TRENDS
Generation
EAT
Musgrave MarketPlace's Marketing Director Michelle Fennell regularly commissions research to stay in tune with emerging industry trends. She reveals some of the key findings of her research this year.
Michelle Fennell.
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HOTEL
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iven the pace at which Irish food trends and the foodservice landscape changes, regular research is the key to Musgrave MarketPlace staying ahead of the curve with our service offering. I believe that our hunger for insight into the latest developments in the food industry facilitates constant innovation and a better product range and service for our foodservice customers. The three key ingredients in our success to date as Ireland’s leading wholesaler include listening carefully to the changing demands of our customers, learning from new food and drink trends around the world, and continuing to evolve our brand. MIGHTY MILLENNIALS As part of our research this year, we consulted a group of younger consumers, individuals who are truly passionate about food and incorporate it in all aspects of their lives, and a panel of ‘food experts,’ those who are real influencers in the food scenes across Dublin, Galway, Cork, Belfast and the US. My first observation from our research findings was that Ireland’s relationship with all things food deepened significantly in 2016 and this has been driven primarily by the 25 to 45 generation. We have renamed these millennials, Generation Eat. Individuals within this age bracket are now more educated, informed and concerned about food and take notably more pleasure from it than any other age group. Generation Eat are eager not only to create their own food, but also to blog, tweet and Instagram it – food is no longer just being prepared to eat, it is being prepared
to share with the masses on social media! Our research also made it apparent that Generation Eat are displaying a real sense of pride and confidence in ‘Irish food’ and are increasingly keen to support Irish foods and businesses. There is a sense that we now have a palette that we can say is both our own and of an international standard. RETAIL & FOODSERVICE One of the big trends I uncovered in the research that I conducted was the continued blurring of retail and foodservice. Retailers are now branching into varying degrees of foodservice with many offering freshly prepared food and beverages in-store. Certain retail outlets are taking this to a more premium level, transforming deli counters into fresh kitchens offering a range of higher end products, from rotisserie chickens and gourmet burgers to superfood salads. According to our research, a key area of focus for both retailers and foodservice outlets is beverage offering development, everything from flavoured coffees to fruit and vegetable juices. Tea is trending too, with some dedicated tea shops opening in Dublin and Galway, while craft beer continues to mature with lots of potential for further growth. HEALTH It is not hugely surprising that the strongest theme to emerge from our research was health. From functional foods, ‘clean’ eating, obesity reports and government legislation to sugar tax discussions and production techniques, health permeates every aspect of food. Having consulted 130 Irish consumers for this research, it became quite apparent to us that health is a priority when
CATERING REVIEW | NOVEMBER 2016
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