Fresh food supplier Bidfresh is advising hospitality operators to increase their menu choices for 2020. Bidfresh has published a new report ‘2020 Vision’ which features insights into the best sellers and rising 'star products' for 2020. 

Top selling lines including steaks, salmon and salad are still in demand. Also on the rise are newer cuts of meat such as the flat iron steak, alternative fish species (meagre and monkfish) and kale. Halloumi, the Cypriot cheese used by chefs as a meat alternative, has been hailed as a ‘star sales performer’.

The report forecasts menu trends for 2020 including ‘seaganism’, which is a broadly plant-based diet with fish and seafood. According to Bidfresh, another growing trend for 2020 is predicted to be ‘sustainarianism’ where the environmental and ethical impact of food production is factored into menu choices.  

Stephen Oswald, chief executive officer of Bidfresh, said: “Eating out is increasingly as much about value as it is about cost; not just value for money, but the values that an operator brings to the menu. These ‘sustainarian’ customers increasingly want to be sure that the food they eat has been produced sustainably and ethically, and they also curate their own food choices very carefully. 

“So, while some consumers fully embrace the plant-based trend, others are looking for that ‘seagan’ combination of seafood and plant-based dishes, which is an area where we’re seeing a great deal of menu innovation from customers, and have also been building our own online recipe bank. 

“There are others who have cut back on meat, but when they do eat it, expect a premium product with provenance. Bespoke burgers continue to be an important trend, and we’re also expecting many more recipes, which feature meat combined with plant ingredients to appear on menus in 2020. From jackfruit to halloumi, there’s a huge amount of innovation from chefs in these areas.” 

Other on-trend idea identified in the Bidfresh ‘2020 Visio’ report: 

• Vegan in vogue: Sales of vegan cheese products are up 52% and are set to increase further in 2020.
• Meat substitutes: Products including jackfruit, aubergine and halloumi cheese, which can be used as meat alternatives are seeing a sales boom.
• Leaner choices: Bespoke burgers for specific customer menus are in demand. 
• Seafood surprises: Chefs are preserving fish and seafood through pickling, fermenting, smoking and ageing to make snacks.