The teams at af&co and Carbonate just released the 15th edition of their annual hospitality trends report, outlining what they predict to be the top food, beverage and hospitality trends for the coming year. Get a taste of their intel with these six food and bev trends.
Hottest Dish of the Year: Maitake Mushrooms
Creative chefs looking for meaty alternatives to actual meat have long favored mushrooms—and maitakes are the new “it” varietal, taking the place of yesteryear’s grilled portobellos. Often served roasted or fried, the craggly surface makes for an explosion of texture, while also capturing any bit of flavorful sauce or dressing. It may not taste like a burger, but it is incredibly satisfying, and is even showing up alongside meat and seafood. Try it:
- Hartley Kitchen & Cocktails (Atlanta, GA) Chicken Fried Mushrooms with house-made ranch dressing
- Birdbox’s (San Francisco, Ca) vegetarian take on their Claude the Claw fried chicken sandwich features hen of the woods confited in cremini mushroom butter, seared on a plancha, then fried and dusted with a porcini seasoning. Served with pickle relish and mushroom jam mayo
- Little Mad, (New York, NY) is known for their inspired Korean-American cuisine and their Fried Buhsut, deep-fried maitake mushrooms served with sour cream and onion dip, presented inside a halved onion
Cuisine of the Year: Filipino
According to 2021 data from the Pew Research Center, the Asian population in the USA doubled between 2000 and 2019. Filipino Americans make up the third largest group at 19%, or approximately 4.6 million people. Over the last decade, Filipino food has gained increased recognition in the U.S. Popular pop-ups have become multi-store brick & mortars; Filipino chefs have won national and international awards, or become YouTube stars; popular Filipino mash-ups have attracted large audiences; and last year Jollibee Foods Corporation, the Filipino fast-food multi-restaurant group, announced plans to launch 300 stores across the U.S. Now, Filipino restaurants are becoming dining destinations with national acclaim—and booking out months in advance. Try it:
- Abaca (San Francisco, CA) a contemporary Filipino-Californian restaurant, was called one of the best new restaurants in America by both Esquire magazine and The New York Times
- Lasita (Los Angeles) is a Filipino rotisserie and natural wine bar earning national attention and called one of the Top 50 New Restaurants in America by Bon Appetit
- Kasama (Chicago, IL) opened during the pandemic to huge acclaim, Kasama earned their first Michelin star for their modern Filipino restaurant and bakery offering exquisite pastries, casual breakfast and lunch, and fine dining tasting menu in the evening
Ube is Ubiquitous
For many, the first encounter of this bright purple ingredient is in Filipino desserts. For others, it may be bubble tea. In either case, love the pleasant sweet flavor and eye-catching hue has propelled this ingredient’s popularity on Instagram with chefs embracing ways to push the color further forward. Your concept doesn’t have to embrace Asian flavors—simply treat Ube as a purple version of a Southern sweet potato. Try it:
- The Baldwin Bar (Woburn, MA) Halo Halo cocktail combines ube with light rum, cachaça, coconut milk, condensed milk, pineapple and lime
- The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort (Maui, HI) Ube Pancakes with ube coconut cream and fresh berries
- Senor Sisig (San Francisco, CA) introduced Ube-Macapuno Churros and Ube Horchata at their newest location in the Ferry Building
Dessert of the Year: Baked Alaska
A dessert that experiences a resurgence every few decades—in large part thanks to its tableside theatrics and show stopping presentation—the classic Baked Alaska is back in full force. Modern iterations may be super-sized to share, flamed tableside, or deconstructed—no matter the presentation, it’s hard to go wrong with ice cream, sorbet or semifreddo topped with torched meringue. And the show makes it all the more worthwhile! Try it:
- Gage & Tollner (New York, NY) offers Baked Alaska for two with chocolate, mint, and cherry ice cream on a bed of chocolate cookie crumbs
- The Vault Steakhouse (San Francisco, CA) - Baked Alaska with peach ice cream, fresh peaches, toasted almond, raspberry, flambéd tableside
- Mid-City Restaurant (Cincinnati, OH) offers an inexpensive Baked Alaska featuring peach ice cream on a bed of olive oil cake
Drink of the Year: The New Seafood Cocktail
In the 80s and 90s popular cocktails tended toward sweet; in the early aughts bitter was big; now in 2022, briny is back in style. We’re not just talking about dirty martinis, but the newly branded “coastal” cocktails that embrace oceanic flavors and ingredients, often with an eye-catching edible garnish. Try it:
- Bluestem Restaurant & Market (San Francisco, CA) “Cioppino” cocktail includes salted tomato water, tequila, lime, citrus, serrano chili and clam juice
- Cathédral’s (New York, NY) An Affair to Remember comes with rye vodka. Salers Aperitif, olive brine, and comes garnished with a raw oyster and caviar
- Small Change Oyster Bar (Oakland, CA) from the same owner as the Shuck It! pop-up, serves micheladas garnished with a crab claw, shrimp and a raw oyster
Cocktails for a Crowd
There has been an exuberant return to the conviviality of shared large-format cocktails, as people throng together looking for some fun and personal connection. But don’t expect the pitchers or scorpion bowls of the past, as hip and happening cocktail bars are introducing new, aesthetically pleasing and interactive ways for people to share a spirited drink. Try it:
- Bar West (Sacramento, CA) reopened in 2022 with a new bar menu including six different 96 oz. “fishbowls” meant for sharing
- Hazie’s (San Francisco, CA) Go Ask Her with tequila, orgeat, strawberry syrup, lime, and agave serves 4-5
- Tipsy Alchemist (Austin, TX) Disco Mule, made with Absolut Elyx, ginger, lime, ginger beer, lime-ginger brulee, and mint
- Causwells (San Francisco, SF) reopened with a new bar menu introducing large format martinis for four, served tableside, arriving on a tray with a carafe and garnishes for each person to pick from
While partnerships have always been powerful marketing tools, in today’s saturated consumer landscape, the right strategic collaboration can help brands both reach and resonate with wider audiences. In our masterclass on the art of brand partnerships, we heard from Eléonore Dethier, Global Head of Partnerships at Sotheby's, and Melanie Altarescu, partnership and integrated marketing consultant (formerly Chief Partnerships Officer at The Wing). They spoke on the ways they define a successful partnership, strategies for creating engaging collabs and much more.
The takeaways:
- Start by defining the business goals, which could be to generate revenue, increase audience, engage your community, drive earned media, etc.
- When deciding on your partnership tactics (sponsorships, sweepstakes, etc.), make sure they line up with your goals
- “Searchlight intelligence” - the ability to connect dots between people, ideas, brands, companies, etc. in ways that are not always obvious to others
- Increase the frequency of serendipitous connections
- Pillars for a successful partnership:
- Brand alignment - identify the right partner to protect the brand’s equity
- Storytelling - brands curating content for their audiences, inviting them to become part of the culture. Could tie to a cultural moment
- Omnichannel - most brand partners are asking for this today. Digital marketing (editorial, social media, newsletters, video content, livestream…), experiential (VIP events, exhibitions)
- Global reach - particularly important for luxury sector
- Shoppable - not a must, but a nice to have. I.e. limited product release, collaborations, merch, etc.
- Idea for KPIs outside of sales/earned metrics: testimonials from event guests or individuals that participated in a campaign
- If a project has political undertones, the brand must be willing to risk potentially isolating certain audience groups in order to stand behind their principles
- Tips for cold emailing:
- Keep it very short, and include more below your key message so it’s there if they’re interested
- Check the person/brand’s IG or Google them to make sure the timing is right (i.e. if they just launched something, congratulate them, or if they are mid launch, wait until they’re out of that phase )
- Make it clear you are interested and invested in the success of the partnership or brand Lead time for partnerships: Three months to one year, on average about six months
- When bringing celebs in for partnerships, it’s smart to bring in someone who specializes in celebrity - someone who is an expert and can negotiate rates, terms, etc.
- When making a case for hiring a role in partnerships, use case studies to demonstrate the business value that these projects bring
- Theme: Make sure you work with a brand that makes sense. Create an organic partnership that doesn't feel commercial, avoiding brand dilution
- Every brand has something to offer another brand. Figure out what you can offer, and go to a potential partner with that - not with what they can do for you. Make sure you show interest in their goals, timing, etc. The partnership should be mutually beneficial
