Purple-coloured produce, roots and tubers and ‘classics with a twist’ are some of the top trends set to hit the nation’s fine dining sector, according to an annual trends report from New Covent Garden Market (NCGM).
An audit carried out on the market quizzed traders on some of the upcoming trends for the year, which also included superfoods, such as turmeric roots, a preference for British and local produce, and an uplift in sales of anything colourful.
South American, Japanese and Caribbean cuisine will shape the foodservice sector during the year, seen in products such as herbs, leaves and unusual tubers or roots.
NCGM firms serve high-end restaurants such as Le Gavroche, The Dorchester, The Four Seasons and The Wolseley.
The full list of trends for 2017 from the audit includes:
1. Colourful produce
With purple firmly set out as the colour du jour for 2017, traders have reported an uplift in sales of everything from purple carrots to lavender Brussels sprouts and artichokes, as well as heritage carrots in yellows, oranges and purples.
2. Micro herbs and edible flowers
Already used in high-end restaurants, new micro herb varieties include Butterfly sorrel and bronze fennel, while the trend for edible flowers has expanded into cucumber flowers, dill crowns and daisies.
3. Health-conscious eating
Traders report healthy eating as the number one trend that has increased sales on the market with superfoods such as raw roots of turmeric and both new and existing kale varieties gaining popularity everywhere from fine dining to juice bars.
4. Eat british, eat local
The popularity of British produce, heritage varieties and hyperlocalisation were key themes in the audit, with a demand for British but also regional and locally sourced produce too. Just as meat provenance is very important to customers, chefs are also wanting to visit veg growers and suppliers.
5. Classics with a twist
In 2017, traders predict old favourites with a new twist will be increasingly popular, such as white asparagus, Romanesco broccoli, sprouting cauliflower, flower sprouts, Brussel tops, kalettes and raw salad varieties of young kale. Brassicas are seeing something of a rebirth thanks to new varieties, and consumers have developed a new appreciation of the unique bitter taste of brassicas, the audit found.
6. New kids on the block
New products spotted at the market include nasturtium root, from the Andes mountains in South America, Tokyo turnips and Japanese herbs. There is also a trend for products that are not native to the UK but are now grown from seed here and produced in the UK.
7. South American, Japanese and Carribean Cuisine
South American cooking from Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia features herbs such as the oregano-like epazote, and papola, a herb similar to coriander. Tomatillos are also being planted in UK glasshouses, as well as classic chop suey green Chrysanthemum leaves, amaranth and shiso leaves. Other ethnic produce being grown in UK fields include Caribbean turnip tops, also known as callaloo or collard greens.
8. Roots and tubers
Toots and tubers are proving a big hit with chefs at the moment, including roots of chervil, nasturtium and parsley, which offer rich, less fibrous flavour, while crunchy crosnes, or Japanese artichokes, are an unusual root, difficult to harvest and prepare, accounting for their rarity and expense.
9. Sustainability
Sustainability has been noted as a key trend by many of the market’s traders. Increasingly there is a demand for outgrade or surplus vegetables, which companies will use to make jams, chutney and more to help achieve sustainability goals.
