Back in December, the BFFF Young Leaders Forum (YLF) had the great pleasure of meeting with Charles Banks, Co-Founder, of thefoodpeople again. Charles joined the virtual meeting to present the top 10 trends from their 2023/24 Annual Trends Summit which was launched on 22^nd November 2022.

thefoodpeople are shifting the future of food and drink for all by working with Champions of Change who connect with the power of trends. They interpret and distil thousands of data points to create directional clarity, enabling you to make transformational impact. They turn today’s trends into tomorrow’s opportunities.

The 2023/24 trends framework is made up of 1 global driver, 4 social and cultural forces, 12 food and beverage mega trends and 64 trend manifestations. During our meeting, Charles focused on the top 10 trends that stem from the global driver: Under Pressure.

1. Cost of Cooking
2. Precious Energy
3. Back to Basics
4. New Climate New Crops
5. Phygital World
6. Precision Fermentation
7. Real and Recognisable
8. Mamma Mia
9. Beige Comforts
10. Perfect Patisserie

Throughout the meeting Charles focused on key points within these trends, which really highlighted the changes the industry will see due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Consumers are going to be looking for cheaper ways of cooking, using more seasonal produce, reducing their food waste by being creative with what’s in their store cupboard or pantry (or even the freezer!). We will also see an increase in consumers want for comfort food, especially Italian food as it’s affordable and delivers big on sensory enjoyment.

Charles also talked around the popularity of ‘screen to plate’ with TikTok recipes and how you ‘Make it Meta’ with the 3D reality world of gaming, where you can play for real life rewards.

Once again, Charles gave a fascinating presentation with a great overview of the up-and-coming trends, and we would like to say a huge thank you to him for taking the time to present to the group.

If you are interested in joining the BFFF Young Leaders Forum, or finding out more, please contact Harry (harryhinks@bfff.co.uk).