Food trends you’ll see everywhere in 2020
2020 has been a good year for food. For the first half of the year, the world experimented with food (sourdough anyone?); by the second half, everyone was desperate to dine out with friends.
With everyone’s social media food-focused, how can you tell fads from rising stars who deserve their own food PR agency?
Italian Flavours
Gnocchi are Italian potato dumplings with simple ingredients. This makes them versatile for adding flavours, and 2020 brings a rainbow. Beetroot, spinach, squash, cinnamon, chocolate, and even sauce- or cheese-stuffed gnocchi are everywhere.
A century-old method that’s lighter than pizza and easier to digest due to the mix of flours, pinsa is the new stone-baked slice of choice. A Margherita will never be the same.
No longer consigned to comfort dinners, lasagne’s having a glow-up with multiple re-imaginations. Vegan versions, pasta swapped for veggies in keto style, Punjabi-spiced fusions and even breakfast lasagnas are being created by bloggers and restauranteurs.
Fast Food Breakfast
If breakfast lasagne doesn’t appeal, 2020 provides plenty of fast-food choices. The major chains are all putting out new breakfast options. From Burger King’s meat-free Breakfast Croissan’wich to McDonald’s new chicken McGriddle, pastries are no longer the only grab-and-go options.
Pea Protein
Beyond Burger have shown pea protein is incredibly tasty. Huel is using pea protein in place of animal-derived powders like whey in delicious protein drinks. Companies are incorporating it with meat for leaner products or replacing the meat altogether. Being lean, vegan and better for the planet made pea protein a clear food PR winner in the case of Eat Real products, whose use of food PR agency leapfrog PR had a high impact recently.
Low-Alcohol Beverages
Continuing the health trend, Nielsen data report 66% of millennials are reducing alcohol consumption and brands are racing to keep up. New companies offer alcohol-free tipples that feel luxurious without the hangover.
Grazing tables
Food influencers have been creating painstakingly beautiful displays across entire tables in a take on the buffet that’s not just for celebrations but cosy nights in, too. Delicious finger foods, often complemented by decorations, are arranged so tantalisingly they look like works of art.
Ghost Kitchens
Ghost kitchens, where restaurants strip away seating and create a large commercial space for delivery or pick-up, have exploded in 2020 lockdown. Teamed with companies like Deliveroo, they’ve been a 2020 lockdown trend set to continue.
