With the new year fast approaching, it’s time to share some 2024 food trend predictions to bear in mind when planning your menus for the year ahead!
Click here to download our 2024 trends report!
Value for Money: Quality Over Quantity
With the cost of living crisis, increased inflation and consumers seeing a dip in their disposable income, there’s a focus on quality over quantity. Diners are willing to pay but want value for their money, often choosing a menu option that will provide guaranteed enjoyment.
Attract customers at off-peak times with promotional offers such as first-table, early-bird or mid-week promotions.
Creating a Culinary Experience: Beyond the Plate
With fewer people dining out for the sake of convenience, dining out is being used to celebrate special occasions or for a culinary experience. Having interactive dishes, unique décor such as swing seats can make your venue stand out from the crowd.
Technology: Seamless Integration
Technology is a huge part of modern day lives, even having an impact on dinging out experiences. Many customers will look at your menus online before deciding whether to visit so it’s important to have a seamless and user-friendly online experience for your customers.
Having a QR code that links to an online version of your menu can help achieve sustainability goals by reducing the need for paper menus.
By having insta-worthy menu items, experiences or décor, and encouraging customers to share their pictures and videos on social media, you can boost your online visibility and attract new customers.
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind: A Holistic Approach
A step away from calorie-counting and towards a Mediterranean-style balanced diet, stems from customer’s desires to feel beneficial side-effects from their food.
Diners are less interested in ultra-processed foods, containing chemicals and emulsifiers, and more likely to choose menu items that are closer to their natural state.
Flavour Fusion: Near and Far
Travelling abroad may be unaffordable for a lot of customers but that doesn’t mean they should miss out on the many different flavours from around the world! Your 2024 menus can please both the culinary adventurers and shy foodies by mixing up British classics with twists from different countries. Examples include curry-filled pies or Eton mess tiramisu.
Nostalgia: Comforts from the past
Still going strong, the nostalgic appeal of child-hood favourites doesn’t seem to be going anywhere! With the aid of social media, the British Classic pud, the crumble has gone viral, with people travelling from near and far just to get a taste of these reimagined favourites.
Having traditional, old-school elements on your menus can tempt customers with fond memories, a sense of familiarity and community.
The food trends of 2024 may include an exciting combination of exciting innovation and new expereinces, as well as a comforting nod to the past.