5 Food and Drink Trends we can Expect to See in 2018

Consumer trends and buying habits of food and drink change all of the time. But what should you be adding to your shopping list in 2018? Suttons, online gardening retailers and advocates of grow your own vegetables, investigates:

Many more mushrooms

One thing that we’re likely to see more of this year is fungi. Research has shown that they are a beneficial food for us due to their ‘adaptogenic’ compounds — assisting in anti-stress and anti-cancer treatments. For this reason, we predict that mushrooms will be the next big thing in 2018. In fact, Food Navigator found that year-on-year sales of food products that include medicinal mushrooms have risen between an outstanding 200-800%, depending on the variety.

The entire mushroom market is predicted to soar. Consulting firm, Grand View Research, reported that the mushroom market is expected to exceed $50 billion (£37 million) over the next six years. Making its way into the food and drink sector through mushroom-infused coffees and mushroom smoothies, many cafes and retailers are already profiting from the trend.

We won’t just be eating and drinking the special ingredient either. Experts have predicted that we’ll see mushrooms cropping up in our hair and beauty products! Different species of mushrooms are chosen for their varying properties — for example, shiitake mushrooms are known for their richness in antioxidants and high vitamin D content, and the reishi mushroom is selected for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Embracing the home-grown produce

There has already been a shift in consumer preference when it comes to country-of-origin. With Brexit on the horizon, this trend is predicted to rise. Britain’s departure from the EU is already changing our views on food shopping. In April 2017, one in five said that they were more likely to buy British food after leaving the EU to support the economy. However, this was dependent on pricing, and if prices rise, many will go for cheaper alternatives.

We’ve already experienced rising food costs and consumer aren’t prepared to pay any more. In 2016, vegetable prices rose by 6.6% and this was explained by climate problems in Europe which led to shortages in some items. Can we risk facing these soaring prices again? Many think not. Instead, keen and amateur gardeners are heading to their backyards to plant their own vegetable seeds and it’s expected that this trend will continue.

Non-meat eaters

The non-meat diet has grown drastically in recent years — there are now more vegetarians and vegans than in previous years. In fact, the number of vegans in the UK has risen by 350% in the past decade — predominantly driven by the younger market, with half of those opting for this diet falling between the ages of 15 and 34. Some people are enjoying the best of both worlds with a flexitarian diet — primarily vegetarian with meat and fish occasionally.

Some people think that a non-meat diet is always healthy and there is little room for indulgence. However, with so many people transforming to a ‘flexitarian’ diet, there is a new market for vegan fast food. This may include seeing more of plant-based ‘meat’, such as the innovation that Leonardo DiCaprio has invested in called Beyond Meat. This could come in the form of burgers or fried food. Expect to see other indulgent food too, such as extravagant vegan desserts.

Healthier drinks menu

A lot of the British population enjoy a drink now and then. Whether it’s when socialising with friends or drinking a complimentary glass of wine with a meal, we like to treat ourselves. However, we are becoming more health conscious and calorie counting doesn’t go well with a taste for liquor…

This suggests the rise of a new alcohol trend in 2018 — healthy drinking. This new trend allows us to drink and be sociable without consuming extra calories. The low-calorie option amongst alcoholic drinks has been a rising segment for many years and will continue to grow as we increasingly monitor what we eat and drink.

Already available on the supermarket shelves is low-calorie beer – could this range expand? Now, 78% of bars offer cocktails which are up 12% on 2016 — driven by social media and people’s willingness to post photos of their fancy drinks. Zach Sasser, a head bartender, predicts that ingredients such as beetroot juice, kale and pureed carrots will be popular. “Going into this health-conscious age that we live in, I believe integration is inevitable,” he says.

There is also the potential for bar staff to add healthier ingredients to drinks and cocktails. In one survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association, 700 chefs were surveyed on what they think the next culinary trends may be. They said that the relationship between the bar and the kitchen is to become stronger. Can we expect vegetable-infused cocktails in 2018?

Plant-based workout fuel

It’s likely that you would have seen more smoothies on social media in 2017 than ever before due to their popularity. Finely ground tea leaves, as well as matcha and powdered super vegetables such as kale, spirulina and spinach, have been popular — their texture making it easy to add to soups, smoothies and salads. Registered dietician, Abbey Sharpe, explains their popularity: “I think people love a quick way to get in their healthy-eating fix, and powdered substances are seen as an easy way to pack in the nutrition.”

We expect to see more plant-based proteins in 2018. One of the newest forms of this is pea protein which has many benefits including its neutral taste — making it favourable for regular consumption.

*This is a collaborative post.