How Long Do Food Trends Really Last?

27 Jun, 2017

From cupcakes to kale, take a look at how food trends have aged over the last 17 years!

Cupcakes

2000 was the year of the cupcake. Originally, they were mostly made with a thick coating of butter icing and a mountain of edible glitter. Cupcakes are still incredibly popular today, but there has been more of a focus on using natural sugar as an alternative to processed sugar in baking. Vegetables based cakes have also gained in popularity with Beetroot & Dark Chocolate, Courgette & Lime and even Parsnip appearing more frequently.

Flavoured Water

2007 marked an increased popularity in flavoured water. With a lot of flavoured water being criticised for high sugar levels and additives, adding fresh citrus fruit to water has been increasingly popular in the last few years and naturally flavoured water is in demand.

Wholegrains & Organic

In 2008, more than 2,500 new wholegrains products came onto the worldwide market. There was also an increase in interest in Organic produce. Since then, there has been a steady rise in popularity of both grains and organic food. In the few years quinoa has been in the spotlight as a healthy choice, with high nutritional value.

Free Range Eggs

The campaign against battery-reared chickens really took off in 2008. There was decrease in battery eggs bought in shops and since then there has been real progress with animal welfare. More people are now choosing free range meat as well as eggs. The health benefits of free range produce have also influenced its rise in popularity.

Almond Milk

Almond Milk was a predicted food trend for 2015 and it’s still going strong. With lots of alternatives to cow’s milk coming onto the scene, including coconut milk, soya milk and oat milk, dairy free is a growing market. The last few years has also seen vegetarian and vegan diets going more mainstream. Plant-based diets with a focus around whole foods have been promoted through Instagram and other social media platforms.

Avocado, Kale, Chia Seeds and Matcha

Avocado, Kale and Chia Seeds are just a few of the recent food trends that have featured heavily in social media since 2015. Although avocados might have had their day, Macha is on the up. This finely ground processed green tea and has big health benefits. It now appears in latte form as well as being a baking ingredient and of course, a tea.

Gluten Free

In the past, gluten free products have kept quite a low profile. Now, there are many more restaurants and cafes catering to gluten free. The last couple of years have seen people choosing a gluten free diet for health reasons. It has become much easier for people with Coeliac disease to be able to eat out with more products in free-from sections in supermarkets.

Gin and Craft Beer

One of the first Gin crazes was in the 17^th century rather than the 21^st, but it is definitely worth a mention. Gin is now becoming increasingly popular in cocktails and tasting evenings are popping up all over the country. The UK is home to a wide assortment of Gin Festivals and they are excellent places for local distilleries and companies to show off their product. Craft beer has also had a boom in popularity that has triggered a huge surge in local breweries. More and more people are choosing local companies for their individuality and also due to the fact that many of the ingredients used in the products are grown in the UK.