshness and eggplant mayo is made with pods of shelling beans.

The transforming idea is that veg-forward restaurants no longer sell hippie food tasting like punishment. They're serving great meals composed mostly (or entirely) of vegetables that are great to look at, satisfyingly memorable and compatible with wine.

How mainstream are we? White Castle now has a veggie slider,served on a vegan bun.

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5. Have tipping and wages reached a tipping point?"Fundamentally, the cost of going out to a fine-dining restaurant is false." Danny Meyer said so recently, while he explained why he's moving his restaurants to a no-tipping policy, thereby raisingwages for all of his staffers, front- and back-of-the-house.

In truth, the restaurant industry's amazing growth over the past five decades has depended on artificially low prices that in turn arebased upon underpaid labor. In the fast food business, low laborcosts are subsidized by taxes on the general public to pay for employees' food stamps and other supplementary welfare payments.In fancy restaurants, your $36 main course could easily have beenmade by a $10/hour cook sweating in an overheated kitchen.

Social and economic trends move glacially—and then seem to happen all at once. While most people reject no-tipping restaurantsas un-American, the movement now has momentum. Fact is thateven above $15/hour, restaurants are finding it impossible to hirecooks while keeping their labor costs in line, indicating two things:(1) pay is too low; and (2) prices are too low. If forced to pay the fullprice for food, would consumers eat out less? Quite probably.

You might conclude that we have too many restaurants and notenough cooks, and that shifts in prices and wages might even thingsout. At least that’s what Economics 101 teaches us.

Most no-tipping restaurants tend to be upscale. In highfalutinrestaurants with multicourse price-fixed menus, service generally is included in the price. Recently opened Dirt Candy adds a 20 percent administrative fee. Japanese Ippuku in Berkeley imposes a $6 service charge per person. Ivar’s Salmon House raised prices and wages so workers are paid least $15 per hour and declared it a success. But it isn't all sweetness: Two restaurants in San Francisco, Bar Agricole and Trou Normand, went tip-free and then switched back because they couldn't hang onto servers. But the policy is trickling down.

Sqirl, in LA, makes a big deal of vegetable toast with green garlic crèmefraiche, spicy pickled carrots, and house za’atar, shown at left.

Atlanta's General Muir typifies the trend, curing its own meats,rolling its bagels and turning out food with only a slight accent:matzoh ball soup, and smoked duck with peaches and blackberrygastrique; chopped liver, but also halibut with heirloom tomatosauce and pea tendrils; gruyere burger with crisped pastrami.

Shaya, a New Orleans venture of Israeli Alon Shaya and multi-starred chef John Besh, calls its food "modern Israeli, with rootsacross North Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Turkey andGreece. Little on the menu is geographically specific. Force yourgaze past enticing small plates (five kinds of hummus; foie graswith rose tahini and carob molasses) and you'll find shakshuka with local shrimp, and lamb with whipped feta and stone fruittabouleh. Esquire named it restaurant of the year.

Plan Check Kitchen+ Bar's fried chicken sandwich is on trendwith current tastes. Photo: Plan Check Kitchen + Bar

9. The Obsession with Fried Chicken will grow.Shake Shack made headlines this year with a limited release of a fairly conventional ChickenShack sandwich. So did DavidChang, with an incendiary sandwich at Fuku, perhaps a nascentchain. They follow an emerging obsession. No longer just southern,fried chicken sandwiches have gone creative and ethnic.

In Fuku's case, you're munching on a mammoth boneless thighmarinated in habanero purée, buttermilk, and Changian spices,deep-fried and topped with some acidic vegetables. Barbecuemaven Mighty Quinn smokes its thighs before frying and tops them with fermented chilies-garlic-lime sauce.

Nashville Hot is a cult favorite that's spreading across the country.It's meant to burn your lips for days on end. Like buffalo wings,Nashville Hot Chicken is dunked in hot sauce after frying; but it ain'tplain old hot sauce. This is a thermonuclear paste of melted lard,sugar, sadistic quantities of cayenne, sugar and each chef's secretspices. It is showing up in fried chicken joints and sitdown restaurants, including Carla Hall's soon-to-open spot in NYC.

8. Acai bowls: Pulp, not fiction.Move over, smoothies. Acai bowls are the next big hipster food.Using a fruit from Brazil, they're migrating from Hawaii andspreading cross-country. It’s fundamentally a big-bowl smoothie,made from frozen acai pulp and soy or other milk plus bananas,bits of other fruit and lots of ice, with toppings like granola, chia seeds, chocolate chips, coconut flakes and peanut butter. You eat it with a spoon and it tastes fairly close to ice cream. You also pay about $10. Google searches for acai bowls havemore than doubled this year.7. The rise of

“new-ish Jew-ish” cuisinewill continue.There's a resurgence of Jewish food.We’re talking about chef-drivenmodern Jewish cookery (or evenmodern Jewish heresy) rather thanmore traditional heavyweightEastern European dishes.

How come now? Because chefseverywhere are exploring their rootsand cuisines. "Heritage cuisines" are being expressed with stories behind them. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren are reinventing dishes and foodwaysthat second-generation immigrantsturned their backs on (except at family gatherings and holidays.)

6. Poke may be the next ceviche/sashimi/crudo.Poke is a Hawaiian mainstay that's migrating to the mainland. Basically it’s a bowl of marinated chopped or cubed raw fish (traditionally ahi tuna) served over over seaweed-seasoned rice. The dish is all over L.A. and starting to surface in places like SaltLake City, Boston and NYC.

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12. Retailers will renew their attack on restaurants.

In our 2014 forecast we highlighted how U.S. retailers are building revenue by luring shoppers into stores for snacks and meals. Retailers, we said, were discovering what we call the magic of "dwell time" ...the longer you keep a shopper on the premises, the more the shopper will buy per hour of stay.

• Outdoor World, owned by Bass Pro Shops, has installedlarge-scale Islamadora Fish Co. restaurants in its hunting, camping and recreation departments.

• Whole Foods just invested in the boutique high-volume sandwich-salad chain, Mendocino Farms, to help them grow and will be opening units at select Whole Foods Marketsand their more popularly priced 365 stores.

• Lexus has a lifestyle showroom in Tokyo called Intersect, with a street-level cafe and a bistro upstairs serving a global French-Japanese-Mexican mishmash with lots of pretention.

11. Snacking will suggest new trending flavors.We seem to be moving from three meals a day to none! Snacks are obliterating meals. It's not just Millennials or dashboarddiners; growing numbers of Americans snack four or five times daily.Snacking increased 47 percent from 2010 to 2014. We raise this pointbecause snack flavor profiles are changing:

• The ground is shifting away from sweet to savory, and from high-carb to nutrient dense high-protein indulgent snacks. Even whensweeteners are involved, they're often combined with spicy.

• Spicy-salty-savory ethnic snacks are afternoon favorites and meal replacements: hummus variations, flavored popcorns (like seaweed-and-sesame), chili-citrus potato chips, mango-chili-lime chips.

• Sour is replacing sweet. Consumers are seeking deep contrasts torichness, which explains why fermented condiments (like kimcheeand house-pickled vegetables) are popular on menus. Tart and bitter is also rising in popularity with new kale, crunchy broccoli and othervegetable chips.

• Bitter is also gaining momentum, especially in beverages like coffeeand tea.

10. Sometimes heat alone will not be enough.America's pepperheads are (finally) discovering that heat is notenough ... that food also has flavors. We're watching an interestingshift from just-plain-incendiary to aromatic and flavorful spiceblends and sauces, including:

• Piri-piri peppers blended with tamer spices, herbs, citrus peels,used as bbq rubs or as bases for piquant sauces.

• Sweet-spicy gochujang, a thick Korean bbq sauce made frommalted barley, fermented soybean flour, red pepper and rice flour.

• Shichimi-togarashi, a blend of red chili pepper, black pepper,sesame seeds, dried orange peel, seaweed flakes and poppy seeds.Also called Japanese Seven-Spice, it starts out hot then shifts tocomplexity, plus a bit of crunch.

• Berbere, a highly fragrant but hot Ethiopian mix makes a great rub or mix for braised food: cardamom, hot peppers, paprika,cumin, clove, cinnamon, fenugreek, nutmeg, turmeric, ginger.

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Spice of the Year: TurmericShowing up fresh in health food shops and juice bars, powderedin supermarkets. It's what makes curry powder yellow, theoreti-cally cures almost everything, and is getting a big play at retailbut hardly showing up on restaurant menus ...yet.

• At their Experience Center in Atlanta, Porsche teams an auto showroom with an upscale restaurant called 365, serving simplefood with regional accents. It looks onto a driver developmenttrack. Have the pork jowl with white bean purée and collards for $24. (photo above)

Boy, we sure are digging our food these days! SRG’s 2016 Culinary Trends show that today’s cooks and diners continue to explore, experiment, andheartily enjoy what’s new in food. And what’s new is often not new at all, but a rediscovered ingredient, drink, or dish that has been refashionedwith contemporary palates in mind. These palates are definitely expanding, turning to more savory compositions and new regional cuisines, whilealso gladly accepting familiar foods in delightful new formats. These are all signs that the 2016 dining public is one that understands food betterthan ever and is celebrating the many ways we now have to savor it. – Kara Nielsen, Culinary Director, SRG

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www.forbes.com Nov. 23, 2015 Article by Andrew Bender

  10 Food & Restaurant Trends

1.  All-Day BreakfastIt was big news when McDonald’s announced this year that many of its restaurants would serve breakfast all day. “The traditional mealperiods have been gradually disintegrating over the past decade,”says Bret Thorn of Nation’s Restaurant News, “as fewer people eatbreakfast, lunch and dinner and more people graze as their whimsand schedules permit.” He calls meals at alternative times of day “simultaneously subversive and comforting.”

But it’s not just fast food: all-day breakfast is advantageous for fancierrestaurants too. “Food costs (eggs, flour, milk) are very low and satisfaction level is high,” Thorn says, though he notes that restaurantsdoing all-day breakfast will benefit from a liquor license. “People likemimosas and bloody Marys with breakfast.”

Mike Thelin of Feast Portland, for one, is happy with this change. “I will eat bacon and eggs for any meal of the day. Glad to know I’m not alone. Breakfast for dinner is always special, so I’m surprisedthis trend took so long to land.”

That said, says Thorn, “We’re not sure yet how McDonald’s all-daybreakfast will pan out. Several other fast food chains, including SonicDrive-In and Jack in the Box have been offering all-day breakfastfor years.”

2. Rice Bowls“Rice bowls have been a staple in Asia for decades, and they fit intothe way Americans eat perfectly,” says FlyandDine.com’s Jason Kessler.“Lots of flavors mixed together in a convenient format.”

“I don’t know why, but people seem to think food is better for you if you put it in a bowl,” says Bret Thorn. “I guess it does limit how muchfood you can eat in one sitting. There’s also something comfortingabout a meal in a bowl, and possibly an antidote for all those shared plates.”

Among quick service restaurants, Panera and Del Taco have recentlyadded bowls, and Chipotle has been rolling out its ShopHouse subsidiary, which puts Southeast Asian ingredients and preparationson top of rice (or noodles or salad greens).

Fried chicken and all-day breakfast are just two of the top emerging food and restaurant trends on the annual Seat 1A Food Trend List. This year’s trend list began with 22 concepts based on ideas and observations from restaurants all over the U.S., and was culled down to ten with the help of an esteemed panel of culinary experts:

• Christine Couvelier, culinary executive, executive chef and culinary trendologist. She has worked in numerous corporate and culinary executive positions and runs her B.C.-based consulting company, Culinary Concierge.

• Jason Kessler, founder of FlyandDine.com and a contributor to American Way, Sunset, Los Angeles Magazine and more.• Robin Selden, managing partner and executive chef of Connecticut-based Marcia Selden Catering, 2015 Chef of the Year nominee and

board member of the International Caterers Association. The company produces over 2,000 events annually. • Mike Thelin, food industry expert and festival creator, co-founder and co-owner of Feast Portland, one of the country’s most

highly-regarded food festivals.• Bret Thorn, senior food and beverage editor at the trade publication Nation’s Restaurant News.

3. Fried Chicken / Fried Chicken SandwichesThe lowly fried chicken has become the new object of everyone’s affection. “Fried chicken is the new pork belly!” proclaims ChristineCouvelier of Culinary Concierge.

“Americans love fried chicken,” says Bret Thorn of Nation’s RestaurantNews, “and especially boneless fried chicken in the form of friedbreast in a sandwich or faux wings.” Apart from the taste factor, “Beef prices are at or near record highs,” which for the restaurantindustry “makes chicken a more desirable thing to sell.”

“Who needs a McChicken when you can get a perfectly fried breaston a real bun that’s not made with all kinds of chemicals?” asks JasonKessler of Fly & Dine.

Breakfast All Dayis Here to Stay!

Low food cost and high customer satisfaction make catering to customer whimsfun and profitable.

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4. PokeThis Hawaiian specialty may be the next in a long history of trend-making with raw fish (think sushi, ceviche and fish tartare).Poke (also spelled “poki”) features diced raw fish and/or seafood, often seasoned with soy sauce and/or sesame oil and tossed with anything from sea salt to minced green onion, seaweed, sesame seeds and diced jalapeño.

“Our clients travel all over the world and always look to us to givethem new and exciting foods that are clean and healthy, too,” says Robin Selden of Marcia Selden catering, which offers a make-your-own poke bar.

In restaurants, poke seems to be more an emerging trend than an established one. Bret Thorn notes that it’s really strongest in Los Angeles, where “lots of national trends start.”

Sweetfin and Wiki Poki in L.A. have a local following. But, he says,“I think we still need to see a catalyst that will get poke exposed to the rest of the county.”

6. ShakshukaIt’s early but growing stages for this deceptively simple but still impressive looking and deeply satisfying dish of North African origin:eggs poached over a compote of stewed bell pepper and tomato,with cumin, parsley and other herbs and spices. From its home countries of Libya and Tunisia, it’s made its way stateside largely by way of Israel, where it’s popular for breakfast and lunch.

“Fabulous flavors!!!” raves Christine Couvelier.

“It’s a somewhat exotic menu item, but it’s eggs, so it’s also approach-able,” says Bret Thorn. “Although an increasing number of consumersseek culinary adventure, very few want to be scared by their food.Eggs are not scary.”

Couvelier also likes its flexibility. Although these days it can be foundmostly at restaurants, shakshuka “also is possible for consumers tocreate at home.”

7. Tweaked Ice Cream Sandwiches“All over the frickin’ place,” exclaims Bret Thorn, crediting the L.A. food truck turned brick-and-mortar shop (and now retail supplier)Coolhaus with starting the trend of unconventional ice cream between unconventional ingredients.

“Cookies are great and all, but churros [pictured below] and donutsare even better,” says Jason Kessler.

Christine Couvelier advises “Look for ice cream between waffles,snickerdoodles, brownies, Whoopie Pies, grilled cheese (yes, really),Rice Krispies squares made into cookies and more. Watch for more savory artisan ice cream as well: sweet potato ice cream, popcorn icecream…”

“Our most popular sandwich is the coconut macaroon with chocolatealmond ice cream,” says Robin Selden. “We also do a very popularsalted caramel French macaron with caramel popcorn and bacon ice cream.”

(Forbes Top 10 List continues on following page)

5. Chef-Driven Food Delivery Service“We’re a lazy nation,” says Jason Kessler. “We want a chef to cook for us without [our] having to put on pants.”

But there’s a huge difference between the traditional ordering-in(pizza, Chinese, Thai, etc.) and the current trend: High end restaurantsand chefs are increasingly getting into the act. Christine Couveliercalls them “Chefpreneurs, chefs defining themselves as retail products and brands. Watch for many, many more.”

“In the past, most of the food delivery services were more about delivery infrastructure than food quality,” says Mike Thelin.

“Speedy and streamlined delivery technology is giving chefs newmarkets for their food,” says Bret Thorn, especially for Millennials and professionals.

Think of Munchery (the San Francisco-based, app-based food deliverystartup), Uber Food (which delivers meals from well known restaurantsby Uber cars) or Maple (the new delivery service spearheaded by NewYork-based celebrity chef David Chang, of Momofuku, etc.).

Case in point: Robin Selden herself. “While I cook the most incrediblefoods for my clients, I never have time to worry about myself. Most times I’m eating a bowl of Cheerios when I get home from workat 1 a.m.” She has been getting meals delivered from her “friend andfellow chef,” Rocco DiSpirito, from his Pound a Day Diet meal plan.

TRENDING: Rice Bowls (as well as other meals-in-a-bowl), a North African dish called Shakshuka, made with poached eggs, stewed bell pepper and tomato, and unconventional ice cream sandwiches are just a few of the emerging trends to watch for on U.S. menus in 2016.

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10. On the Horizon - Indian Flavors“The flavors of India are so rich and varied that chefs should be salivating to incorporate them into their arsenal,” says Jason Kessler.“Akasha Richmond is doing wonderful things at Sambar in CulverCity, Calif. with classic Indian ingredients used in fascinating ways.”

“I do think that more regional specific Indian cuisine is showing up as consumers are becoming more familiar with Indian spices and dishes,” says Christine Couvelier.

Bret Thorn cites fast-casual Indian places like Soho Tiffin Junction in New York, Kasa in San Francisco, and Chai Pani in Decatur, Ga. andAsheville, N.C. Sambar’s crosstown compatriot, Downtown L.A.’s Badmaash, has been tweaking Indian flavors with the likes of a spicylamb burger and chicken tikka poutine since 2013.

However, Thorn cautions, “I’ve been in my job for 16 years and peoplehave been swearing that whole time that Indian cuisine was about to be the next big thing. We’re still waiting for Indian cuisine, in any form, to do something like what Korean food has done in recent years.”

Tune in next year and find out.

8. Quick Service Outlets by Famous ChefsMore and more fine-dining chefs are getting into the multiple location, quick-service restaurant business. Mike Thelin calls this “the future of food.”

Although this trend seems to have broken out in the last year or two,it’s not exactly new. Bret Thorn puts its origin back in 2003, “whenTom Colicchio [of Craft] opened ’wichcraft, a sandwich chain usingthe same ingredients he was sourcing for his fine dining restaurant.”Others cite Wolfgang Puck Express (which debuted in 1991), Danny Meyer’s Shake Shack (2004) and Bobby Flay’s Bobby’s BurgerPalace (2008).

Whenever it started, the expansion activity’s gone into hyperdrivesince 2014. Among the other celebrity chefs: Richard Blais (FLIP Burger Boutique), Sean Brock (Minero in Charleston, S.C.), Rick Bayless (Tortas Frontera, Xoco) and Brooks Headley (the all-vegetarian Superiority Burger). On deck: Cape Seafood & Provisions, from Michael Cimarusti of L.A.’s consistently top-rated Providence restaurant.

What’s behind this trend? “The farm-to-table chef movement intro-duced diners to an entirely new vocabulary, cast of ingredients, creativity and ideals toward quality and sourcing,” says Mike Thelin.“That changed everything we thought we knew about food. Diners now want great chef-driven food three meals a day, seven days a week, and even at fast food restaurants.”

Not to mention that it’s profitable. Bret Thorn notes that selling quality casual meals to the masses can make chefs “a lot more money than if they sell $250 tasting menus to a few people.”

9. The End of TippingThe restaurant industry’s biggest bombshell of the season, if not theyear, came when New York’s Union Square Hospitality Group, run by Danny Meyer, announced that it would end tipping and raisemenu prices to compensate waitstaff for the foregone income. Other chefs, including Tom Colicchio, are following suit.

“Danny Meyer didn’t start the trend,” says Mike Thelin, “but USHG’sscrapping of tipping is a huge moment in the evolution and a validation and sign of the times.”

“It’s about time we moved to a more European model,” says Kessler,“where servers make a living wage and don’t just treat serving jobslike a way to make cash in between acting gigs.”

It’s not just consumers and restaurant geeks who are demanding a change to tipping policy. “With labor costs going up, particularly in the form of minimum wage, restaurants are facing financial challenges that threaten to upset restaurants’ economic models,” says Bret Thorn.

“I believe that tipping will one day be the exception, not the rule,”says Mike Thelin.

Christine Couvelier calls Meyer’s move “a very important statementabout the value that should be placed on the craft of hospitality.”Naysayers fear that without the motivation of a tip, restaurant staffwill feel less obligated to provide good service. And Couvelier warnsthat as prices rise to adjust to the no-tipping policy, “The ‘value’ has to be there,” from the greeting, to the service to the taste.

Forbes Restaurant Trends (continued from previous page)

Chicken tikka poutine (left) and spicy lamb burger (right) crownthis mashup photo from Badmaash in Downtown Los Angeles.

Tom Colicchio’s ‘wichcraft was a key milestone in chefs doingquick service.

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ingredientsnetwork.com Jan. 4, 2016IFT Predicts 2016 Trends The editors at Food Technology magazine, published by the Institute of Food Technologists,have announced their predictions on hot food trends for 2016 – from clean labels in fine dining to increasing focus on food safety.

Cleaner LabelsMore than ever, consumers are pushing food manufacturers to use ingredients to produce products with so-called clean labels. Ingredient manufacturers have stepped up and now offer ingredientsthat are naturally derived, minimally processed, organic, and not genetically modified—all of which food manufacturers use to formulate clean label products.

—Karen Nachay, Senior Editor

Morally Conscious FoodsIncreasing emphasis on conscious living will lead to a new categoryof foods—morally conscious foods. From farm to fork, these foods,their production methods, and the companies manufacturing themwill align closely with consumers’ moral values.

—Tara McHugh, Contributing Editor, Processing

Generational NutritionBaby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials will continue to play a role in popular nutritional trends as well as product labeling.

Baby Boomers want to lead lives full of energy and mental focus.

Generation Xers are concerned not only with their own health, but withthe health of their children. Immune health will continue to be a trendas this generation understands the link between immunity and overall wellness.

Millennials tend to be more focused on labels and natural foods, so being transparent—not only in terms of healthful ingredients but also in terms of how the foods and beverages are made—will beimportant. Information is key to all generations, so communicatingscience-based information in an understandable way will be critical inupholding the credibility of products focused on health and wellness.

—Linda Ohr, Contributing Editor, Nutraceuticals

Focus on Food SafetyResearchers, food manufacturers, regulatory agencies, and supplierswill continue to focus attention on pathogens, developing new andimproved methods of analysis, instruments, detection supplies, andspecific applications. Efforts will continue on improving traceability of ingredients and products and harmonizing standards internationally.Food companies will be very involved in meeting the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration's final regulations implementingthe Food Safety Modernization Act.

––Neil H. Mermelstein, Editor Emeritus

Clean Labels Spread to Fine Dining2015 was marked by many major food companies, in addition tofast-food and fast-casual restaurants, announcing the “healthification”of their menus through the banning of artificial ingredients and/oradditives. In 2016, we can expect to see this effect “trickle up” to finedining/sit-down restaurants where consumers are going to demandmore than “locally produced” or “made in house” to signify a holisticapproach to health.

—Kelly Hensel, Senior Digital Editor

The Intersection of Health and ConvenienceFoods and beverages that deliver on both health and conveniencewill proliferate and gain wider distribution as consumers look foreasy ways to incorporate more good-for-you products into theirlives. Think portion-controlled snacks and ready-to-eat salad kitscomplete with slightly exotic ingredients like hemp seeds andedamame. We’ll see more of these kinds of products on retailshelves as entrepreneurs continue to get creative and major foodcompanies acquire or partner with innovative niche marketers.

—Mary Ellen Kuhn, Executive Editor

Less Is MoreFood manufacturers will have to continue to make food productsthat are less processed as consumers demand more transparencyand foods that are closer to their natural state.

—Toni Tarver, Senior Writer/Editor

Smartphone StapleJust like a knife and fork, your smartphone will become an indispen-sable utensil for eating and dining in 2016. It can order and purchase food, find grocery and restaurant deals, count calories,provide nutrition knowhow, suggest recipes, replace mom for cooking advice, share memorable culinary experiences, connectfarmers with retailers and restaurants, and reduce food wastethrough redirecting surpluses to those in need.

—Bob Swientek, Editor in Chief

The Packaging ConnectionFoodies have long been interested in the backstory behind thefoods they choose, but recent technologies have made it more possible than ever to bring this kind of information to the everydayconsumer. In 2016, this trend will continue to grow, with packaginginnovations allowing consumers to interact with products both on the shelf and when they get them home. Packaging technologieswill also make it easier than ever for consumers to reorder their favorite items at the touch of a button.

—Melanie Zanoza Bartelme, Associate Editor

Gourmet ConvenienceWith 48 million time-strapped Americans describing themselves asfoodies, gourmet convenience will be among the new megatrends.

—A. Elizabeth Sloan, Contributing Editor, Consumer Trends

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The Innovation Group, the innovation and futurism unit of J. Walter Thompson Intelligence, has predicted some of the key trends for the foodand beverage industry of the future. In its latest trends report, which also includes statistical data from Sonar, it made findings such as thatmore than half of US and UK Millennials use technology like apps and wearables to maintain a healthy diet.

Innovation Group worldwide director Lucie Greene said: “Today’s food and drink consumers are more sophisticated than ever before. Our research shows that both US and UK consumers are placing increasing importance on food and drink as an experiential luxury and reflection of their personal identity. We also found that Millennials, despite their well-documented economic challenges, are demandinghigher-quality food, visual stimulation, and technologically enhanced experiences.”

www.foodbev.com Sept. 8, 2015

Food and drink trends of the future

Food and health coming together

Health-conscious Millennials are gravitating towardhealthier mixers and combining exercise with hedonism when it comes to alcohol.

Greene said: “We’re seeing a big convergence between categories and treatments in food and drink – it’s fueling notonly creativity but also inspiring a raft of new hybrid categories.In our Culinary Cocktails trend, we look at how increasingly themixologist world is borrowing from Michelin starred chefs to innovate – using fat washes and sous vide treatments. Beauty and food categories are also borrowing from each other.Hemsley + Hemsley are creating rich desserts made from coconut oil and avocado, extolling the virtues not just forhealth, but skin and nails. New food products are appearingwith skincare and well-being language or properties. You’re alsoseeing new players enter the food space. Farfetch, a fashion retailer, launching Farfetch Curates Food is a testament to howfood and fashion are increasingly intertwined in the minds andpassions of consumers.”

Technology changing the way we eat

Ordering takeaways on a smartphone is old news, the Innovation Group said. The future promises curated delivery, delivery-only restaurants and even zero-cost delivery by self-drivingcar. But ordering food on your smartphone has its place in the evolution of ordering technology – the company cited researchshowing that more than 60% of UK Millennials agreed that onlinefood delivery services made meal preparation much easier for them, compared with only 21% of Boomers, as evidence of this.

Last month, we reported on a survey that claimed the way in whichwe ordered food was directly influencing the cuisines we opted to eat. The researchers said that “more traditional takeaways such as fish and chips and Chinese are missing out – as a lack of deliveryservices and online ordering deter the next generation of takeaway consumers.”

And Lucie Greene added: “Like most aspects of our lives now, food and drink is being affected by new strides in technology – from clever kitchens that can create menus for us intuitively basedon leftover ingredients on our kitchen table; to image-sensitive appsthat can assess the nutritional value of a piece of food from a photo;to a proliferation of food delivery apps that bring gourmet, curated,vegan and personalized menus to our doors within 30 minutes.

Social media and digital sharing platforms meanwhile are providinga rich plethora of instant, detailed information about sourcing andingredients, meaning that all our food choices will become muchmore informed and, not only that, regulated by the crowd. Brands will have to embrace a new era of ultra-transparency or risk being caught out.”

The rise of “post-artisan”

The cloying cocktails of the 1970s and ’80s – long considered passé – are now making a comeback, as mixologistsreinvent them for sophisticated, modern palates.

“Cocktail classics of yesteryear, long relegated to the dustbin of cheesy nightclubs, are being reinvented with a gourmet twist,unapologetically celebrating the synthetic hues of retro ingredients such as crème de menthe and blue curaçao. Meanwhile, even the wine category is being treated with a wink:see hit Instagrammer The Fat Jew… and his hit sensation WhiteGirl Rosé, which launched this year.”

Sharing our food with others

Awash with food imagery on social media platformssuch as Instagram, consumers are gravitating towards increasingly surprising and compelling food imagery thataims more for the mind than the stomach, the InnovationGroup claimed. 72% of British and American Millennials arelikely to share pictures of their food and drink if it is differentor unique, compared with just 22% of Baby Boomers.

“After years of over-laboured ‘artisan’ and visceral rustic ‘food porn’ imagery, we’re seeing a new modern, playful,quite irreverent approach to food and drink emerging. New environments are moving beyond ‘authentic craft’ visualcues to embrace new clean, futuristic, colourful stylings. Creative food photographers are presenting food in unexpected, graphic and surreal ways,” said Lucie Greene.

Cannabis in beverages

A wave of marijuana legalisation in the U.S. has freed beverage startups to experiment with tetrahydrocannabinol infusions, as well as non-intoxicating hemp concoctions.

Nearly three quarters of consumers surveyed across Millennial,Generation X and Boomer generations agree that marijuana willbe as socially acceptable as alcohol over the next decade.

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“Consumers’ negative stereotype that any and all fat content is evilhas begun to diminish,” Ms. Zegler said. “The awareness of the manysources of good and bad fats is ushering in a paradigm shift in whichfat content is not the first and foremost consideration — and barrier— in the search for healthy products.”

Ms. Zegler added that consumer perceptions related to sustainabilityalso are shifting as more people learn about the issues associatedwith the drought in California and food waste.

“Drought, worries about food waste and other natural phenomenanot only affect the worldwide food and drink supply, but influencepreparation and production,” she said. “In 2016, sustainability evolvesfrom being good for the bottom line to being a necessary part of new product development for the common good.”

Finally, Ms. Zegler pointed out that while taste is still the primarydriver of food and beverage demand, social media applications alsomay be exerting greater influence on consumer choice.

“Flavor has long been the core of innovation, but more visual andshare-focused societies call for innovation that is boldly colored andartfully constructed,” she said. “Finding inspiration in global food service offerings, brands can experiment with vibrant colors andnovel shapes to make packaged products worthy of consumer praise and social media posts.”

Mintel International’s Global Food and Drinks Trends 2016 reportidentifies new ways North American consumers may be approachingdiet, sustainability and their perception of innovation. Five emergingtrends highlighted by the market research company include Diet by D.N.A., Eco is the New Reality, From the Inside Out, Fat ShedsStigma, and Eat With Your Eyes.

Three of the trends, Diet by D.N.A., From the Inside Out, and Fat ShedsStigma, all relate to how consumer perception of health and wellnessmay be changing.

“Interest in natural and ‘getting back to basics’ has boosted ancientgrains and superfoods, fostering a principle that age-old staples arebetter than today’s manufactured options,” said Jenny Zegler, globalfood and drink analyst for Mintel, of the Diet by D.N.A. trend. “Interest in historical ingredients suggests that consumers may tryto unlock the keys to their personal physiology and design diets byconnecting with their own ancestry or genetic make-up.”

Along the same lines, consumers are recognizing that diets may connect with the way they look and feel, according to Mintel. The From the Inside Out trend places new emphasis on packagedfoods and beverages that are formulated to help people’s physical appearance as well as their personal wellness, and creating a marketfor products featuring such ingredients as probiotics and collagen.

The Mintel report also makes it clear consumers are paying attentionto news about the benefits of some types of fat.

www.foodbusinessnews.net Oct. 21, 2015 Article by Keith Nunez

Mintel identifies emerging trends

Novel protein sources, fat andmore natural, less-processedfoods will appeal to more consumers in 2016.

Download Mintel’s 78-page2016 Consumer Trends Reportfor free at www.mintel.com

Highlights of our 2016 Top Ten are below. Visit getflavor.com for the stories behind each trend, and the insight and information you’ll use to make menu decisions for the coming year.

getflavor.com Jan. 8, 2016