Page 34 - RLI April 2019

RLI LEISURE INSIGHT

SIX TRENDS TO WATCH

IN THIS EdITIoN’S LEISURE INSIGHT, BIG CaT FoUNdER &
CHaIRmaN aNTHoNy TaTTUm IS CoNCENTRaTING oN
THE Top SIx RESTaURaNT TRENdS To Look oUT FoR
THIS SpRING, So THaT RESTaURaNTEURS doN’T GET LEFT
BEHINd By modERN CoNSUmER HaBITS.

aving been working with clients in the hospitality of health and wellness (‘healthification’), and a generation of
sector for 18 years, hospitality marketing foodies in search of exotic and regional foods, consumers
Hcommunications is the bread and butter for want healthy but flavoursome fast food. Restaurants are
my agency Big Cat. The diversity of the sector keeps it so starting to reimagine classic dishes, replacing ingredients with
exciting and the ever-changing food trends, changes in health vegetable-based alternatives or a healthy spin.
and nutrition and new products and concepts mean that
restauranteurs and those working in hospitality need to HealtHification
make sure they are one step ahead, keeping their finger on Healthification is a movement which has seen a reduction
the pulse for what’s emerging and attracting customers. in the consumption of carbonated drinks and the rise of
What follows is a list of six food and drink trends to look non-alcoholic fruit and vegetable based shots, providing a
out for this spring: quick dose of goodness to boost the wellbeing of concerned
consumers. This wellness trend has led to consumers wanting
More plant-based Meat-free options more transparency in what goes into products and evidence
Everyone is aware of the growing trend in plant-based diets of authenticity. This has resulted in a trend of using natural
(it may be worth noting now that ‘plant-based’ is the key dining botanical extracts as ingredients and flavourings because of the
buzz phrase rather than ‘vegetarian’ and ‘vegan’) and it is safe ‘promise’ of additional health-related benefits. Cannabidiol, or
to say that this is not just a fad; it’s here to stay. Sales of meat- CBD, is currently being used in pretty much everything, from
free and vegan items increased by 14 per cent to £352.1M skincare to coffee and cocktails, and even to pet food. Whilst
year-on-year to August 2018, whilst just under 300,000 people clinicians say that more research still needs to be done on the
signed up to Veganuary 2019 (up from 168,542 in 2018). 52 health benefits of CBD, consumers report relief from anxiety
per cent of British shoppers (rising to a huge 68 per cent of and pain, which has increased demand and growth in this area.
18-24 year olds) say that they either follow or are interested
in following a plant-based diet, whether this is vegetarian, vegan preMiuMisation
or flexitarian. Even a quarter of meat eaters plan to reduce Related to this is the trend of ‘premiumisation’, which is no
their meat consumption across the next 12 months, probably longer just about price, but also about quality and experience.
aided by the introduction of impossibly meaty faux meats, such Consumers know what they want more and more from a
as the aptly named Impossible Burger. brand, which has led to an increased appetite for specialised
food and drink options, such as gin bars and a wide variety of
street food craft ales. Consumers believe that ingredients or preparation
Street food, of course, is another trend which is still processes that are of higher quality are worth paying more for.
continuing to flourish with Indian and Mexican options leading
the way in terms of favourite cuisine, particularly with 15-34 eatertainMent
year olds. However, there is a new street food favourite on Further to this is a trend of ‘eatertainment’. Dining is becoming
the horizon; Israeli cuisine. Specialties from Lebanon, Syria more of an immersive experience now and consumers want
and Turkey are particularly gaining momentum among hip some form of entertainment along with their food, which is why
forward-thinking restaurants. With a huge current awareness we’ve started to see the rise in popularity of ‘activity bars’. This
has been particularly noticeable in Birmingham with the recent
openings of Ghetto Golf, Lane 7 (offering bowling, shuffleboard
and arcade games) and Kongs (arcade games and table tennis).

instagraM-wortHy offerings
Directly related to the eatertainment trend is the desire
for social currency which is the benefit of being able to share
photos from your meal, drinks or general experience on
social media. A huge 69 per cent of 18-34 year olds take a
photo or video of their food before eating. When deciding
which restaurants and bars to visit, consumers are seeking
out Instagrammable settings and colours, which is why drinks
such as pink gin have proved so popular recently, whilst chefs
are adding finishing touches to food to make it ‘Instagram’
ready. Restaurants now not only need to have great food and
drink worth talking about, but also interesting and attractive
décor that creates the right atmosphere and draws people
in to take their Instagram-perfect shots.

34 retail & leisure international APRIL 2019