Conventional industry wisdom has long maintained that trends start in fine dining and trickle down through the various foodservice strata, eventually to be picked up by only those non-commercial operators who have the resources or the customer base to take advantage of them.
Those of us who write about non-commercial foodservice know that’s not an accurate representation of the industry, and the latest list to be released by the National Restaurant Association backs that belief.
The NRA surveyed 1,300 members of the American Culinary Federation to come up with its Top 10 Trends for 2015. The trends, released Monday, mirror what’s happening in non-commercial foodservice; indeed, they reflect what has been happening for quite some time.
As a matter of fact, I would argue that the top three trends on the list are no longer trends among our readership, but rather represent a culinary way of life.
The NRA’s list:
- Locally sourced meats and seafood
- Locally grown produce
- Environmental sustainability
- Healthful kids’ meals
- Natural ingredients/minimally processed food
- New cuts of meat
- Hyper-local sourcing
- Sustainable seafood
- Food waste reduction/management
- Farm/estate branded items
If we were to conduct a survey of chefs among our readership, I would guess that seven of these same trends would appear in some form on their lists. Some of them might be combined—our readers tend to be terribly efficient—but all would be represented.
There is a simple reason for that: Most of the items on the list are customer driven. Over the years, foodservice directors in non-commercial markets have proven time and again their willingness to respond—and act quickly —to satisfy the needs and desires of customers. For example, college campuses were buying local products and trying to purchase more sustainable products years before the restaurant industry in general glommed on to this trend.
It’s nice to see that restaurateurs have finally bought into what our readers have long known: It’s all about the customer.