Flavour insight for Speciality Food
Speciality Food asked for our expert take on consumer demand for fruitier and spicier flavours for their regular ‘Trendwatch’ feature.
We explored:
Why demand is rising and what’s influencing this
What kinds of products are feeding into this trend, and
If it’s a flash in the pan or a trend that’s here to stay…
Why now?
The appetite for travel through taste is still going strong, explains Alex Hayes of trend and insight consultancy Harris and Hayes. “Global flavours allow consumers to vicariously travel... temporarily transporting them somewhere different, via the comfort of their own home or high street. Swavoury, salty and swicy profiles have been bubbling away for a few years now, and consumers are onboard with more daring and contrasting flavour experience.”
How about drinks?
Inspiration is coming from the cocktail category, says Alex, where even the humble spicy margarita offers a fricy hit. Fricy doesn’t have to be shorthand for a kick of chilli heat; ginger fits the bill too and is deliciously demonstrated in Nonsuch’s Caramelised Pineapple & Ginger shrub syrup – an innovative serve whether simply topped up with soda water and ice or used as an ingredient in
a cocktail.
Is ‘fricy’ a flash in the pan?
“At Harris and Hayes, we’ve been spotlighting ‘Power Pantry’ products since Covid,” says Alex, “and it’s still as relevant now... Spicy/sweet/hot ingredients have the power to elevate even the simplest, most humble of dishes, and consumers will continue to hunt down the next culinary secret weapon. Yes, some products or particular flavours will come and go. But flavourmaxxing is here to stay, and will continue to show up in different ways...”
See the full feature here:
