2020 trends in food

Each year, the global food scene sees new trends as well as fads in the food on our supermarket shelves. Desi Derby, who is food trend expert for Musgrave MarketPlace, has been looking at what’s coming our way in 2020

Sustainability 2.0

We are increasingly focused on the health of our planet. Consumers are asking governments, businesses and themselves a vital question: What should we be doing to protect the future of our environment?

The food industry is experiencing major shifts in consumer expectations. Paper straws, reusable cups and bottles, and compostable packaging are now expected everywhere. There are four key sustainability themes that we’re likely to see in 2020: hyper-local sourcing of products, zero waste cooking, compostable alternatives and packaging innovation.

Musgrave MarketPlace supports over 680 Irish companies and supports small indigenous entrepreneurs with their Foodservice Academy partnership with Bord Bia, which now has over

20 local participants, ranging from a nut butter company to businesses that produce jams, soups and protein balls.

The ‘zero waste cooking’ trend will also continue to grow, with chefs cooking in ingenious ways to ensure that the amount of raw ingredients thrown away is kept to a minimum. Compostable packaging and products with reduced packaging are ever more common. This trend has resulted in a dramatic 116% increase in sales of eco-friendly packaging and disposables at Musgrave MarketPlace. With new legislation on eco-packaging due in 2021 this trend is expected to continuing with double-digit growth in 2020.

Ethnic food

We’ve all become used to having food inspired by many cuisines in our supermarkets and this will continue in 2020. Social media has enabled niche ethnic foods to find their audiences and grow rapidly in popularity.

In the last decade the demand for foods like sushi, burritos and American-style barbecue has surged. This year, expect to see lots of #soufflepancake, as the Japanese style ‘soufflé pancake’ is trending on Instagram, and as the popularity of Japanese food continues to rise in Ireland. Vietnamese food is likely to appear lots more too, with unique dishes like phở, bún bó hué, cha ca, egg coffee, banh xeo and cao lau on the menu.

Food communities

A chef’s journey is comparable to an apprenticeship and it requires a lot of dedication and passion. The opportunity for young chefs to meet and speak with their experienced counterparts is vital.

Musgrave MarketPlace hosts Chef Network skills masterclasses so young chefs can meet with experienced talent.

Plant-based foods

Plant-based diets will continue to grow in popularity throughout 2020. Edible flowers and wild botanicals like sorrel, juniper, balsam and wild fennel are a great way of incorporating a unique sweetness to a dish and making it look amazing for Instagram. The health benefits of increased fruit and vegetable intake and the eco-friendly nature of plant-based diet means it will continue to attract new followers in 2020.