I don’t do as many ‘coming trends’ posts in this space as I used to. But Nestlè’s annual predictions merit greater attention than many others. The Swiss giant has its fingers in just about every food-sector niche!
Nestlè is, in fact, the world’s biggest food company. It has market and/or supply chain interests in just about every country you can name. So it has an unmatched stake in predicting what the coming year’s food trends will hold…
Always something fascinating…
The Nestlè annual Trend Insights report always brings a host of fascinating, sometimes surprising items that will either confirm one’s own perceptions or turn them upside down.
This year, one of the most interesting points, to me, was the lead prediction: Something called ‘New-Stalgia will rule food nd dining innovations…
What is ‘New-Stalgia’?
Besides being a cute, edgy play on words, it means that food product manufacturers and menu de-signers may do well to indulge in resurrecting selected retro ideas. If properly chosen and presented, they can appeal to the Boomers – still a big portion of the market – as well as engage younger diners – the Millennials and younger demographic groups.
“What’s old is new again, but in a new, more modern way,” Nestlè R&D tells us. They predict food product makers and packagers will collaborate with legacy brands, reviving familiar, “comforting classic and childhood favourites,” with a, “fun and fresh twist.”
For example… White Castle earlier this year brought back its legacy recipe for classic Sliders, but added a Ghost Pepper option to appeal to the younger set.
Functional foods
Many younger consumers are developing a stronger interest in their own well bring. And one recent survey reveals, they equate ‘wellness’ with anything that’s accessible, holistic and ‘makes them feel good’. The flaws in that logic are immediately apparent to many of older folks who have more life ex-perience with bad food choices. But that’s another story for another day.
The point, Nestlè says, is, “Consumers are taking their health into their own hands, on their own terms, to curate wellness practices that meet their needs.”
Fusion flavours surging
And that’s largely because many adventurous younger diners have been exposed to a wide range of international foods via social media.
Not surprisingly, Tik Tok and Instagram lead the parade of social media platforms Post-Millennial generations cite as their flavour-adventure ‘guidebooks’.
Recent surveys confirm that a majority of the overall consumer population is interested in fusion cuisine. A full 75 percent are interested in trying new flavours. And Gen Zers are the most adventur-ous.
Coffee entering its ‘4th Wave’?
Nestlè says, ‘Yes’… And one of the main emphases of this ‘future-is-now’ trend is accessible coffee. That is. decent coffee that’s not sky high in price.
Accessible’ coffee has been harder and harder to find over the past few years. Prices have shot up as disease and climate change have ravaged crops in some of the largest coffee-growing regions.
Coffee fans actually started turning their backs on iconic premium coffee purveyor Starbuck’s earlier this year after it’s latest round of price increases. Plunging sales triggered a panic at the highest lev-els of Starbuck’s management, and led to the appointment of a well-known – nay, legendary – res-taurant rescue specialist as the company’s new CEO.
“In this ‘new wave’, coffee is increasingly considered a ‘little treat’,” Nestlè shares. “Especially Gen Zers who drink it throughout the day as an affordable indulgence.”
‘Collab Culture’ will continue strong
Collab Culture refers to the relatively recent trend involving unlikely or unsuspected product ‘colla-borations’ between food brands in different sectors.
These brands that win in today’s competitive landscape allow consumers to explore within familiar spaces, Nestlè observes. “As a result, brands are re-imagining beloved products to meet consumers in new aisles, formats and occasions.”
For example, ‘partnerships’ between famous-name hot sauce makers and product or restaurant-chain brands have been increasingly popular over the past few years.
My take
I, personally, found the ‘new-stalgia’ and functional foods resurgences among the most interesting of Nestlè’s core trend predictions.
The ‘4th wave’ theory of coffee marketing was downright fascinating. I had not been aware previously of the surveys Nestlè cited to support that idea.
And it was pleasantly nostalgic for me to hear that ‘fusion’ cuisine was making a comeback among younger diners. It’s always comforting for an older wonk like me to hear that the up-and-comers agree with her on something – anything, in fact!
~ Maggie J.