As specialists in the food and drink industry we know the importance of keeping in touch with emerging trends to help ensure success in the market. Gone are the days when food was a necessity, increasingly we are ‘living to eat’ rather than ‘eating to live’. Here is our round up of the top food trends for 2013 - from the practical to the outrageous. Presentation by CLIP creative and PR a specialist food and drink PR and marketing agency in London and Nottingham.

1. Designercup cake
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Pink
Black
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2. As specialists in the food
and drink industry we know
the importance of keeping in
touch with emerging trends to help
ensure success in the market. Gone are
the days when food was a necessity,
increasingly we are ‘living to eat’ rather
than ‘eating to live’. Here is our round
up of the top 10 most significant
food trends for 2013 - from the
practical to the outrageous. Presented by

3. Designercup cake
In 2013 we can expect a focus placed on food and
drink as a full experience by both independent and chain
restaurants. In March this year Steam – a ‘calorie neutral’
restaurant where diners burn off the same number of
calories, throughout the course of the meal which
they consume, was launched as a pop-up by Miele.
This month Harrods created a luxurious pop-up Dior
theme café with ‘designer’ cupcakes and afternoon
tea as part of their Dior exhibition. More
mainstream examples of this trend include
McDonalds’ global restaurant
refurbishments which has seen wireless
internet installed into all chains and
even upgrades to china plates, real
cutlery and table services in
some outlets.
Food and drink
as an experience
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4. The ‘vegetarian option’ no longer means a baked
mushroom or a limp salad. Grounded in both health
and environmental concerns more chefs than ever
before are embracing rather than frowning on
vegetarian and vegan cuisine. Increasingly
restaurants are offering their customers exciting,
flavoursome dishes using seasonal vegetables.
Vegetarian takes on traditional dishes are also
gathering popularity, from the vegetarian pub
-The Coach and Horse’s - battered ‘Tofu and
Chips’, to meat-free Wellingtons and pies.
Vegetables as Mains
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5. The trend for a gourmet take on American
diner-style food which emerged last year is set to
become a fully-fledged food revolution in 2013. Gone
are the days when foodies would turn their noses up at a
hamburger and ‘shake’ instead they are frequenting
emerging chains such as Hache who describes themselves
as ‘burger connoisseurs’. Hawkesmoore and Bubbledog a
champagne bar in London have run with the trend –
offering their customers hotdogs to go with their bubbly.
So for the rest of 2013 we can look forward to more
lovingly-glazed, hand-made burger buns,
medium rare burger patties, skin-on fries and
creamy chocolate milkshakes no
complaining there.
Gourmet Diner Food
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6. These days consumers know what they
want and what they like which has given
rise to the trend for geographically specific
flavours. Kit Kat have created a range of
flavours to suit their Japanese customer which
include wasabi, green tea, purple sweet potato
and edamame soybean. So far this year
McDonalds have also catered specifically to
different markets -introducing baguettes in
their French outlets and Starbucks have
developed green tea tiramisu and ginger
pork paninis for their coffee shops in
China.
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Regional Flavours
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7. green
Black tea, white tea, green tea, pink tea...Tea
has become trendy, and, with more awareness
than ever before about the health benefits of
tea the nation has even more of an excuse to
drink its favourite beverage (just don’t
mention the full fat milk and two teaspoons
of sugar). Other varieties of tea which have
recently gained popularity in the western world
include novelty flowering tea bulbs from China
as well as traditional English afternoon tea
becoming the new catch-up
coffee or lunch out.
Black
Pink
Tea Party
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8. Consumers are increasingly searching for different
flavour combinations and food experiences. Food
brands are meeting this need with ever more
combinations and creations that combine or blur the
boundaries between sweet and savoury. Salted
caramel, for example, has become an
incredibly popular latte, ice-cream, fudge -
you name it - flavour. Other more unusual
examples of the shake-up between
sweet and savoury include ox-tail
doughnuts from Duck and Waffle of
London and Vosges’ bacon flavour
chocolate.
Sweet and savoury
shake up
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9. In tough financial times you are unlikely to spend
thousands on a brand new car or designer handbag
but you might be willing to part with a few pounds for a
little taste of luxury – or at least that is what food and
beverage brands are hoping. From Starbucks’
controversial $7 cup of coffee to Burger King’s £95, Kobi
beef ‘bling’ burger food and drink outlets are banking on
the mass-tige trend for publicity and sales. More recent
examples of the trend include Harvey Nichols 24 karat
gold, champagne-flavour lollipop and Bourdain and
Ripon’s ‘Good and Evil’ $18-a-bar chocolate.
Mass-tige
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10. A more unusual food and drink trend for 2013
is food and drink as a different sensory experience.
Food mists which can be inhaled rather than eaten
are an emerging dining experience as well as an
alcoholic take on this called ‘Vaportini’.
Vaportini gives the consumer the advantage of
being able to control the effects of the alcohol
more easily because it wares off in a more
predictable manner.Vaportini and food
mists also mean no calories or carbs are
consumed – inevitably a good selling
point among image and health
conscious consumers. Pizza Hut have
also responded to demand from their
social network followers and their take on
this trend is an unconventional, pizza
scented perfume.
Food that isn’t Food
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11. Recently cocktails have evolved into more than just
a beverage – with creamy, sweet varieties taking on
the role of dessert. From cocktails which are named
after popular pudding dishes such as Tulio Restaurante
in Seattle’s ‘tiramisu cocktail’ to celebrity chef Kathy
Casey’s ‘lemon puff meringue cocktail’.This trend has
also been seen in the form of sorbet-style frozen
strawberry daiquiris at Vodka Revolution Bars and
tequila snow cones at Zengo and Biblioteca.
Drinks are Desserts
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12. The trend for ‘Functional Food’ describes food and
drink products that may be natural or processed but
ultimately their appeal for consumers lies in their
health benefits. In The United States consumers are
spending more than $10 billion every year on
‘Functional Food’. From natural so-called ‘Super Foods’
such as Blueberries, Quinoa and Goji Berries to foods
with manufactured health benefits including lollies
and cereals fortified with vitamins or
probiotic yoghurts this trend is set to
continue to grow driven by the
time-poor consumer desire for
convenience and health
benefits in one.
Functional Food
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13. Overall, it is clear to see that while a couple of
the key emerging food and drink trends are driven
by real consumer needs and true functional benefits
much of the evolution of the food and drink markets is a
result of food becoming more than just nutrition.
In times when there are more brands than ever before a
point of difference is a core selling point to consumers
and the food and drink industry has embraced this to
bring us exciting and innovative products
and experiences. Presented by

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