Food Trends 2017

We looked at the emerging drinks trends last week, and now it’s time to focus on food!

One overarching element that is, quite rightly, becoming more important all the time is maximising the use of locally sourced, sustainable produce – something that we at Drake & Morgan pride ourselves on wherever possible. Waste not want not is another key term at the minute, and chefs everywhere are taking heed by incorporating previously rejected ‘ugly’ fruit, stalks, stems and juices into their dishes.

There are plenty of more specific trends too, and we’ve chosen the ones we’re most excited about.

Plant Power

Blackened cauliflower at Drake & Morgan at King’s Cross

Riding on the wave of the importance of sustainability and eco-consciousness whilst also fitting into the continuing rise of healthy eating, veggies are even more in demand than before. From pure celebration of naturally meat-free dishes to the rise of meat substitutes made from chickpeas, fungi and more that will appear more frequently everywhere from street food stalls to supermarkets.

Key plants to watch out for: cauliflower and various seaweeds

Alternative Grains

Another trend that fits into the replacement of ‘like for like’ rather than something totally new is the grain. Moreover, the grains in fashion are predominantly not new at all, but ‘ancient grains’. In the last few years the import of quinoa from Peru has grown by as much as 47% at times. Well, quinoa will still no doubt continue to be popular as it is now not so much seen as a healthy ingredient as a part of the staple diet, however there will most certainly be new kids (actually ancient) on the block.

Key grains to watch out for: amaranth (technically not a grain but a seed that is listed among the grains), rye flakes and millet

Snacking

Snacking no longer means grabbing a bag of crisps at the petrol station – it’s fast becoming a common occurrence everywhere from restaurants offering more grazing and sharing boards to an increased snacking option from supermarkets, delis and street food stalls – the fact that there is now a crisp and dip restaurant is surely testament alone! It certainly no longer deserves the unhealthy connotations that were previously assigned – healthy snacks are continuing to rise and particularly favour those high in protein low in calories.

Key snack to watch out for: sardines

Counter dining

Counter dining at The Refinery Regent’s Place

New Yorkers are already all over counter dining, and it seems London is not far behind. The table near the kitchen was always the worst seat in the house, but being in the middle of the action it’s now the pick of the lot. Plenty of explanations can be given from the rise in theatrical cooking, the heightened interest in food, where it comes from and how it’s cooked (when you’re at the counter you can find out all the details from the chefs), to the recent love of casual eating and exquisite food in a fuss free environment. We could even put the rise in snacking forward as a reason.

Where D&M do counter dining: The Anthologist, The Drift, and The Refinery at Regent’s Place and Drake & Morgan at King’s Cross

Trendy ingredients

Drake & Morgan halloumi burger

There are some trends that can’t be categorised as such, but they are trends nevertheless and we wouldn’t dream of foregoing them! They are a combination of individual ingredients that are suddenly all the rage and those ingredients that seem to find their way onto menus every season. They are sometimes classic ingredients reinvented, or sometimes just classic because they’re fabulous as they are. Cauliflower and sardines have already been mentioned as they also fit into another trend category, which you could say makes them doubly important!

Trendy ingredients to watch out for: burrata, octopus, halloumi, sardines, cauliflower and goat