As the years pass, preferred flavours, techniques and ingredients ebb and flow like the waves of the sea.
Whilst we are not suggesting changing your offering beyond all recognition, as R+B outlets, it is always our job to keep an eye on what’s hot and what’s not to see how we can incorporate these trends into our brand.
For 2022, here are 5 culinary trends you can expect to see on plates, in bowls and on menus.
Plant powered
It is no closely guarded secret that veganism is on the rise like never before. But how does that look in the 2022 reality?
Potato milk, jackfruit, fishless fish and vegan chocolate look to be stars of the show but there is a fourth contender who may raise a few eyebrows. Vegan eggs are stepping up to the plate with British Italian chain Bella Italia set to partner with Oggs aka Aquafaba eggy alternative. Combined with meat replacements and vegan cheese, who said a decent carbonara can’t be plant-powered?
Time to get creative with your vegan dishes.
Umami
Flavour profile rather than an ingredient, umami is one of the five taste senses and is responsible for all the lovely savoury sensations.
Umami gets its time to shine this year with any ingredients heavy in glutamate expected to fly off every menu- think anchovy, dashi, miso, aged cheese, garlic, black olive, dried mushroom and red wine.
Basically, all of the lovely things that take dishes to a new level are what should be popping on your menus this year.
Smaller menus, bigger prices
Higher food costs, staff shortage and disruptions in the supply chain are all having an impact on pricing alongside pruning menus back like never before.
However, this doesn’t have to be a bad thing- smaller menus instill confidence in the guest, showing that the chefs are experts at creating the dishes there. It emphasizes creative flair rather than slogging through hundreds of different plates requiring widely differing techniques.
It’s easier to manage, easier to order for and let’s face it, from a customer point of view, there’s nothing more off-putting than a rambling menu, wandering aimlessly from cuisine to cuisine is there?
Fusion Food
Having said all that, another trend for this year is fusion. Totally icky as a concept in earlier years (sushi burger anyone?), this sordid history is being rewritten by competent chefs who understand what pairs with what and why.
From banh mi pâté en croute to Japanese meets Argentinian ceviche, expect a variety of weird and wonderful pairings but this time with harmonising flavour profiles and a bit of know-how.
Urban Produce
From cheese aged in train arches, microgreens sprouting in old bomb shelters to herbs grown on rooftops, you can expect to see a lot of the products that we have traditionally looked to rural areas to provide, actually coming from city suppliers. The pandemic inspired a lot of people to give it a go with urban farming and artisanal production booming.
This also fits with the hyperlocal trend. Forget worrying about the air miles to import or even to bring in from the countryside, this is true zero mile sourcing with all the flavour and none of the guilt.
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