Top 2021 Food Trends

Immunity

Functional health foods promoting gut, sleep, brain and skin health have been gaining traction over the last few years. The onset of Covid-19 has boosted interest in immunity specifically. Over 20% of consumers globally are looking for food products with added vitamins or fibre. In the UK, 3 in 10 consumers claim to be eating more healthily since the start of the pandemic, in an effort to be fit enough to survive the disease if they do fall victim.

Meat-free

In 2019 we reported on the growth in consumption of plant-based foods for health, environmental and animal welfare reasons. Covid-19 has furthered fuelled consumer interest in meat-free products due to fears of zoonotic diseases. Also, being under lockdown has given consumers more time to experiment with their cooking, enjoying testing out new meat-free recipes. During the first lockdown in the UK, 16% of the population claimed to have reduced their meat consumption.

Community

The feeling of community spirit has been amplified by Covid-19 as local groups and businesses have come together to keep everyone fed and supported during these trying times. 56% of consumers across the globe are shopping in their neighbourhood and buying locally sourced products. In the UK, two thirds of households are checking-in on neighbours and two fifths are helping them with their groceries and errands.

Delivery

Being safer indoors and hospitality being closed has, not surprisingly, resulted in huge demand for grocery delivery, take-aways and meal-kit deliveries. Online grocery grew by 10-25% across the Americas, Middle East and Europe in the first few months of the pandemic. In the UK, 75% of the population now shop for at least a portion of their groceries online. The adoption of food delivery apps has accelerated by 2-3 years due to the pandemic. Consumers are spending more on take-aways as something to look forward to whilst in lockdown.

Resources

Reports:
5 Grocery Retail Trends 2021 Lumina Intelligence, 2021
Food & Nutrition in Light of Covid19 Report Euromonitor, 2020
Health By Generation Report Euromonitor, 2020
Covid-19 & Meat consumption Public Health Nutrition, 2020

Articles:
5 trends fuelling F&B innovation Food Dive, 2021
Delivery Trend Big Hospitality, 2021, Financial Times, 2020, CNBC, 2020, Mintel, 2020
Meat Kits Big Hospitality, 2021, Grocery Dive, 2020
Online Grocery Growth Global Web Index, 2020, BBC, 2020
Shopping locally Accenture, 2020
Community Response Public Health Matters, 2020