Food trend
Hand-crafted food trend and stories
Mar
We live in a time when many things are mass-produced, and there is no real sense of how things were put together or what was added during production. This is one of the main reasons why artisanal food trends have been increasing in popularity in recent years and are predicted to grow even more, with more of a focus on natural and healthy eating.
Artisanal trends
Hand-crafted food is big these days and is being recognized as such by many food producers, from cheesemakers to chocolate crafters, bakers, condiment producers, micro distillers, and so on.
Consumers are happy to pay a premium price for hand-crafted foods, especially when the food meets or exceeds their perceived expectations. Food with a human touch showcases the artisan’s love of food, tradition, and heritage. Essentially what artisanal catering means is to treat food in the way we humans expect to be treated, with respect, care and consideration! It is about clean, healthy, and well-presented gourmet food.
This trend asks that both vendors and producers adopt healthy, clean ways of producing and selling their produce.
In a survey conducted by “Taste Tomorrow,” the world’s largest bakery suggests that the hand-crafted food trend is hot right now, with a staggering 77% of consumers reporting they would pay more for hand-crafted, healthier foods.
Hand-crafted food is hot!
Hand-crafted food is defined? Artisanal is meant to mean that the food was created in small batches, not in a factory.
Genuine hand-crafted food production is a very small part of the estimated 60 billion dollar “specialty” food industry. But this excites those that want to slow down or even halt the industrialization of food. For many foodies, it is a way to invent the sort of real-food heritage that the Old World, whether Europe, Asia, or America, built its cuisines upon.
For a food to be considered artisanal, the food item must look original. This is done by embracing imperfections. For example, any hand-crafted product must look as if it was made by hand, which means it won’t be 100% identical to any other food product you produce. Typically, consumers appreciate imperfect finished goods. For example, it may have a slightly different shape, size, and look. This proves the food was crafted by hand.
Consumer appeal
Twenty years ago, the options for getting a takeaway were very limited; you either had Chinese food or pizza! But today, the options to choose from are many. This is mainly due to the growing demand for good quality food delivered straight to your door and home delivery advancement.
As this trend is growing, restaurants are offering more and more takeaway options, with some food outlets even renting kitchen space to produce fresh – grab and go foods! A lot of restaurants and food outlets are also becoming greener – healthier, and this includes their packaging!
If you’ve ever walked into a restaurant like Starbucks, for example, and the queue was awful, this is because hand-crafted food takes longer to prepare, and this is going to slow down the speed of delivery. But you are going to be assured your food and drink is prepared fresh for you.
What do consumers want?
We are seeing more and more how consumers want to be able to connect on a personal level with their food. They want to know where their food came from, how it was grown or raised, whether the product and company are sustainable, and want to believe there is a good story behind it.
Therefore, it is vital that food companies consider this and connect with their customers by telling a story and aiming this at the right audience.
Plant based foods, have been around for a while, but with consumers wanting their food to be healthier, the demand for plant based foods has seen a gradual increase in the last few years.
Sustainability is also hot right now, as is texture, macronutrients, aesthetically pleasing food, locally sourced foods, fresh, and food with personality (a story).
Conclusion
Hand-crafted foods are foods produced by non-industrialized methods, often handed down through generations. Artisan producers must recognize, understand and respect the raw materials with which they work. They need to know where their produce has come from and what is particularly good about them. They need to know what tastes good and be fully aware of the story of their food and the impact of their food production on people and on the environment.
Reference : https://www.gustusmarket.eu/, https://www.tastetomorrow.com/inspiration
