Monocle's four food trends for 2011

Buried away inside issue 39 are four trends that the Monocle team of trend spotters say will change the "business of what we eat and drink". They are:

Blueberry juice and its ilk will sell more based on the trend towards "super-foods". Khaled Yafi, who set up the Berry Company in 2006, is expecting fruit bars and frozen desserts to take off.
Less fancy dining. For example, Michelin starred Hamburg cook Cornelia Poletto is giving up her star and posh eatery to open a place where customers can "buy cheese and ham over the counter, or have a coffe at the bar".
The rise of Korean food as the new Japanese food with soy or chilli-marinated meats, lead by Jung Sik Yim opening a restaurant in New York.
The rise of part-time urban farmers and the Slow Food movement, with people growing fruit and vegetables on their balconies or in their basements.

Before you scoff or say these are the same old same old new things, pause to consider what you see shoppers doing and what outlets like Bill's Produce are doing. If you are in London near Waterloo, visit Buen Provecho on the street at lunchtime in Lower Marsh Street. Here is a consumer blog to get you thinking http://helengraves.co.uk/2010/05/buen-provecho-seriously-good-mexican-street-food/.

The great thing about short lists (rather than the ones with 100 trends for 2011) is to roll them over in your mind and think what they might mean for your business. Enjoy!

Comments

Three secrets of great merchandising

Look at the ceiling and top wall of this McDonalds restaurant. There is a picture of two good looking healthy people having fun and some bright primary colours. Ask yourself what is the purpose of this picture? In the latest issue of Retail Newsagent in a feature on merchandising, Andrew Knight of RI tells its independent readers that they need to think about using sharp pictures of non-packaged products linked to people consuming goods. Perhaps this has been taken to the next level by the fast food chain - that is selling the feeling of being happy and healthy rather than the products. A second, related tip from the same feature is made by most contributors - it is vital to keep windows clean and clear of clutter. "I believe that less is more," says Roli Ranger, a retailer from Ascot, Berkshire. He has posters for promotions in between the windows that are regularly updated and discreet signs in the windows. Third, a highly visible well-stocked promotion at the entranc

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It must have been four months since this window was broken in the Tesco Express on Pentonville Road and I simply cannot believe that it has not been fixed. This is the sort of lack of focus that independent shops usually get criticised for. The only purpose in sharing this image is to encourage those independents with high standards who are finding the going tough that they can do better than this.

nickshanagher

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