New research from Hot Pickle Innovation Lab and The Staff Canteen surveyed 123 UK chefs and restaurant operators on what’s changing in British kitchens. The verdict: diners have moved on, but have your menus?
1. You haven’t touched your bestsellers in five years. Nearly a third (30%) of operators admit their top dishes are unchanged since 2021 despite 85% admitting dining expectations are changing faster than ever. From pickles to smoke and umami… according to the research, chefs know the trends, but many stick to the originals to keep the lights on. There’s a world waiting to be shaken up out there, it’s time to seize it.
2. You think “healthy” means meat-free. Ah, times have changed I’m afraid! 70% of chefs say diners now define healthy as simply all that’s “natural and minimally processed” – and not plant-based for the sake of it. As Ollie Lloyd of Hot Pickle Innovation Lab puts it: “The era of virtue-signalling via plant-based swaps is giving way to a genuine demand for clean, honest cooking.”
3. You forgot the ferment! According to the research, 53% of chefs are using more ferments and pickles, and 40% have miso or koji in active rotation. If your umami flavours still come from a hearty stock alone, you’re behind.
4. “Local” is a catchy phrase on the menu, not a true part of the story. Over two thirds (65%) of diners’ number one provenance ask is for local sourcing and 71% of operators say customers will pay more for it. That is a no brainer, sir.
5. Seafood comes last. Fish and seafood is now the single fastest-growing protein category (48%), ahead of beef, chicken and plant proteins. And it’s not just fillets – whole-fish and whole-product use is the new signal of credibility.
6. Your portions haven’t changed, but your costs have. A quarter of chefs (27%) have deliberately cut portions or courses to manage costs or match changing appetites. Tough decisions must be made in tough times, but tweak portions mindfully.
7. You’re quietly going unrecognised. Almost unanimously, 94% of chefs say the Government isn’t doing enough. Of course, the industry can’t fix that alone. But it can start rewarding the operators pushing forward anyway, which is exactly why Hot Pickle Innovation Lab is launching its Restaurant Award at Future of Food. The boldest kitchens can apply now.
“Restaurants are the test beds of future supermarket products and home cooked recipes,” says Rupert Pick, Co-Founder of Hot Pickle. “Chefs challenge the boundaries of gastronomy and set the trends of tomorrow.”
Think your menu cuts the mustard? Entries for the Hot Pickle Restaurant Award will close on 25 September, get yours in before it’s too late! https://www.futureoffood.org.uk/enter
Source: Hot Pickle
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