Eating is an integral part of almost every event you will cater. From weddings to festivals, people are attracted to good food. However, how people enjoy food at events changes with technological advancements and innovative cuisines.
With changing tastes and dietary preferences, it is important to keep up with food trends to ensure your catering business wows guests at every event and special moment you service.
Innovative Cuisine Trends
With constant changes in culinary tendencies that follow the ever-changing patterns of what people enjoy eating, there is no denying that new food trends will appear each year. Here we dive into four innovative cuisine trends you should consider including within your catering services.
1 Climate Conscious Foods
Sustainability is a growing trend in almost every industry, including food. As a key food trend of 2022, there is no doubt it will continue to be in the coming years as more farmers make efforts towards providing food grown by lower impact growing methods.
As you plan your spreads for your next catering event, consider using foods grown with soil health in mind and incorporating a plant-forward dining experience. Be sure to let your guests know with a description card where their food has come from and how your business strives to be environmentally conscious.
2 Spicy Baked Goods
Heated flavors are taking over baked goods. Your clients will be wowed by the non-traditional desserts you offer, such as Mexican hot chocolate and chocolate chili cookies that turn up the heat at their events.
To jump on this trend, incorporate chipotle, cayenne, and other hot spices into cookies, cakes, and pies. Guests will love the earthy elements these hot spices provide to traditional familiar flavor profiles, and so will you.
3 Butter Boards
Butter boards are taking the world by storm. As inflation continues to raise food costs, these boards have become a popular alternative to charcuterie boards which are typically topped with pricey cheese and meats. This affordable twist on a charcuterie board is an incredible way to serve and entertain a crowd for any event you cater.
Use your imagination to create a masterpiece of butter mixed with sweet and savory ingredients guests can dip bread, crackers, and fried dough in. Popular ingredients to include on your board are honey, fresh berries, bacon, and even chimichurri.
4 Incorporating Island Flavors
Turn a simple dish into a unique experience with a fusion of traditional and island ingredients. Try incorporating passionfruit and pineapple into your dishes to add a splash of tropical flavors. You can also consider being more adventurous by incorporating coconut curry and Caribbean spices into your catering menu.
Guests will feel like they are escaping to paradise through their taste buds and be excited to hire you for their next event.
The Importance of Technology in Catering Services
Food tech is a growing sector centered around making the production, distribution, and consumption of food more efficient. Taking advantage of changes in the food tech industry can make the next event you cater for one guests will never forget.
Here are three ways to utilize technology to make your catering business the best in the industry.
Food 3D Printer
Deliver extravagantly designed food using a food 3D printer that heats edible ingredients and prints them layer by layer onto a plate. Not only does it provide incredible dishes, but also offers guests a form of entertainment as they watch their food be 3D printed.
Although food 3D printers are quite expensive (averaging around $3,000), you are still likely to see a rise in their use in the coming years. This technology has been around since 2006 but is just now starting to see a rise in popularity. Investing in one now can give your catering business an advantage over competitors and elevate the dining experience for your customers.
Food Service Robots
Companies like Bear Robotics have created food-serving robots that serve food and drinks on their own to your guests. Robots like these can improve operating efficiency and service quality while adding a level of surprise and sophistication to your catering services.
Guests can sit back and enjoy your delicious food as it is delivered by robots with multiple trays to hold all of it. Although the idea of food service robots has been around since the 1990s, it is just now being perfected and is surely a trend you will start to see become more popular in the coming years.
Use of Apps to Order and Pay for Food
As a more affordable option on our list of food tech changes to keep an eye on, having event guests order and pay for their food through apps can make their dining experience stress free. In a time when everything can be purchased with a few clicks, it just makes sense to offer your guests the ability to order their drinks and food through their phones.
For example, the catering business from Atlanta Taste of Inez came up with an ingenious way to use a free booking system TicketsCandy to make food sales for their pop-up events as well as keep lines down and customers happy. Partner this with a food service robot, and your catering business will be the talk of the industry.
Keeping Up with Changing Food Trends
Keeping up with changing food trends is imperative if you want your catering business to be a success. You can expect to see more innovative recipes and incredible technology start to shape how guests experience an event. To bring your catering business to the next level, you should consider integrating these innovative cuisine and technology trends that are currently shaping the future of food.