Three food and drink trends that will make it big in 2020

If 2019 was the year of the cronut and kefir, what’s in store for our tables, and our store cupboards, for 2020? We’ve taken a look at what some of the world’s leading authorities on food and nutrition think will be the big trends as we head into the new decade and here are three things they’ve seen in their crystal balls.

Soufflé pancakes

This Shrove Tuesday – it’s on 25 February this year – could be the perfect chance to try out this Japanese innovation on an old favourite. It’s a mixture between a meringue and a pancake and it’s been described as being like eating sweet and fluffy clouds. The secret’s in the cooking though and you need a first-rate cooker that can provide the gentlest of heats. 

Meat alternatives

2019 was very much the year in which veganism went mainstream. So much so that vegan alternatives started to appear on supermarket shelves and when Greggs launched their vegan sausage roll early in the year it caused a Twitter storm. So this year we can expect to see many more vegetable proteins appearing in the guise of meat alternatives. Of course, the debate will continue as to whether these plant-based and often highly processed foods are good for us and, more importantly, the planet. But this is unlikely to have much of an effect on their increasing popularity. There’s also likely to be an upsurge in fish alternatives from innovative providers like Good Catch Foods.

Mocktails

As health concerns about excessive alcohol consumption continue to rise, it’s predicted that non-alcoholic spirits will see real popularity in 2020. In many recipes, they’ll be used to replicate favourites like margaritas and Singapore slings and there will also be new flavours to savour. There’s also going to be quite a crossover with the emerging trend for floral flavours like chrysanthemum and violet where not just the essences of these will feature but the flowers themselves will be used for decoration. We could also see more and more dedicated mocktail bars opening up in our towns and cities to cater for the demand for a great night out which doesn’t always have to result in a mighty hangover the next morning.

As well as these three key trends, there’s also going to be plenty more for the dedicated foodie to enjoy. For example, home cooking and healthy eating are set to continue rising in popularity. The beginning of a new decade is the perfect time to start afresh, including trying out these trends as well as exploring different cuisines. Therefore, if your current kitchen’s in need of a makeover, this could be the moment to act on it; and if you are in need of financing, looks for a loan or even remortgage to pay for it and getting online advice from a free mortgage broker like Trussle could be a good place to start. 

But if dining out is more your thing then Korean food, in general, is expected to be one of the new cuisines of the year. And, for fans of the bucket of deep-fried chicken, we’re going to get even more specific with the Nashville variety of the dish.

So here’s to 2020, and “bon appétit!”.

The editorial unit
Photo: T-Mizo