Firstly we wish all our clients and followers a very happy Christmas and prosperous New Year.
We are ending the year with a list of the key trends for the sector, according to the latest research.
Flexitarian Food
In the Whole Foods Market’s latest Trends Council report, ‘reducetarianism’ was given as the top trend to watch for in 2022 – this trend is key to ‘plant curious eaters’ who are not ready to give up meat entirely but are happy to swop out meat dishes for plant based foods on a more regular basis. Sales of vegetarian food products, which increased by 156% between 2021 and 2022 underline this.
Go to work (from home) on an egg!
As people return to working from home they have time for a leisurely breakfast; consequently one survey has found that Brits ate eggs for breakfast 68% more times than in the previous year! Similarly sales of bacon and pastries were up 21% and 25% according to Waitrose.
Pre-batched bottled cocktails
Pre-mixed cocktails have shed their less than sparkling standing as speciality drink industry brands revamp the category to ride the wave of ‘premiumistation’ in drinks. Waitrose expects pre-batched bottled cocktails to be one of the top trends next year.
CBD
ShelfNow has noted that alongside a growing interest in CBD, products like Cannasa, a premium CBD infused drink, are increasingly in demand. This reflects the explosion of interest in the CBD market (estimated by the Association for the Cannabinoid Industry to reach £690m in annual sales for 2021), thanks to the growing demand for healthy foods and CBD’s claimed benefits for mental health and wellness.
Japanese flavours
Dishes inspired by foreign countries have flourished in Britain since the pandemic hit and experts have tracked a particular interest in Japanese flavours around the time of the Tokyo Olympics. Waitrose report sushi sales increased by 54% and consumers were clearly also trying their hands at creating their own sushi – sales of mats up 57%.
Spicy Foods/foods from the Levant
Waitrose reports that Brits are showing a growing interest in adding a pop of flavour to their dishes. Sales of herbs and spices were up by 41% this year after a similarly strong 2020. Top performers in this category include middle eastern spices from the Levant (the Eastern Mediterranean). Pomegranate molasses, Turkish Urfa chilli flakes and feta parcels have been flying off the shelves.
