2023 food and drink trends revealed

06-Oct-2022 - Last updated on 06-Oct-2022 at 16:02 GMT

Adaptation advantage: the versatility of pizza means the dish can be easily innovated (image: Getty/ Maren Caruso)

A nod to the past, ongoing consideration of sustainability and overseas inspiration are just three of the food and drinks trends operators should consider, research has found.

Foodservice provider Bidfood revealed the 2023 food and drinks trends that are set to soar next year.

Despite the tumultuous time faced by the hospitality sector, Bidfood research revealed consumer demand for eating out remains strong with 70% of the 2,000 UK adults polled revealed they most looking forward to dining and drinking out of home.

The future trends from the report identified were:

Retro love

This is all about revamping childhood memories and inspiring a sense of nostalgia, particularly through desserts, cakes and cocktails.

Conscious choices

Consumers are continually becoming more mindful of where they eat and drink out as well as what they order.

This isn’t a new trend for the coming year but the pandemic and the current cost-of-living crisis have contributed to how consumers think about what they are eating and drinking.

Evolution of pizza

Pizza’s versatility means it can lend itself to creative and accessible innovation. Gluten-free bases, plant-based and premium toppings mean it can fit well in a variety of different sectors, day parts and occasions.

Nature

There is set to be an ongoing focus on the role of plants within a dish and how chefs are incorporating ingredients found by themselves in the wild onto menus.

Emerging cuisines

According to research cited by Bidfood, one in three people said emerging cuisines had replaced the more established ones in their regular meal choices.

Furthermore, Bidfood identified four leading cuisines do not have strong presences on menus, meaning now is the prime time for operators to adopt them.

These were:

Cuban – inspired by Spain and the Caribbean, it has the potential to soar with almost half (46%) of consumers saying they would like to try the island’s delicacies.
Sri Lankan – this cuisine includes key ingredients such as turmeric, garlic, coconut and cinnamon with spice levels that can be easily adjusted to favour a plethora of tastes.
Unusual fusions – some 40% of consumers want to try flavours and formats that wouldn’t normally be paired together. Operators are advised to try new fusions to stand apart from competition.
Pan-African – dishes from this huge continent produce a myriad of flavours. Made up of comforting soups, stews and rice-based meals, it’s an adaptable and accessible trend to take note of.

Bidfood head of corporate marketing and insights Catherine Hinchcliff said: “We’re thrilled to see how the food and drink trends landing in 2023 are embracing sustainability, flavour experimentation and a journey through time, which in turn will allow the chefs to have fun while building their menus.

“Eating out has become a highly valued luxury for many so it will be important for chefs to consider how they can evolve their dishes and adhere to the more mindful choices consumers are making now.

“We are working with CGA again this year by carrying out exclusive research and conducting food influencer interviews.

“We also visited and interviewed restaurant operators in different cities to deliver the useful tools and resources our customers can implement in their 2023 menu planning, no matter where they are based in the UK.”