The popularity of different types of foods changes over time. One food can be in fashion for a decade and then fall out of favour. Different ways of presenting and serving food also go in and out of fashion.
Some temporary trends go on to become permanent features, and bottled water and organic food are typical examples. Here are a few classic food trends that restaurants need to know about to stay competitive.
Preference for Local Foods
According to the national environmental charity Food Miles, local foods are far better for the environment. Transporting foods long distances produces a lot of unnecessary pollution.
Locally grown produce and locally sourced meat are now extremely popular, and this is a feature that you often see mentioned on menus. It is clearly a feature that consumers look out for.
Comfort Food and Burgers
These are ever-popular items that never go out of fashion. Menu staples such as shepherd’s pie, meatloaf, pot roast, burgers and gravy have been around for decades and are here to stay. However, they can produce a lot of grease and fat, which can cause maintenance issues in a commercial kitchen.
Many restaurant owners choose to get around the problem using stainless steel grease traps such as those supplied by https://www.ukgreasetrapsdirect.co.uk/stainless-steel-grease-traps to prevent inconvenient drain blockages.
Mediterranean Foods
Mediterranean food really took off in the UK during the 1980s and has been with us ever since. Pizza restaurants are found on every high street, and pizza is found on many menus. It is a food item that can be dressed up or down and can have an infinite variety of toppings.
Another Mediterranean favourite, olive oil, is also has been used in countries like Greece and Italy for thousands of years and is now also popular in the UK. It has a distinctive taste and is known for its health benefits.
Imaginative Salads
Gone are the days when a salad consisted of a bit of limp lettuce and a tomato. Now salads are big business. They can be used on menus as a starter, garnish or as a main course in their own right.
They now include any number of more ‘exotic’ ingredients such as roasted sweet potatoes, pine nuts and courgette. Their health-giving properties mean that salads are here to stay.