Political and economic unease, here and abroad, has been growing well before the onset of COVID-19.  What the spread of COVID-19 has caused, is an amplification and acceleration of the Tide that was already rolling in.  It's no less significant for its abruptness and shock value, but pandemics can have the effect of shaping and altering the trajectory of already identified trends. 

As part of Culinary Tides’ ongoing work, we have been tracking the political and economic unease here and abroad, well before the onset of COVID-19.  What the spread of COVID-19 has caused, is an amplification and acceleration of the Tide that was already rolling in.

“Never have we seen a movement evolve so quickly from fringe food group interest to mass adoption like we are seeing in the evolution of plant-based foods and lifestyles,” says Kiley Stone, associate culinary director at SRG. “This includes a growing spectrum of foods and new sub-categories of products all under the plant-based umbrella.”

Miniature lemon meringue tarts, injectable donut holes, cheesecake bites, tiny chocolate chip cookies, and even individual-sized wedding cakes are some of the bite-size items, both new and revived, that currently are making a sizable impact.

Whether assembling kits themselves at a local meal kit assembly shop, signing up for a subscription service online, or picking up a kit from their local supermarket, consumers show no signs of abandoning this time-saving meal option.

Diners will see many more alternatives in restaurants this year, as owners and operators adopt eco-friendly packaging, plant-based proteins, revamped classic cocktails, specialty burger blends (mushroom-beef burgers, etc.), and unique beef and pork cuts, which all made the list of top 10 trends.

The Spark trends platform at Bell is the origin of imagination and where the journey begins to predicting what’s next.  It’s the source of what’s possible. It’s the essence of creativity and the future of what’s to come. 

SRG's Top 10 Cutting-Edge Trends Report is heading into the new decade.

Chef Gerard Viverito described each recipe in detail to an eager crowd, as well as his experience and enthusiasm working with recipes that span choices on typical restaurant menus from appetizers to a soup to an entree