Bidfood has released a report that explores the key trends that they urge business wholesalers to consider in planning for the remainder of 2021, with wellness, careful consumption and worldwide cuisines seen as the key focus.
Read more: Bidfood reveals its foodservice trends for 2021
“The hottest trends in focus”
Bidfood identifies three of the “hottest trends” that they predict will help businesses to adapt to the shifting landscape:
Wellness my way: The pandemic has led to a trend in buyers looking for a healthier lifestyle, with 68% of consumers stating that they are now more concerned about their health and wellbeing. Consumers are optimizing their physical and mental wellbeing by making conscious decisions around the food and drinks they eat. Additionally, some consumers have opted to change their lifestyle choices, either by adopting new diets such as veganism or by selecting healthier substitutes.
Careful consumption: The trend in food sustainability has been on the rise, even more so since the start of the pandemic. Consumers are increasingly concerned about the impact of their buying behaviours on society as well as the environment. Many consumers opt to support low impact businesses, brands and producers that share similar values on diversity and equality.
Cuisines: Unable to travel to exotic locations, 52% of UK consumers say they wish to be more adventurous with their food selections than they were prior to the outbreak. Popular cuisines such as Middle Eastern or Global Flavours continue to expand, however, new trends have been identified within the market:
Regional Chinese – More regionally inspired meals with Cantonese cooking traditions, spicy Sichuan flavours, or Shanghai dumplings and steamed buns are expected according to Bidfood.
Flavours of South East Asia – Consumers are finding regional influences such as Indonesian, Malaysian, and Vietnamese flavours.
Caribbean – The traditional ‘jerk’ spice has risen in popularity within the UK. It has been seen in a variety of foods, from Jerk rabbit, pork belly and burgers.
Korean – From fire-fried chicken wings to Korean garlic bread, this trend has risen to popularity in the UK due to the ingredients, techniques and flavours.
Read more: TWC report highlights the five key future wholesale trends
Macro social trends
Bidfood has also pinpointed two wider macro social trends, that it believes identifies the shifts in consumer attitudes.
The new normal: Concerns about cleanliness and safety have risen as a result of the pandemic, often taking precedence over pricing when people go out to eat.
Changing choices: Many people have had to re-evaluate their priorities as a result of the pandemic, adapting to new methods of working and living. As a result, consumer behavior is changing dramatically. Bidfood believes consumers’ top concerns are:
- Quality
- Something a bit different
- Caring for causes
- Supporting local
