As it was presented at the 2015 National Restaurant Association Hotel Motel Show in Chicago, currently there is a definite “back to basics” trend in restaurant menus, and there are three main aspects that make modern menus truly amazing and attractive for customers. These aspects are real, clean and authentic.
These days, consumers want real food. This implies several aspects. First, the food that customers want should be fresh. That’s one of reasons why open kitchens and house made ingredients are so popular. More and more customers want to enjoy typical food they have known since childhood. Chefs tend to use all of the animal and add such ingredients as bone broth, lard and butter. Bone marrow is a very popular ingredient that can be found in many dishes these days.
The next trend is “Clean”. Clean means that the food is free from various preservatives, hormones, antibiotics. Even fast-food goes clean and adds special offerings like all-natural burger at Carl’s Jr. chain, which comes with grass-fed beef without hormones, steroids or antibiotics added.
Finally, the trend “Authentic” primarily concerns authenticity of menus offered at restaurants. Consumers want to know the story that lies behind their food and want to enjoy more local dishes.