food&drink towers predicts 10 Top Trends for 2012

14 December 2011

food&drink towers predicts 10 Top Trends for 2012 food&drink industry

Sixth annual edition of the Ten Top Trends Report will be published this

week – and it is free to everyone!

The Ten Top Trends For 2012:

1.         Regional producers get a boost

The food&drink towers Ten Top Trends for 2012 Survey identified that

authenticity; provenance and ‘localness’ will be very important (19%) or

important (51%) next year. Closely aligned to the sustainability benefits of

‘going local’, reducing the environmental footprint and increasing

sustainability will be important to more than half of respondents. Despite

this, ethical consumption including organics is expected to decline in

importance in 2012, according to the food&drink towers survey.

2.         Uplifting food and drink to improve our moods

Depression, which affects many people within society, stands out as a major

area for development in the mood foods category. 25% say there is strong

growth potential and 51% average growth potential for NPD in 2012. There are

increasing links between nutrition and depression. Serotonin is a brain

chemical believed to promote calmness and ease depression. Foods themselves

don't contain serotonin but what you eat may be able to tip the balance in

favour of increased serotonin production in the brain.

3.         Packaging innovations to provide the answer

As costs are being cut across the food&drink industry supply chain,

packaging will become a focus for brand owners keen to improve margins from

production to market. Reducing packaging weight/size, also known as

lightweighting, is not only an environmentally-friendly move, but it can

result in cost savings over the long term.

4.         Learning to…grow your own, bake your own, make your own

How much influence do cookery programmes such as Masterchef and Nigel

Slater’s Simple Suppers have on consumer shopping habits in general?

According to food&drink towers’ Ten Top Trends for 2012 Survey, 23% say

they’re hugely influential, 66% believe them to be influential and just

11% say they are not influential.

5.         Foraging for truffles, mushrooms, wild berries and edible mini-beasts

Courses are available nationwide teaching people how to forage, what to look

for, and then turning their discoveries into three-course meals. This is the

ultimate in foodie heaven for those who enjoy getting stuck in! Innocent

Smoothies sent five of its team to a 12-hour foraging course in Kent

recently, and foodie magazines regularly feature celebrity chef recipes

including wild mushrooms, truffles and wild berries.

6.         Going beyond the dinner party – at-home dining occasions become more

regular

People will invest a little more time and effort (but not necessarily money)

into meal times on a more regular basis to cheer themselves up, entertain

and add some fun to ‘just another working week’. Original recipes and

unusual ingredients will be the focus for home-cooks who will be influenced

by television programmes, foodie magazines, websites, social networks such

as Twitter and Facebook and Smartphone apps.

7.         Dusting off the recipe books and cooking from scratch

food&drink towers forecasts 2012 will be known as ‘the year of

austerity’. As a nation we’ve spent a ridiculous fortune on recipe books

over the years, many of which have been left on the shelves to gather dust.

In 2012, people are expected to return to their cookery books (and other

resources) to get a return on their investment, get more out of their

kitchen gadgets and get more creative with their cooking.

8.         Food on the go gets a facelift

As impulse sales are forecast to continue to rise in 2012 (albeit not into

double figures), brands must work harder for their share of the grab and go

market. Convenience will remain a priority, but health is also becoming an

influential factor. People are looking for quick fixes for specific

lifestyle issues such as fatigue and concentration. People are also looking

to top up their vitamin, mineral, antioxidant and omega-3 intake in a

convenient format.

9.         Megatrends…on a budget

The food&drink towers Ten Top Trends for 2012 Survey showed that health on a

budget will be hugely important (47%), followed by indulgence on a budget,

convenience on a budget and premium indulgence.

10.       Original food and drink pairing: inspiration for the nation

Companies such as French Bubbles operate Champagne pairing events, matching

bubbly with sushi, chocolate and cheese. Restaurants are showing greater

interest in providing wine, beer, cocktail and spirit matches to certain

items on their menus.

food&drink towers will publish its sixth annual edition of the eagerly

anticipated ‘Ten Top Trends for 2012’ report on Thursday 15th December

2011, and it will be available free of charge to all members of

www.foodanddrinktowers.com. Advanced press copies are available now upon

request – helen@foodanddrinktowers.co.uk.

Helen Lewis, managing editor/founder of www.foodanddrinktowers.com and

freelance food journalist/consultant, says: “This ‘Ten Top Trends’

report provides a timely insight into the state of the UK food and drink

market and makes predictions for the year ahead. At a time when investment

in NPD, marketing, branding and advertising continues to be restricted by

global economic turmoil, the food&drink business must now, more than ever,

carefully consider its next moves to the advantage of the shareholders, the

consumers and the retailers.

“Next steps in terms of new product launches, line extensions, packaging

changes, marketing campaigns and expansion into new markets must all be

carefully considered in line with the cost of development to the company,

the brand’s integrity and image, loyal consumers and the environment.

There are so many points to consider in today’s food and drink market, and

the voice of the industry must be heard clearly amidst the fog and confusion

of recent years. It is for this reason that food&drink towers has conducted

an online survey of its 4,000+ members (representing the industry, PR

specialists, journalists and consumers) especially for this report.”

171 people responded to the survey, conducted in November and December 2011,

by Helen Lewis at food&drink towers. The full results will be made available

for members of food&drink towers and upon request from

Helen@foodanddrinktowers.co.uk in January 2012. As in previous reports, the

ten top trends have been selected by Helen Lewis, managing editor and

founder of www.foodanddrinktowers.com, who has worked as a freelance food

journalist since 2004 and has supported numerous food and drink companies

with their product launch, marketing, PR and branding strategies. To support

the analysis, the online survey results are weaved into the report.

Extract from the report:

food&drink towers predicts ‘mood foods’ will experience a surge in

popularity in 2012 and beyond, which is confirmed by the industry opinion

survey. 44% believe they will increase in market value. A further 41%

believe there will be stagnant market value for mood foods that make us feel

better, such as food with added vitamins B and D, chocolate and energy

drinks, which are a huge part of the functional food and drinks market. Only

3% predict a fall in market value in 2012.

Happiness and stress have been identified as the two ‘mood food’ areas

that hold strong potential for growth in 2012 at 45% and 39% respectively.

Energy, the biggest sub-category within the functional food and drinks

market, continues to offer growth potential. 38% of respondents to the

food&drink towers survey predict energy will show strong growth potential,

and 41% agree it will offer average growth potential. Sleep/fatigue, one of

the ten food&drink towers top trends for 2011, also shows good growth

potential.