3 trends to know this summer

World flavours
Summer brings picnics, BBQs and garden parties, and while these are quintessentially British traditions, consumers are looking for more exciting flavours on their plates in 2022.

Sustainable spice company Dutch Spices predicts that Asian, Middle Eastern, and South American spices will be a big hit at BBQs this summer.

That could mean a Thai red curry marinade for a rack of ribs, a chimichurri sauce as a finisher, or using liberal amounts of za’atar, a staple in Middle Eastern cooking.

Stocking a variety of spices and seasonings that explore global flavours will allow your customers to dive into the trend and experience new cuisines. When it comes to choosing which seasonings to stock, their adaptability for the outdoor grill is a key factor – products that make good barbecue rubs will be sought out by customers.

One key trending flavour from across the globe is umami. The cult ingredient means ‘pleasant savoury taste’ in Japanese, and is found in products such as soy sauce, Parmesan and seaweed. To stand out from the multiples, try novelty varieties such as Clearspring’s new Chickpea Miso, or choose products which deliver a double whammy such as the award-winning Black Garlic Miso from Craic Foods.

Umami is gaining traction in 2022 and is set to become a must-have for every home cook. As Christopher Dawson, chairman of Clearspring, told Speciality Food, “The adventurous foodie is experimenting with how umami can enhance everyday dishes. We want to take it to a much wider audience. There is lots of potential.”

Low/no alcohol
Mindful drinking is officially cool. In fact, during Dry January 2022, mindful drinkers outnumbered abstainers. The market totals over 25 million people and is growing, with international drinks analysts IWSR expecting an increase in sales of non-alcoholic drinks to £558m by 2024.

One key area of low/no that is on the rise alongside mindful drinking is wine. While traditionalists turn their nose up at non-alcoholic wine, there is a growing market for fine food indies to explore.

Producers are able to make a normal wine, extract the alcohol and replace the weight that alcohol provides with sugar or grape juice. However, the issue here is that while a regular off-dry white will have about four to seven grams of residual sugar per litre, many low/no whites have the same quantity in 100ml, meaning it can taste too sweet.

Therefore, retailers looking to cash in on this growing trend should try products before buying to only sell what they love, and gain advice on what to stock from specialist teetotal trade retailers such as Wise Bartender.

Plant-based alternatives
With 7.2 million Brits now eating a meat-free diet and a further 8.8 million looking to cut out animals this year, the plant-based opportunity is huge and consumers will be looking for products to cater for everyone this summer.

In the past year, there has been significant development in the quality of plant-based alternatives, and this is providing those who follow a flexitarian diet with more options.

Simon Wright, who chairs the Quality Food Awards judging panel, noted many vegan fish entries this year, and if you look at the vegan section in the multiples, you’ll see shelves of fish-free cakes, fingers and fillets. Fish is going vegan in 2022, and you’ll need to stock up in order to keep up.

High-quality alternatives such as Kinda Co’s Faux Lox & Dill Creamy Spread, perfect for spreading on toasted bagels, Moving Mountains Fish Fillets served up with mushy peas and chunky chips, and Future Farm’s Future Tuna, mixed with vegan mayo and sweetcorn for a hearty sandwich filling, will set you apart from the big five. Using them in your onsite café or deli counter could just make you a destination for vegans, especially if you’re the only venue in the area serving up plant-based fish.

Take on board these key summer trends and you’ll be a one-stop-shop for the entire community.