Food Trends for 2014

It's only January 2014 and the food trends have already been set for the year, how exciting. According to Forbes the following food trends will dominate the food, restaurant and dining experiences for 2014. So here they are...

Locally sourced and organic foods has been a major trend recently but this year it will be something huge, with more consumers than ever wanting local and organic products. I don't know about you, but it is the highlight of my week to head off to a local market and pottering about looking at all the mouth watering foods farmers have brought in each week to tantalize our taste buds. Cheeses, wines, jams, preserves, organic meat, vegetables, the list is endless

The next hot number on the chart is the vegetarian and vegan movement that is sweeping the world by storm. More and more people are becoming  educated about the foods they are eating, and rightly so. Considering everything we put in our bodies has an affect on not only our body but our mind and soul, it is little wonder that those beautiful things called vegetables, with their vibrant colors, pure nutrition and exceptional taste will be making an even bigger appearance on the food stage this year 

This bring us to our next food topic which is close to the hearts of parents all over the world. Healthier kids meals. I am sure if you think back to your childhood there is a memory tucked away somewhere about your mom or dad not letting you leave the table until you finished your dinner, or the threats of no dessert until you finished your plate of food. But times have changed and food isn't boring anymore, in fact it is easier than ever to make a kids meal healthy yet exciting. Jamie Oliver has for the past few years trying to make school dinners across the UK healthier and packed with nutrition. This year is all about that, and finding ways to make food for our little ones healthy yet exciting.

Enter Gluten free products and foods. According to the Forbes report, gluten free dining ranked within the top 5 of food trends for 2014 with at least with at least 3 quarter of chef recognizing this as a niche they want to get into. Just the other day we did a function for a client who is gluten free making her chocolaty delights for dessert using gluten free flour. Did it change the taste of the hot chocolate fondant? No? Maybe there was a slight texture change, but that's about it. So lets see how much more attention Gluten Free will get this year

Who doesn't like eating warm toasted walnuts, or salted cashews? OK everyone who doesn't have a nut allergy. Nuts are a high sourced of natural protein and they are fast becoming the healthy snack alternative to people who are dieting or just trying to be healthy. In fact a lot of people are starting to add both nuts and seeds to their diets and some people add them to all three meals. So lets see how nuts will feature in the restaurant industry this year?

Pizza, where do I start? The melted cheese that's like string when you bite into it, the toppings that make your mouth water, the thin crusts that make for the perfect bases (I am making myself hungry here). I am sure you have figured out that pizzas will be taking the center stage this year, but hold on, they aren't just any kind of pizzas, from here on out the time of cheap pizza is over, enter pizzas made with quality ingredients, organic foods and a lot of love and cheese. This one for me is especially exciting and I am hoping to see loads of new era pizza places opening soon around London. 

You've had a rubbish day and the weather outside makes your mood fall even lower, you head home with the other millions of people after being crammed in a tube. Enter comfort food, but there is a new era of comfort food. Classic comfort food dishes are set to change as we know them. Take the classic Mac and Cheese for instance, now think about how lovely and comforting it would be to add some smoked lardons or some wild mushrooms, topped with a mature Parmesan cheese and baked to absolute pleasure (OK making myself hungry again) Suddenly your crap day turns into an evening with rainbows and sunshine. Bring on that upscale comfort food

Last but certainly not least, please welcome the new way of poaching and smoking foods. Exit stocks and enter beers, wines, teas and other loveliness which will be replacing the stocks that were formally used to poach or braise foods. How lovely to slow cook a piece of pork belly in some apple cider with spices, or a shoulder of lamb in a bottle of red wine. Then there is the smoking effect, which used to be left to the professionals. Not anymore. Getting your hands on a smoking gun or a homemade mini smoking tray is now easier than ever, and the variety of smoking chips on the market makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Whisky, hickory, cherry, pecan, Guinness and the list goes on and on. 

All in all I think this year the food industry is set to see some amazing foods and dishes being served around the world, and that makes me so incredibly happy. The mash up of local and organic foods being cooked and prepared with love and then served to us as customers makes me one very happy diner, and an even more excited chef. So happy eating