It's been a remarkable year for the local culinary scene highlighted by the opening of new restaurants by both established and emerging new chefs, the successful staging of countless local food festivals, the promotion of relevant and timely advocacies like the slow food movement and the much anticipated arrival of the Michelin Guide to the country. As another year comes to a close, a look back at the evolving dining scene with its many hits and wins allows us to dive deeper and identify key trends with the potential to shape and define the future of the culinary landscape. Unilever Food Solutions presents Future Menus...
Unilever Food Solutions recently released the latest comprehensive edition of Future Menus for 2025 revealing key insights at emerging trends in the foodservice industry. Compiled from volumes of available global data and industry reports complemented by extensive chef inputs, Future Menus offers a detailed snapshot of the restaurant industry and possible directions moving forward. The impressive scale of the study includes a deep dive into social media analytics using 237,000 keywords representing 312 million searches from more than 21 countries backed by in-depth feedback from 1,100 culinary professionals and chefs from 20 markets worldwide. The data is then translated into practical, action-driven solutions for the foodservice community with relevant recipe ideas, techniques and ingredient solutions. Read on for a tasty peek of Future Menus...
Guided by its mission to provide innovative and high-quality professional food ingredients and value-adding services, Unilever Food Solutions takes the extra step with its annual review on the current state of the foodservice industry and key insights behind potential trends (for more on Unilever Food Solutions, see my posts Food News: Unilever Food Solutions Shares Emerging Food Trends at Abe's Farm from way back in 2014, Food News: Unilever Food Solutions Shares 2015's Emerging Food Trends from ten years ago and Shaping Food Consumption Habits For A Sustainable Food Future: Knorr Celebrates Nutrition Month 2019 from six years back). This year's edition featured Chefs Kenneth Cacho, J Brando Santos, Carlos Felipe Aluning and Paulo Sia of Unilever Food Solutions as contributors adding relevant feedback to the comprehensive review and analysis of Future Menus.
Unilever Food Solutions rolled out the detailed findings and analysis of the foodservice industry with its Future Menus 2025 kit packed with essential information and some cool surprises...
Setting the tone for your insightful review of Future Menus, Unilever Food Solutions included an unexpected treat in the kit...
...with a box of indulgent chocolates. But not your usual box of chocolates. Imagine White Chocolate with Sinigang filled with Knorr Sinigang sa Sampaloc Mix and caramel. Or Milk Chocolate with Liquid Seasoning and Muscovado, Roasted White Chocolate with Salted Egg and Sisig Chocolate with Real Mayonnaise rendered with chicken fat ganache, calamansi caramel and mushroom chicharon. Then, there's Kare-Kare Chocolate with Peanut Butter and patis salt. And Salted Caramel with Lime Gulaman with its contrasting flavors and textures. Sweet, salty and savory, the full range of flavors are creatively expressed in playfully inventive executions. The creative exploration of flavors opens infinite possibilities no longer constrained by perceived rules leading the way for imaginative expressions for new flavor experiences.
And to keep you on point, the kit also included a precision handcrafted kitchen knife from Nacionale Bladeworks. Future Menus identified four key highlights culled from volumes of data to serve as a guide in charting the direction for next year's course. It's a possible road map that doesn't guarantee success but it's a useful tool in identifying what may be your restaurant's next big hit. Now let's dive right in and sift through the detailed findings and analysis of Future Menus...
The concept of "affordable luxury" is at the heart of the emerging Street Food Couture trend using accessible ingredients and techniques inspired by street food culture. A response to the prevailing cost-of-living crisis and preference for informal dining experiences bolstered by migration and globalization as well as increased social media visibility leads to a renewed interest in popular, local and ubiquitous staples. This presents unique opportunities for chefs to reimagine approachable food with creative renditions while moving away from premium ingredients and labor-intensive techniques. The study also revealed culinary techniques ranking high behind this trend led by grilling and followed by fermentation, steaming, wok hei or wok stir-fry, skewer cooking, marination and charcoal grilling. Leading the charge for Street Food Couture are popular global staples like Mexican Elote, Indian Chaat, Gyros, Loaded Fries, Gourmet Mac + Cheese, Korean Rice Rolls and Shawarma. The study also suggests duck breast as another emerging ingredient behind the Street Food Couture trend. And the next wave of street food? You can place your bets on Mexican, Indian and Korean flavors for your next innovation. The rediscovery of familiar yet often underrated flavors presents a potential culinary revival in the restaurant scene for chefs ready to take the creative challenge in elevating the very essence of street food.
The world is definitely getting smaller and more connected driven by globalization, migration, travel and the internet leading to the next emerging trend, Borderless Cuisine. The blend of diverse culinary traditions have led to popular mainstays in mainstream cuisine led by chefs honoring their multicultural roots. And the results are seen with the popularity of Korean-Mexican, Japanese-Peruvian and many more variations with vibrant flavors unbound or limited to borders. Behind this trend is a new generation of diners seeking new and authentic experiences in food discovery and meaningful stories with each new dish. Chefs have responded by reimagining different culinary influences and traditions in a seamless and deliberate weave with unique yet authentic creations going far beyond mere novelty. The merging of cuisines isn't just a playful exercise but a serious homage respecting tradition for classic and memorable yet modern dining experiences. The techniques driving this trend include brining, marination, aging, sous-vide cooking, curing, steaming and caramelization matched with ingredients like miso, cured fish, kimchi, shiso, calamansi, pomegranate, mentaiko, aged soy sauces and pandan. The data also suggests tahini, matcha, gochujang and sumac as the next ingredients to drive this trend in the future. And keep your eye open for the Aleppo Pepper too.
The global pandemic experience and resulting supply chain issues have led to renewed interest in local, regional and cultural food traditions opening the door for indigenous ingredients and lesser-known cuisines. Culinary Roots is the next major trend identified by Future Menus, celebrating both tradition and heritage preserving the past while moving forward with authenticity. There's a unique kind of joy in reconnecting with one's roots and heritage as more diners search for depth and authenticity in their food experiences. Storytelling becomes an intricate layer with each culinary creation, and many chefs are reviving traditional and micro-regional recipes in their repertoire of offerings. While the creative process may offer new possibilities, maintaining authenticity is at the core of this trend allowing diners a rich cultural dining experience that celebrates both heritage and history. Behind this trend are old-world techniques like wood-fire cooking, stewing, infusion, slow-cooking, charcoal grilling and marination. In Germany, wild berries, yoghurt and lentils appear to be growing in popularity validating the worldwide trend. Local regional cuisines from around the world to watch out for on your radar? Data suggests Oaxacan, Andean, Basque, Emirati, Korean Temple, Sichuan. Yucatecan and Hunan cuisine.
After all is said and done, it all boils down to the dining experience. And more consumers are demanding a true and immersive, multi-sensory experience going beyond mere generic customization or interactive and personalized applications. Diner Designed, created with unique and value added experiences are the next step in the dining evolution. Tech and food are merged for a whole new dimension in dining with technological advancements behind the trend like Augmented reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) driving and reshaping the growing desire for a more engaging and immersive dining experience. More and more diners are seeking communal experiences going beyond just the usual sharing platters while the emerging Gen Z base prefers curated choices for social media worthy moments. Data also revealed key highlights showing a 55% increase in search results for grill-it-yourself Korean BBQ suggesting a shift toward a more unique and personalized experience. For chefs and restaurateurs, this trend presents an opportunity to create highly-tailored, multisensory concepts to enhance the dining experience taking taste further by incorporating visual, auditory and tactile elements. The techniques behind this trend include build-your-own, pureeing, 3D printing, table cooking, flash freezing, fermentation, foams and espumas and blowtorching. The key ingredients driving this trend are ice cream (the fastest growing internet search topic globally topping the US and Asia), beetroot, chocolate, lemon, saffron, mustard, bbq meats and gelatin. There is a temptation to be gimmicky exploiting this trend, but the challenge remains by creating that seemingly elusive and unique experience with deeper engagement and not just mere novelty for the social media feed.
The data and findings presented by Future Menus isn't a secret formula for immediate success in the intensely competitive and crowded restaurant scene, but it's a start in identifying the the right direction and key next steps in the evolving local culinary landscape. It's been a good year for the local dining scene marked by creative innovation and growing international recognition with the arrival of the Michelin Guide. And next year promises to be even better as restaurateurs and chefs are pushed to raise the bar even higher. And for diners, that's always a good thing...
For more on Unilever Food Solutions and Future Menus, visit https://www.unileverfoodsolutions.com.ph/chef-inspiration/future-menus-2025.html and https://www.unileverfoodsolutions.com.ph/ as well as their their social media platforms at https://www.facebook.com/UnileverFoodSolutionsPhilippines/ and https://www.instagram.com/unileverfoodsolutions_ph/ for more information and updates.
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