What will be the next cronut?

On a recent visit to Melbourne, Mannering found cruffins - croissant dough in the form of a muffin - were proving popular at Lune croissanterie.

The classics could well be the ticket - Moore Wilson’s has been seeing more and more of the classics being done well.

‘‘If anything it’s going back to the favourites from the past,’’ category sales manager Amanda Thompson said.

That meant custard squares, big beautiful eclaires and Danishes, as Mannering suggested, made properly with ‘‘simple ingredients, done well’’.

Uber Eats made its own predictions for the year, naming bowls as its trendiest food for 2018.

‘‘We’ve seen increasing demand for bowls among Kiwis over the past six months – be it poke, smoothie or salad bowls – and predict they will be incredibly popular in 2018 as people look for a tasty and quick yet nutritious meal option,’’ Uber Eats NZ lead Emma Foley said.

Poke and smoothie bowls have popped up in various spots around the country, but it is not new, nor are smoothies, being tailored to contemporary tastes.

Puha & Pakeha, an Aucklandbased food truck, is bringing oldworld Ma¯ori flavours into the fore in the form of reuben sandwiches and crayfish rolls.

Jarrad McKay said those older foods, and cooking techniques, are becoming more accessible. Pikopiko, horopito, kawakawa and kina are ingredients on Puha & Pakeha’s menu, weaved into various contemporary classics such as pulled pork sandwiches, with hangi-made pork, or bitesized pieces of fried bread with burnt butter and ma¯nuka honey.

‘‘The classics are classics for a reason,’’ McKay said.

A declining fine-dining scene could be an indicator of the trend of going back to the classics, Little and Friday owner Kim Evans said.

‘‘People are just wanting more of a classic experience when they are eating: just good flavours, simple flavours, put together well.’’