Food trends
I create bespoke food trends reports for clients, which empower them to make the trends, not just follow them. I provide expert opinion for in-depth interviews, national press, and TV.
I run Harris and Hayes food and drink trends consultancy, where my business partner and I specialise in creating bespoke insight reports, hosting conferences, and leading NPD workshops. We have collaborated with big brands including Diageo, Unilever, innocent and Stonegate, as well as supporting smaller, challenger brands. We are also regular columnists for the insights platform, Food Spark.
Get in touch if you are a brand, publication or PR agency who would like inspiring and well-researched food and drink trend reports to transform your next campaign.
Find out about my bespoke food trends service for food brands, food PRs and businesses looking to stay ahead.
TIMES ARE FAST, LIVE SLOW
Consumers might live fast, but they want on-the-go products with ‘slow’ benefits, such as slow-release energy bars.
Time is now the ultimate commodity. A dual approach to time is emerging, as consumers look for quick solutions that enable them to slow down and enjoy life more: Convenience shouldn't mean compromise. This trend also manifests in recipe hacks, as consumers seek maximum results with minimum input.
FUNCTIONAL FOODS ARE MOBILE
Functional foods are ingredients with celebrated health benefits (anti-inflammatory turmeric, probiotic tempeh, naturally high-protein Skyr etc). They are an established strand within the macro health trend space, with specific growth on mobile platforms. According to Google internal data, more than 50% of searches for trending functional foods are on mobile.
Online searches for functional food are time-specific: they peak on Mondays, and slowly decline through the week until interest reaches its lowest point on Fridays, as customers indulge at the weekends. Google searches for ‘best foods for energy’ have increased 131% since 2011, with historical peaks in February each year when consumers look to functional foods to improve their mood.
Is THIs a TREND or faD?
Fads are often confused with trends: Trends are long-term movements that bring about behavioural change, whereas fads or crazes are short-term fireworks that can grow into trends long-term. Trends tend to impact multiple disciplines (food, fashion, sport, TV etc), whereas fads are genre-specific.
‘Fads’ might sound derogative, but both fads and trends contribute to the ever-changing food landscape.
NO SUCH THING AS OVERSHARING
'Major minorstones', as trends agency Sparks & Honey calls them, will continue to dominate the food landscape on social media. No food moment is too small to be shared, as milestones have splintered into multiple 'minorstones' that need to be published on our personal networks.
If brands can position their product or service as part of that micro-moment, they will become more relevant and visible in consumer's everyday lives.
MIDNIGHT SNACKS
Much like the beauty market touting moisturisers that work miracles while you sleep, the health food market is embracing the night-time snacks trend. This is part of the wider functional food movement, since food can no longer just taste good, it has to do you good too.
Kellogg's Raisin Bran cereal in Mexico, Colombia and the US is promoted as a lighter night-time meal, and Gatorade are developing a night-time yogurt to help athletes recover during sleep.
Food with added health benefits while you sleep is set to be a growing trend as snackification gets a functional makeover and customers look to maximise every hour of the day.