TORONTO — The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association’s (CRFA) recent survey of chefs notes the rising popularity of local, sustainable and organic fare.
“These topline trends underscore a growing restaurant focus on health, nutrition and the environment,” says Garth Whyte, CRFA president and CEO. “Restaurant chefs are not only listening to their customers, they are helping to drive the trend toward health, nutrition and sustainability through innovative menu offerings.”
In the survey, conducted by BrandSpark International, chefs were asked to rate a variety of menu items and cooking methods as either a ‘hot trend,’ ‘yesterday’s news,’ or ‘perennial favourite.’ The top trends listed were: locally sourced food; sustainability; organic produce; artisanal cheeses; simplicity/back-to-basics; nutritional/healthy cuisine; free-range poultry/pork; small plates/tapas/ mezze/dim sum; bite size/mini desserts; and superfruits, like acai, goji berry and mangosteen.
The survey also asked about hot trends on the horizon; the following toped the list: ancient grains, like kamut, spelt and amaranth; gluten-free beer; vegan entrees; organic alcohol; African cuisine; new/fabricated cuts of meat; gluten-free cuisine; Middle-Eastern cuisine, quinoa and non-traditional fish, like branzino, Arctic char and barramundi.
