Each year beginning in 2014, packaged food giant Campbell Soup releases its Culinary Trendscape report, based on data from Campbell’s Global Culinary & Baking Institute, which VP and certified master chef Thomas Griffiths describes as “a little consultant company within Campbell’s.”
Griffiths told FoodNavigator-USA that for chefs working in this department, researching and taking notes are embedded into their daily routine. Hence, data in these reports are collected from visits to “farmer’s markets, restaurants, food trucks and malls, conventions—everyplace that there’s food.”
Grouped into six different stages—Discovery, Introduction, Adoption, Mainstream, Established, and Expanded—here are some examples from each stage of the findings published in the report:
- Discovery Phase: Marine Greens – Still in its infancy, North American consumers are slowly exploring beyond nori chips and looking at other marine greens as culinary items, such as spirulina, kelp, or algae oil. This is a trend that the food industry should definitely keep tabs on, Griffiths said.
- Introduction Phase: Chefs on a Mission – Consumers, especially Millennials, are moved by mission-driven products, and Griffiths said that chefs nowadays are doing a lot of altruistic work. “It’s so inspiring—they’re opening restaurants and serving local foods at very reasonable prices,” he said.
- Adoption Phase: Condiment Craze – Griffiths said that American consumers are reaching beyond the ketchup and sriracha thanks to new fast casual dining establishments such as Nando’s and its peri-peri sauce. “That’s one of the things I’m really excited about, the condiment craze and peri-peri becoming mainstream,” he said.
- Mainstream: Curry Culture – Fragrant, spicy stews are now part of the mainstay of American culinary culture, the report revealed.
- Established: Great Grains – A step above being ‘mainstream,’ being established means it has reached mass audiences. According to Griffiths, grains such as teff, millet, and quinoa are now very familiar ingredients. He argued that, as a result of the TrendScape team research, more grains have made its way into brand briefings, and are now featured in Campbell’s Well Yes! Brand.
- Expanded Phase: Coconut – Coconut has passed its ‘trend’ phase and is now a staple for global audiences. “Everybody in America knows what coconut is, but then the different ways people are preparing coconut is what makes it so exciting,” Griffiths said. The fruit has gone beyond the water sector and now appears in chip form, boxed as a dairy alternative milk, dried as sprinkable flakes, and so forth.
You can find the full version HERE.