19th June | Jasmin Gosling back

Top Summer 2018 Food Trends

So far 2018 has seen everything from the rise of avocado latte art to food Jenga (some advice, it really doesn’t work with your mid-week spag bol) and we’re only half way through the year. With the growing popularity of Instagram, the platform has created the ultimate catalyst for the weirdest and wackiest of food trends to emerge whilst presenting brands and influencers with a fantastic opportunity to create memorable, engaging foodie content. Here are our predicted top trends set to take over Instagram this summer: The Year of Plant Power https://www.instagram.com/p/BjTympkApIJ/?taken-by=alphafoodie
Its official, the domination of plant-based foods is here. 2018 has been the year of plant power with over 165,000 people taking part in Veganuary in the UK. Think tofu fish and chips, nourishing buddha bowls, ‘bleeding’ vegan steaks and everything in between. We’ve seen a huge rise in influencers this year making a plant-based diet accessible to more people than ever (and it’s fair to say we’ve played our part in this too, launching the UK’s first Plant Power Day on 7th March with our client Alpro). Watch out for ‘plant-spo’ street-food stalls, everything rainbow and trendy plant-based cocktails. Food Art Everywhere https://www.instagram.com/p/Bet0QQ4lQ8b/?taken-by=naturally.jo Remember being told not to play with your food? Well if you want to up your Instagram content it may be time to throw that rule out of the window…sorry mum! Dress drawings fashioned out of food, pancakes made to look like cuddly animals and all kinds of icing art are all on the top of our list to watch out for this summer. Our big prediction? All things tropical – with summer finally settling here in the UK we think pineapples, coconuts and anything with an exotic look will be popping up all over Instagram. Smooth like silk and oh so ‘Insta worthy’ https://www.instagram.com/p/BjC_hSOA2W2/?taken-by=thevegangirlboss Whilst making your meals ‘Insta worthy’ is not a new trend, more people than ever are using Instagram to document their lives from the clothes they wear to what they’re having for dinner. With 800 million users reported at the end of 2017, not only is the platform influencing the way we consume content, it also provides an opportunity to show off your picture-perfect breakfast, I mean who hasn’t spent half an hour secretly arranging their bowl, cup of tea and cutlery to look just right for a shot? Prepare to see even more mesmerising meals this summer with aesthetically pleasing smoothie bowls raining supreme. The bigger, the Better https://www.instagram.com/p/BjMsz_PFE_J/?taken-by=milktraincafe Why have a regular soft serve ice cream when you can have a fully loaded, Frankenstein-1185worthy cone topped with everything from cotton candy to popcorn? We live in a fast paced world where bigger is often thought of as better and there’s nowhere more obvious of this trend than on Instagram. 2018 has been the year of the Freakshake, loaded fries and double stacked everything. Prepare to see all of your favourite treats supersized… The Rise of the Ethical Eater https://www.instagram.com/p/BjXGip5lnE0/?taken-by=bos.kitchen There’s one big change we’ve noticed when it comes to the way brands and foods are portrayed on Instagram. It’s no longer just about the taste or sustenance that the meal provides; to really wow the world of the gram, the products should nod towards sustainability and be as ethical as possible. Looking back onto the rise of veganism, bloggers will now not just highlight how good something tastes to their followers, they want their audience to know why they should support the brand. Whether the brand is carbon neutral, sustainable in their sourcing or charitable in their company ethos, is something that’s being reflected online more frequently in the new world of the ethical eater. So keep an eye out for locality as a recipe theme and sustainability focused meals on your favourite bloggers feeds. Ones to watch Almost every food trend starts with a single creative, crazy idea. Here are our top, hunger inducing food influencers to keep an eye on for the rest of 2018 and beyond. Naturally Jo Bo’s Kitchen The Plantiful Brunette Alpha Foodie Rebel Recipes Richmond & Towers (R&T) is now on Instagram too! Please make sure you follow us at @RxTLondon.