][1]Yesterday, the 5pm blog blurted out our own predictions for what might be on our plates in 2013. Today, we’ll take a look at what actual industry experts are saying.
Naturally, you shouldn’t expect a reasoned, well researched piece of journalism. Facts which are true and important but dull (think rising wheat prices) won’t get many mentions but if someone predicts that insect burgers will be big in 2013 then we will be all over it.
Law suits
Actually, this one is true, important and very newsworthy. Influential American restaurant consultants Baum and Whiteman predict that authenticity is going to become more important and that, increasingly, restaurants are going to have to walk the walk as well as talk the talk when it comes to selling points such as local, natural and organic. The consultants forecast lawsuits – not unlikely in America.
Scottish restaurants selling dredged scallops as hand-dived may be less likely to end up in court than their American counterparts but can expect many more probing questions from their customers, bloggers and online reviews.
Go the whole hog
Interestingly, Baum and Whiteman are also suggesting that there will be more of a move towards people eating whole animals in restaurants. This isn’t so much nose to tail eating, as groups of people clubbing together to buy, for example, a whole, roast, suckling pig to share at one meal.
Bye bye beef
A number of people are suggesting that beef consumption (at least in the West) will fall due to higher prices and health concerns. Balancing this will be a boom in other proteins. We may be eating a lot of chickpeas.
Click and eat
Epicurious reckons that ordering from iPad menus or table top swipe screens is being mooted as the next big thing. As always, so is the fully robotic restaurant.
Pimp your burger
Olive magazine has a good selection of predictions. Jazzed up burgers, Israeli food, healthier eating, informal venues; comfort food and venues specialising in just one or two dishes, a la London’s Burger and Lobster, are all tipped for the top over the next twelve months.