The age of the sustainable waste-free kitchen

ATTACK OF THE BAR SNACKS

With the growing trend for small plates, restaurants are boosting their bar snacks. In London, try chicken oyster bocadillo at Sabor (saborrestaurants.co.uk) or lamb belly fritters at Gridiron ( gridironlondon.com) while in West Yorkshire, get godlike crispy smoked potatoes at the Moorcock Inn (themoorcock.co.uk).

MUNCH-ESTER

With Tom Kerridge’s Bull & Bear (thebulland bearmcr.com) and hip Cultureplex (cultureplex.co.uk) newly opened, plus Restaurant Mana (mana restaurant.co.uk) now with a Michelin star, Manchester’s food scene (see also Kala, Mackie Mayor, Sugo Pasta and Refuge) will attract even more gastro-tourists.

PEA MILK

The name will have kids in stitches, but this, made from yellow split peas, is the next big plant milk, predicts senior Ocado buyer Anthony Sharpe, because, ‘it has one of the lowest environmental footprints’.

FROZEN FOOD HOTTING UP

The new Hempstead Valley M&S has a freezer section 75% bigger than usual with 291 lines, because, says April Preston: ‘We’re seeing new challenger brands and convenient no-waste options that make it more appealing. American supermarkets have everything from chopped garlic cubes to entire meal kits in their freezers.’

SIZZLING FILIPINO BBQ

A riot of bright, hot and sweet flavours (think pork skewers marinated in soy, chillies, sugar, garlic, banana ketchup and even lemonade), Filipino barbecue has been on the launch pad for a while now. But, the appearance of BBQ Dreamz (bbqdreamz.co.uk) on BBC Two’s My Million Pound Menu last year, has given it lift-off says Restaurant Magazine editor Stefan Chomka. ‘Known for its duck heart skewers and crispy pork belly, BBQ Dreamz is likely to leap from street food to bricks and mortar in 2020 with a nine-month residency at a new site on Hackney Road. It will be under the banner “BBQ Dreamz presents Bong Bong’s Manila Kanteen”. Sarap Filipino BBQ (saraplondon.com), which has wowed people with its pop-ups, has a six-month residency in Brixton Village, too. Filipino BBQ will fly this year.’

2020’S ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS

Lello Favuzzi, chef at London’s Mortimer House Kitchen (mortimerhouse. com), is hot on the ‘stronger flavour’ of black tahini, while Vivek Singh, owner of the Cinnamon Collection restaurants (thecinnamoncollection.com; see page 124), is tipping fenugreek seeds as the new turmeric, confident that ‘bitter tastes will be sought after in 2020’. Meanwhile, Mark Perkins, executive pastry chef at Rosewood London (rosewoodhotels.com), is fascinated by prebiotic dietary fibre, inulin, ‘a zero-calorie chicory extract’ that can add texture and some sweetness to baking.

Whether it’s compostable coffee pods and bamboo egg cups from the Eden Project (edenproject.com), washable sandwich bags from Russbe (russbe.com) or the latest eco-friendly products from Lakeland (lakeland.co.uk), the desire is strong to eradicate disposable plastics. Good Food writer Anna Lawson says, ‘We’re seeing lots of reusable water bottles and innovation in reusable coffee cups.’ Banishing cling film is another priority, with washable fabric and silicone bowl covers being a big growth area. ‘Did you know that in 2017 only 20% food waste was composted or treated?’ asks a Lakeland spokesperson. If you do have surplus food, that is where neighbourhood food-sharing apps such as

Olio (olioex.com) come into their own. Lawson expects to see more initiatives in that sphere.