4 food trends for 2022

1. Eating alone (and not only when you’re travelling!)

Are you the type who enjoys dining solo, even in your own city? All indications point to this becoming an increasingly common practice. According to The Hartman Group, a market research firm specializing in food trends, people like to eat alone because of the autonomy it provides for choosing where and when to eat, for productivity (like answering emails between meetings!) and to take time out for themselves. Settle in at the bar, make yourself comfortable, and chat with the staff if you’re in the mood.

2. Little or no alcohol

More and more people are ditching alcohol for all sorts of reasons. The “no alcohol” or “low alcohol” phenomenon, aka NOLO, has inspired several establishments to offer genuinely interesting alternatives. “This is fertile ground for beverage companies,” states Jordan Lebel, Full Professor of Food Marketing at Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business. “The industry is coming up with stuff that’s far superior to what we were seeing just a few years ago.” You only need to peruse the non-alcoholic cocktails on the menu at Les Cousins bar at Escad Hotel Quartier DIX30 in Brossard or at Le Flâneur bar at Le Germain Hotel Montreal to discover how they’ve gained in popularity.

3. Upcycled food

For environmental reasons, a host of measures to reduce food waste are gaining traction. Innovative entrepreneurs are taking unused foods, which would otherwise be thrown away, and transforming them into delicious products. “Opinions and attitudes are changing and that’s being reflected in buying behaviours,” says Jordan Lebel. Several large companies are making an effort, such as Barry Callebaut. They recently launched a beverage made from the fruit of the cocoa tree; an item that previously went unused much of the time. In a similar spirit, unsold breakfast items at Victor, the restaurant at Le Germain Hotel Toronto Mercer, are reused to make desserts such as bread pudding. Forks up for zero-waste recipes that cook up delicacies!

4. Artificial intelligence

Technology is clearly taking hold in the restaurant and hotel industry to address a range of needs. “I don’t currently see technology (eg: robots with tablets) being used to replace customer service; but more at the operations level to facilitate management,” believes François Pageau, professor of management at the ITHQ (Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec), “particularly in the Technologies in Restaurant Service program. In a 5-to-10-year perspective, we see an increase in the mechanization of operations. In the kitchen, robots prepare and pack dishes, such as Moley Robotics or YPC Technologies." In his opinion, artificial intelligence will primarily be used to manage inventory, supplies and food waste, in order to increase the productivity, efficiency and precision of operations.