Anshuman Bali, Executive Chef, The Leela Palace Chennai, dishes out the F&B trends that will be big in 2024.
New on the fine-dining menu in 2024
Plant-based: This started as a trend in 2022, gained momentum in 2023 and now I see it entering a new stage of maturity and expansion in 2024. More and more consumers are shifting towards plant-based products and the market is ever-evolving to come up with newer alternatives and additions. It started with plant-based proteins and few basic dairy alternatives but now is evolving into a full-scale animal products’ substitute. We have plant-based yoghurt, pizza cheese and other artisanal cheeses, and a variety of milk to choose from – soy, almond, cashew; rice and oats are the new entrants. We have plant-based chocolate, frozen desserts and even faux meats – chicken, duck, beef, the list is changing and increasing rapidly.
Health, functionality and sustainability: Since the pandemic, health and functionality have been the key selling points in the food business. More and more consumers are becoming health conscious. They consume foods that have the functionality of giving them the health-enhancing benefits like longevity, increased immunity, heart and cognitive health etc. Due to this shift in interest of the consumer, new super foods are trending in this segment. Ingredients like millets, low sugar or sugar substitutes like agave syrup and stevia are gaining market reach. Sustainability is another branch of this trend which again stems from overall wellness by being environmentally conscious.
New, unexplored, hyper local flavours: In this ever-evolving landscape of food, one thing to capture a consumer’s attention is offering New and Distinct flavours. Most of us are familiar with the famous and comforting dishes but there is so much more that is unexplored or left to taste and experience when it comes to regional, hyper local cuisines and that is what is catching up as a very aggressive trend in the food industry. More and more chefs are opening restaurants showcasing their own regional cuisine which may be very familiar and comforting to them but it’s totally new and unexplored for the person from a different region or a different part of the world and that is what becomes the enticing factor. I believe that this will be one of the most important and dominating food trends for many years to come.
Trends in beverage
Functional beverages: There is an increased awareness about health in general and that has given rise to the concept of ‘Functional Beverages’. These beverages serve additional health benefits apart from the very basic requirement of hydration. Beverages like kefir, kombucha, plant-based milks (almond, oats), fortified fruit drinks, enhanced waters, exotic ready to drink teas etc are trending. The awareness, availability and popularity is increasing and I see it only soaring higher in 2024.
Botanicals, florals & fruits: New untapped flavours for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages is also trending. Botanicals and florals are being innovatively used for this. The rise of flavours like Yuzu, red grapefruit, passion fruit, vetiver are quite evident, and it points towards the evolving consumer preferences.
