Top food trends for 2016

Move over kale, there’s a new superfood hitting our plates for 2016 – seaweed, and we don’t just mean the crispy stuff found in a Chinese takeaway, but the whole slimy shebang. High levels of fibre, iron, vitamin C and antioxidants are some of the benefits now associated with the vegetable, and as such dried, pickled, steamed and baked versions are now widely sold in health food shops and supermarkets.

Kombu (a type of giant sea kelp) has been used in Japanese cooking for centuries, and Nori is synonymous with sushi, but until recently we’ve been reluctant to make the most of bounty of seaweed available on our own shores. Dulse, sea lettuce, gutweed, carrageen and laver (used in the traditional Welsh dish of laverbread) are just some of the most popular, and edible, varieties available here, and chefs have been quick to jump on the foraging trend.

Of course, Japan has already been ahead of the game when it comes to seaweed, and it seems it’s also at the forefront of a growing gourmet scene in the UK. Last September’s Michelin list included two two-starred Japanese restaurants for the first time, The Araki and Umu, highlighting the move away from our obsession with simple California Rolls towards a wider understanding of Japanese cuisine as a whole.

Both The Araki and Umu have a strong focus on the traditions and history behind their food, with just as much effort taken over the extensive tea, sake and whisky selections. The Araki leads the way when it comes to sushi, blending age-old traditions with modern twists – something that has already been happening in London with the growth of Scott Hallsworth’s Kurobuta restaurant empire, the opening of MasterChef winner Tim Anderson’s Nanban, and the Japanese-Brazilian fusion of Sushisamba. On a less formal scale, ramen restaurants have been popping up all over the country as part of a new wave of gourmet Asian street food, piggy-backing on the success of last year's trend for bao and banh-mi and this seems set to continue.

As with Japanese cuisine, our knowledge and yearning for quality Middle Eastern food has gone beyond buying a pot of harissa-spiked hummus in the supermarket. Greek food has long been popular in the UK, but a recent growth in more specialised Turkish, Lebanese, Iranian and Levantine restaurants and cookbooks has seen demand soar. Yotam Ottolenghi perhaps led the original charge with his chain of restaurants and acclaimed cookbooks, but Israeli venue Honey & Co. have recently sparked a passion for Middle Eastern baking with their plentiful cafés and recent book, and the Levant-inspired The Palomar restaurant just won a Michelin Bib Gourmand and sought-after Observer Food Monthly award.

You know this is bang on trend when Alan Yau – founder of the Hakkasan and Wagamama groups – has got his sticky mitts around it, having just opened Babaji, a speciality pide restaurant in London. Having spotted the Japanese trend years ago, it’s a sure sign that it’s on the up. Our love affair with kebabs has also had a makeover from greasy takeaways to dining destinations, with Berber & Q, Black Axe Mangal and Chifafa leading the way.

Our meatiest prediction for the new year is actually pretty lean … we’re talking goat. To the majority of British consumers, this meat may seem like the new kid on the proverbial chopping block, but we’re actually massively behind the times. Across the world, goat is probably the most widely eaten meat, forming a staple protein in many cultures and cuisines. Being relatively cheap and easy to produce, it’s a wonder we haven’t yet gotten our hoof in the door, but this looks hopefully about to change. Michelin-starred chef Matt Gillan championed the goat with his winning main course dish during the 2015 Great British Menu competition, giving the meat some culinary clout. From a commercial point of view, goat meat is now stocked through online grocer Ocado, and looks set to grace the shelves of the other major supermarkets soon.

In the vegetable world, ‘root to stem’ cooking is the new ‘nose to tail’. We’ve gotten used to the idea of using every part of the animal is dishes, and the idea is now rolling out to fruits and vegetables, too. Following a crackdown on culinary waste, using every part of the plant and making it the hero of the dish seems to be the way forward, utilising roots, leaves, flowers, stems, stalks, seeds and skins to add flavour, texture and depth to dishes.

And finally, a trend that we think is on the wane … pop-ups. Pop-ups are fairly run-of-the-mill now, becoming frequent events that if successful, lead to permanent fixtures – which rather takes the ‘pop’ out of them. Street food markets such as Dinerama now have fixed abodes, and many key stalls, such as Pizza Pilgrims and Meat Liquor, now own restaurant chains in their own rights. Chefs have muscled their way in as well, with Pascal Aussignac’s Duck ‘n’ Roll a perfect example – a successful extension of his restaurant offering as a charity pop-up, it’s now a fixed residency.

The shift away from this pop culture is twofold – firstly, that chefs and restaurants are favouring a more collaborative approach, favouring guest appearances and takeovers rather than brand new ventures. This allows chefs to share their creativity and knowledge, but within like-minded establishments – i.e. the restaurants of their peers. Newly crowned with a Michelin star, Lyle’s restaurant is a perfect example, bringing in acclaimed chefs from across the world, (Bertrand Grébaut, Pam Yung José Ramírez-Ruiz, Tatiana Levha and Mitch Orr) for a programme of dinners throughout 2016.

Secondly, the fact that anyone and everyone can now host a supper club or set up a restaurant takes away many of the pop-up’s USPs. Without many of the normal costs and constraints of a fixed restaurant, supper clubs and restaurants-at-home allow wannabe chefs the opportunity to try hosting on their terms, offering diners an endless choice of locations, themes, and culinary surprises that pop-ups just can’t do. And it’s not just homebods muscling in on this market; every possible consumer activity is being primed as an opportunity for dining. Retail and travel are the key areas for gourmet growth in 2016, with chef takeover events at Harvey Nichols, and the launch of Bruno Loubet’s Gatwick Grain Store being the perfect examples.

Phew … from what we can see, 2016 is shaping up to be a pretty tasty year, and these predictions barely skim the surface of all the exciting innovations bubbling away in the proverbial cooking pot. We can’t not mention the continued penchant for gourmet fried chicken, or the domination of Bake Off fever with the Professional version soon to hit our TV screens, but hopefully there’ll be some surprises along the way for us all as well. Bring on 2016 and bon appétit!