4th July | Sally Haywood back

From sexy beans to OTT condiments: hot takes from PR and social media agency on the current trends in the food and beverage industry

With social media users being served with delicious food and drink content 24/7, it’s no surprise that new trends are coming in thick and fast. From nostalgia to epic sarnies and things getting extra saucy, here’s some of the hottest trends in the food and drink industry that we’ve been obsessing over recently…

Craving comfort: a trip down memory lane

We can’t help but love the good old days, so, it’s no surprise that throwback nostalgia is well and truly taking over: from retro gaming to ‘90s fashion and now food and drink. Nostalgia is big right now, and it’s coming through in both foodservice and retail in the food and drink industry. Hashbrowns have gone haute, beans are made sexy (oh hey, Bold Bean Co) and classic sweet shop flavours are the Pick (n Mix) of the bunch. We’re also bringing back retro bevvies in a big way. We’re seeing popular sweet shop retro flavours like Blue Raspberry appear as both alcoholic and soft drinks from the likes of FUNKIN, Lucozade and Prime. Whilst Fosters has reintroduced their shandy, which hadn’t been on supermarket shelves for years and Sunny D is back in our lives (though with a lot less of the sugar and e-numbers!)

Serious about sarnies

There’s been a serious sandwich surge across social media, from the viral folded sandwich to chopped sandwiches, everyone’s gone mad for souped-up sarnies. Sandwich videos on TikTok and Instagram are racking up hundreds of millions of views, so how has the once humble lunchbox staple become a viral sensation? It’s all about the aesthetics. Sandwiches have become so much more elevated than just a bog-standard ham and cheese, whether that’s through using premium ingredients or packing your sarnie out to the MAX to create a highly visual eating occasion.

Feeling fruity

Confused as to why the (now mysteriously deleted) video of chocolate covered strawberries was on its way to knocking Bella Poarch off her spot as most liked TikTok video? You’re not alone! The video racked up over 454M views and 50.6M likes and no one really knows why… However, here’s our hot take on why DIY simple snacks is a current food trend that’s here to stay: The Ultra Processed Foods (UPF) conversation is driving consumers to really take a moment to think about exactly what they’re eating and with SO many mixed messages about what’s best for our health, it’s no surprise we’re going back to basics by using real, whole foods. We’re seeing some of our fave treats recreated as healthier alternatives, like this DIY Snickers Bar using dates, peanut butter and melted chocolate. We’re also seeing this with the likes of Tanghulu, which is another popular food trend on social media. This method of using real, whole fruits with a crystallised sugar coating is actually a traditional Chinese snack dating back to the Song Dynasty (960 to 1279) but thanks to our love for ASMR content, Tanghulu has risen in popularity on TikTok due to its *very* satisfying CRUNCH.

With-OAT a doubt, it’s a dairy renaissance

In a similar vein of being more mindful about what’s actually in our food and drink, oat milk came under the spotlight and recently fell from grace as the trendiest dairy alternative, after criticism came from nutritionists who were breaking down the makeup of oat milk and its impact on our bodies. This particularly influential high-profile interview with the “Glucose Goddess” Jessie Inchauspé played a big role in us falling out of love with oat milk, in which Jessie dubbed it “starch juice”. This damning description and the explanation that oat milk will give us all a big glucose spike led to a frenzied sidestep away from the trendy plant-based alternative and threw us back into the path of dairy milk, which seems to have ridden its wave of ridicule and come out the other side. It’s worth keeping in mind that trends are cyclical and things come in and out of vogue and it seems cow’s milk knew we’d all be back in the end, even if she is a just a *little* bitter about our hiatus, as this Eastenders-worthy skit from Andrea Valls so brilliantly encapsulates.

OTT condiments

What was previously just “a bit on the side” is edging its way to star of the show on our plates. Condiments are having a real moment, with our palates more adventurous than ever, the usual suspects for dipping chippies aren’t going to cut the mustard anymore. Brands are launching far out flavours to engage and excite, and brand collabs are adding another layer of intrigue, like the Heinz Barbiecue Sauce, a hot pink collab with Mattel to celebrate the 65th Anniversary of the Barbie brand. The latest saucy innovation from Heinz is reserved for those who are “officially obsauced” and for good reason… The Every Sauce combines 14 Heinz sauces, from Garlic Sauce to Burger Sauce to Mayoracha, Heinz claims this is the “holy grail” of sauces. The colour and grainy-looking texture leave A LOT to be desired, but did that stop the whole agency from entering the giveaway for the chance to win one of the 100 limited-edition bottles on offer? Absolutely not. Talk to us to find out how we’re using these trends within our press office pitching and client social media content.

9th November | Sally Haywood back

Our hot takes on the 2021-22 Waitrose Food & Drink report

From the year that brought us pesto eggs and pasta fries, we take a look at other key trends from Waitrose’s annual Food & Drink report. The report offers a sneak peek into how consumer habits and trends shifted as we emerged from the pandemic. Waitrose’s CEO, James Bailey, calls it the “homebody economy”. Characterised by at-home gatherings, TikTok recipes and an increase in environmental and health-conscious shopping choices, as well as a sharp rise in online shopping, this model has become “an accepted – and popular – way of living”, Bailey says. Here’s some hot takes from this year’s review:

We became a nation of homebodies

Okay, so spending more time in our homes wasn’t exactly by choice initially, but it turns out that this eventually became a source of enjoyment for us. The past 19 months has seen people “fall back in love” with their homes and dedicate more time to improving their cooking skills. As if we weren’t already thinking about food approx. 99% of the time, the pandemic has made 41% of respondents agree that food is more important to them than it was pre-pandemic, while 53% enjoyed spending more time at home.

Dinner parties are back on the menu

According to Waitrose, a quarter of all respondents said they planned to host more dinner parties post-pandemic than they did before. Apparently, we’re opting for smaller, more regular gatherings than before, because who really needs an occasion to indulge in delicious food and drink? We’re also out to seriously impress when it comes to hosting; shoppers have increasingly looked to more premium, better-quality ingredients when entertaining guests at home. It also seems we’re embracing every chance to celebrate as sales of champagne were up 40% year on year.

Viral food trends

Pesto eggs, feta pasta and *that* tortilla wrap technique took the internet by storm thanks to viral videos from TikTok. Turns out we weren’t just mindlessly scrolling for hours but we were actually learning new cooking techniques (go us!) Three-quarters of all 18 to 24-year-olds surveyed said they had looked to TikTok or Instagram for recipe inspiration this past year. And across all age groups, nearly one-third of people said they regularly looked at social media for food inspiration. This year also demonstrated the huge impact viral trends have on our spending habits, for instance October saw the rise in ‘pasta fries’ recipes, which require the must-have appliance of the moment – an air fryer. This in turn contributed to a 400% rise in sales of air fryers at John Lewis.

Planet-conscious shoppers

One of the biggest trends this year was eco-friendly shopping. Topping our list of concerns with regards to the planet was food waste, packaging and meat consumption. According to the report, three-quarters of people have tried harder not to waste food this year. Additionally, 77% said they were concerned about the amount of plastic in their grocery packaging, while 71% said they have tried to reduce the amount of packaging they take into their homes. This was also evident in the continuous decrease in meat consumption and the rise of plant-based alternatives. Waitrose called this the ‘5:2 diet’, in that people opted to eat veggie for five days a week and go for an animal-based protein on the other two days. Waitrose also predicts some of the biggest trends of 2022 will include potato milk and climatarianism (a type of diet focused on reducing one’s carbon footprint).

Variety is the… booze of life

Variety was the keyword for those who enjoy a glass or two at the end of the day. The retailer found that we became “more adventurous” with our drink choices, as well as more likely to splurge in better-quality products. Sundowners and aperitifs are on the rise (Aperol sales were up 148%), while people swapped their classic wine choices for new niche wines from around the world. It’s also clear that we’ve embraced the celebratory mood since restrictions lifted – sales of large-format bottles such as magnums rocketed by 87% since last year’s report. Looking ahead to next year, among other trends for 2022, Waitrose also predicts the return of pre-batched bottled cocktails.

25th March | Sally Haywood back

From solid to fluid: adapting to changing consumer behaviours

We’ve already seen a large shift in typical consumer
behaviour as a result of the global pandemic COVID-19. Consumers are
bulk-buying food and toilet roll, there’s been an increase in low contact
commerce with several takeaway chains offering a ‘contactless delivery’ as the standard
and we’re being urged to practice social distancing. This new wave of consumer
behaviour places brands firmly in unchartered territory as to how they should
respond to the current world crisis.

In light of the challenging times the world is currently
experiencing, a report
by Ipsos discusses the impact of Coronavirus and consumer behaviour change,
and what this means for brands as a result.

This drastic change into the unknown means that brands have
lost their autonomy. We’re so familiar with ‘business as usual’ that our
entrenched behaviours become more automatic, which allows for a more simplified
decision-making process. In times of extreme uncertainty and instability,
‘business as usual’ is no longer an option and brands can’t adhere to their
familiar patterns and behaviours. This shifts us from a “solid” decision-making
process, to a “fluid” one.

According to Ipsos, how we navigate in a fluid time can no
longer depend on automatic behaviours, as they may reflect a mastery of a past
that no longer exists.

The report explains that within these unstable environments,
there is a role for brands to play, however, this must be carefully considered.
So far, we have seen brands show comradery during this time of uncertainty and
panic to make it clear they are there to help add value to consumers’ lives and
adapt to the new social norms and behaviours.

Before more recent announcements that cafes, bars and restaurants
must close, Pret was offering free hot drinks to all NHS staff and 50% off
food. Healthy fast-food brand Leon was offering NHS workers 50% off and free
food deliveries to hospitals.

Self-made brand ‘The Body Coach’ created by Joe Wicks used
his popularity on social media to encourage the nation’s children to take part
in PE lessons every weekday morning in light of school closures. With the first
session gaining a massive 806,000 households tuning in, it’s clear to see the
increased need and desire for brands to add value to consumers’ lives.

The Ipsos report provides some key take-outs for brands
looking to adapt to the shifting content and support consumer behavioural change:

Build long-lasting, trusting relationships by
investing in consumers Be a source of truth and positive impact Show empathy / give comfort   Help people constructively use time and build
new routines at home Go virtual Recognise and affirm new social norms Learn from the last ‘new normal’