WASHINGTON — The local trend will go strong into 2014, according to the National Restaurant Association’s recent survey of professional chefs.
Locally sourced meats and seafood is the top trend for 2014, followed by locally grown produce at No. 2 and hyper-local sourcing such as restaurant gardens at No. 6.
“Today’s consumers are more interested than ever in what they eat and where their food comes from, and that is reflected in our menu trends research,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of NRA’s research and knowledge group, in a media statement.
“True trends — as opposed to temporary fads — show the evolution of the wider shifts of our modern society over time, and focus on the provenance of various food and beverage items, unique aspects of how they are prepared and presented, as well as the dietary profiles of those meals.”
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This shifted focus is seen in nose-to-tail cooking— utilizing all parts of an animal — sustainable seafood, environmental sustainability and farm-branded items, which were all top culinary forecasts in the survey.
The Top 20 Trends also show restaurants will continue to focus on catering to their smaller customers. Chefs said that children’s nutrition and fruit and vegetable items for children would be important in the new year.
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