Author: Sophie Collins, Marketing Manager.

We get it - you’ve just returned to your desk after a lovely break sitting on the sofa in your slippers, eating leftovers and chocolate and now you have an inbox full of “2023 trends”. Yes, it’s that time of year when we’re all bombarded by trend reports from agencies looking into their crystal balls, but it all gets a bit samey doesn’t it?

 So, we’ve done it differently.

We’ve asked the future.

 BIG trends delivered by the trendsetters themselves. Gen Z.

 With the help of our BIG Shot team, we’ve narrowed the “future of food marketing” into three main categories; Taste and Cuisine, Health and Wellbeing and Sustainability - and thrown in a few fun ones for good measure.

 From deep tech that tracks provenance and carbon footprints to dopamine packaging and Grandma’s recipes, each week this month we promise to give you new ideas that’ll keep your brand relevant (and make you look good in front of the boss).‍

‍Taste & Cuisine ‍

As foodies ourselves, we had to start with everything taste and cuisine. 

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First up, #FoodTok. ‍

Is it really any surprise that our first trend involves TikTok? As the biggest rising social platform for brands and consumers, particularly Gen Z who spend an average of five hours + scrolling through TikTok. While this may not be new to you, the fact that 67% of Gen Z are looking at TikTok for food inspiration and recipe ideas could be. In fact, when asked, it was the first place most of them go for ideas. Lots of food brands know how to use Instagram really well, but TikTok seems to have been neglected, despite it being the fastest rising platform for food, and where many future customers are spending most of their time. While they may not be your target audience now, they will be in the future, so for early purchase consideration and brand recognition TikTok is where it’s at. 

This powerful eCommerce channel should not be dismissed as a video platform purely for dance routines. TikTok for Business have recently shared that 68% of users say they have been inspired by TikTok to make unplanned purchases and 44% go to the platform for gift ideas. If you’re considering TikTok as part of your marketing mix, but aren’t sure whether it’s right for your brand, how to adopt successful growth strategies, or unsure if you have the resource to manage another channel, then speak to our TikTok strategist Maya Behzadi.‍

Mash ups‍

Gen Z are flavour fanatics, exploring different cultures and global communities through food. A big trend driven by them has been mash ups, with 16.4 million views of #foodmashups on TikTok increasing globally by the minute. This goes beyond cheese on toast, they are remixing, reinventing and reimagining in their kitchens and sharing it all online. From mashing up classic recipes like roast dinner wraps to wacky pairings like watermelon and mustard - they are certainly not afraid to try something new, and film their reaction. Searching for food ideas, hacks and new global ingredients to try for this generation is fun, fast and a creative way to express their individuality. 

One of the biggest #foodmashup trends is pesto eggs. Amy Wilichowski created this trend from a recipe she made and posted on TikTok in April 2021. There are still people trying and posting their own recreations to this day. By May 2021, over 12 million people had viewed Amy’s videos and sales of Pesto in Waitrose went up 108% that month. #Pestoeggs now holds 273 million views on TikTok alone and is a leading example of how brands should be using TikTok to inspire, drive purchase consideration, sales and retailer buy-in. 

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Flexitarianism‍

A term you will have likely heard of and one that won’t be new to you is flexitarian. It was once a trend, that is now turned into a way of life and it’s here to stay. Essentially it means enjoying different diets through the week, from carnivore weekends to meat-free Mondays and mid-week vegetarians. We found the number of new consumer packaged goods launched with a plant-based claim has grown 700% since 2015. Gen Z are by far the biggest adopters of a flexitarian lifestyle, with plant-based foods on the menu at least once a week. They enjoy cooking from scratch and are actively looking to plant-based brands for inspiration through the week. However, Gen Z still feel that taste is the biggest compromise when choosing a meat alternative over the real deal. There is plenty of content rating the best plant-based burgers to the worst - and they don’t hold back, which poses a challenge for any plant-based brand entering this competitive space. Now flexitarianism has become a way of life and is so embedded in our daily lives, the need to stand out has never been so important. Check out how we helped Better Nature stand out with their go-to-market brand positioning and strategy.

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‍Grandma’s recipes‍

This year, we are saying goodbye to fancy, over-the-top Heston recipes and going back to our favourite Grandmother’s recipes from around the globe. For me, it’s my Nana’s pasta dishes - the recipes all handwritten by her in a pocket-sized brown leather book that me and my cousins often try to recreate. There will be an appetite to embrace cultural roots, learn how to make traditional dishes and swap recipes with digital pals around the globe. 

Pinterest predictions show that searches for ‘traditional Norwegian recipes’ are up 120%, ‘authentic Filipino recipes’ up 35% and ‘South African recipes’ up by 150%. A cook on TikTok called Seema Pankharia has over 1.2 million followers as she works her way round the globe, making the traditional dish of every county. Travelling the world from your own kitchen is hugely popular amongst the older Gen Z-ers who had their ‘travelling’ rights of passage cut during the pandemic and the subsequent restrictions it created. Food brands can help people to replace the modern meal with global cuisine. Inspiring customers to turn a basic chicken dinner into a South African or Filipino delicacy, with specific spices and ingredients.

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The new happy hour‍

For anyone doing Dry January - rejoice! Darjeeling with a friend will be more popular than boozing after work. Afternoon tea is the new happy hour, becoming a regular dining occasion and not just a treat. But it isn’t just a meal, it’s a moment with its own aesthetic. The Swedish call it Fika; a cosy moment with friends over a hot drink. With a bigger focus on wellness, more will be ditching their Pina Colada for PG Tips, creating a new dining occasion that food brands can accompany and non-alcoholic brands can really capitalise on. 

That’s it for our taste and cuisine trends, we hope it got your tastebuds tingling. 

Our next category will be trends in health and wellbeing, one not to be missed! 

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‍Coming up:

Week 2: Health and Wellbeing ‍

- Holistic wellbeing: mental health is as important as physical health, how can brands help consumers look for ways to reduce stress and anxiety

- Mindful cooking: how cooking can be an activity to relieve stress 

- Feed the mind: the forgotten nutritional superpowers of fruit, vegetables and legumes

- Flexercise: low impact ways of getting moving - like exercise in bed and floating are going to be big in 2023

- Dopamine packaging: how brands can take this catwalk trend and use it to make their customers feel good and pick up their products‍

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Week 3: Sustainability

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Week 4: Fun trends

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