Food matters

UK Consumers Hungry for New International Flavours

The UK food consumer market has a welldeserved reputation for being among the most open and adventurous in Europe, and that looks set to continue in 2020 with demand for new flavours and experiences driving food trends in the year ahead.

Supporting these trends are a strong desire among UK consumers to be more sustainable, consume more natural ingredients, and make ethical choices. This will see a further rise in plant-based foods, functional ingredients, and products that support health and wellbeing.

DISCOVERING NEW FLAVOURS

A survey from Leatherhead Food Research found 61% of people “enjoy discovering their own international recipes and cooking from scratch”. This rose to 70% among the younger age group.

More than one-third (35%) said supermarket recipe kits inspired them to try cooking international dishes at home, and 40% said TV shows and celebrity chefs influenced their cooking habits.

The survey found 24% “get frustrated that it is not always easy to find the specialist ingredients they need in their usual shops”, with 37% of 16- to 35-year-olds feeling the same. Cindy Beeren, consumer and sensory director at Leatherhead Food Research, said: “While people are increasingly adventurous in the kitchen, they still look for convenience and simplicity when they are shopping.

“So, if a recipe calls for Italian 00 flour, anardana or doubanjiang, they want to find it easily in their usual shops.”

Likewise, Whole Foods points to a growth in demand for African flavours in their future forecasting, saying, “Rich and earthy West African flavours will continue to grow in popularity next year. The trio of tomatoes, onions and chilli peppers forms the base for many West African dishes, with ingredients like peanuts, ginger and lemongrass often featuring. We’ll also be seeing more West African superfoods on shelves, such as moringa and tamarind, as well as cereal grains including sorghum, fonio, teff and millet.”

Looking to break into the UK market?

Food Matters Live 2020 gathers buyers from the biggest retailers and brands in the UK, providing the perfect opportunity for international brands to gain access to the UK food and drink market or build a distribution network in the UK. To find out more about Food Matters Live 2020 please visit

http://bit.ly/30EA4Pq SEARCHING FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BRANDS OF THE FUTURE

Do you have products in the food, health and nutrition sectors that offer innovative and sustainable solutions?

The Future Brands 2020 competition at Food Matters Live is looking for international brands that are new to the UK market to compete for the title of Future Brand 2020. Judged by an esteemed buyer panel of food and drink experts, the shortlisted entrants will be invited to exhibit in a prestigious showcase to a captive buyer audience in the curated Food Matters Live exhibition at the 5 star convention centre situated within the 02 Intercontinental, London on 13 – 14 October 2020.

Each category will have a gold, silver and bronze winner to be announced in a prestigious reception on Monday 12th October 2020. Shortlisted entrants will be benefit from, preferential exhibition rates, editorial coverage, social media support, profile on the Food Matters Live website, branded area within the exhibition and access to the buyer portal.

To find out the criteria for the competition and to enter now please visit http://bit.ly/37a60O2