Across all our IHG hotels all over the world, we have been noticing certain food and beverage trends.
We want to take a closer look at a handful of those that we can see continuing throughout 2017. So take a read, and keep an eye out for these great trends.
Welcome to the dark side
July to September of 2016 saw a trend of black coloured food coming to the surface and we can see this continuing in 2017. Forget rainbow displays of colour, we are talking black squid ink and charcoal to colour our foods. We think this could particularly work on darker winter nights, Halloween and Bonfire festivities!
Eat with your eyes – a feast for the senses
Although flavour does continue to be at the centre of innovation and trends, eating with our eyes has become increasingly important. It’s no secret we are living in a society that’s utterly obsessed with photographic evidence of the food and drink we consume. From aesthetically pleasing tasting menus, beautiful cocktails, to elaborate milkshakes topped with doughnuts and sweets, so long as we have Instagram we see this trend continuing all the way through 2017 and beyond.
Souping is the new juicing
The health conscious and detoxifying obsessed trend continues through the form of souping. Juicing became a worldwide trend over Spring/Summer, but in the colder months in the Northern Hemisphere this has been replaced with soup. This trend offers a thicker texture that is a warm and nutritious take on juicing. This is certainly a trend that could influence our winter menus.
Caribbean cuisine
Taking direct influence from creatures of the sea, Caribbean seafood was introduced as a niche trend that has developed to appeal to the mass market. We love the influence of the Central American islands and the Gulf of Mexico and we can see it continuing to appeal to a mass market in 2017.
Moral foods
Consumers continue to show an interest and care for the moral implications of food, ingredients and dining out. A sense of consciousness for the wider world came around in 2016 including where ingredients were sourced, and the management of waste. Consumers have shown an increased interest in ingredients, if they’re supporting local businesses, and whether they have any waste or charity initiatives in place.
Variety is the spice of life
Consumers more than ever are showing little brand loyalty toward alcohol, rather experimenting and variety is much more appealing. This is a trend we see particularly among cocktails and is a trend we expect to see continuing through the party season and into 2017.
We would love to work with you on your next meeting and event, to ensure it is a success. Please contact Nga Nguyen, Business Development Manager on +61 3 8627 1422 or email Nga.Nguyen@ihg.com
Reference – IHG Blog: http://careers.ihg.com/articles/hospitality-trends-we-expect-see-2017
