Tomorrow’s Eateries Charles Campion

Next month we will be mostly eating…. Where is the future? Do you wait for it to happen or cause it to happen. If you can see future trends they’re already in the present. But you can still get ahead if you spot overlooked trends: Peter Boizot and the saga of Pizza Express Tipping points do you make them happen? Eating out is a key trend

Eating out is the most important trend there is According to the ONS we spent £87.5 billion on food and drink consumed outside the home in That’s £3,500 per head, more than we spent on food and drink for eating within the home. (£85.8 billion) More than the NHS budget!

Prices make trends Best British Beef is now £31-£35 per kg Foie Gras is £27-£28. We should face the fact that fresh fish will soon be a viciously expensive luxury.

Global trends Ubiquity of travel pizza in Kabul, PG Tips is big in Japan Specific ethnicities: why aren’t all squash companies pushing in Muslim countries?

Restos: what’s hot and what’s not There are 20,000 restaurants in London There is astonishing diversity eg 3,500 of them are “Indian”

Londoners’ have 84 different options and that number is rising Afghan African Argentinian Austrian Bangladeshi Barbadian Brazilian Breton Burmese Cambodian Cameroonian Canadian Caribbean Chinese Colombian Cuban Czechoslovakian Danish East African Punjabi Eastern European Egyptian English

Ethiopian French Fukinese Goan Greek Greek Cypriot Hainanese Hamburgers Hungarian Indian Indonesian Iranian Iraqi Irish Nepalese Nigerian North American Nyonya Oriental Pakistani Peruvian Philippine Pizzeria Polish Portuguese Robotaki Russian Sardinian

Scottish Seafood Shanghainese South American South East Asian South West American Spanish Sri Lankan Sudanese Swedish Swiss Syrian Szechuan Tex Mex Thai Trinidadian Turkish Vegetarian Vietnamese

Restaurant trends to ponder Mediterranean Diet Moroccan Anglo Italian Grazing Hearty French Simplicity The integration of restaurants and retail Mexican?

Where to look for buried treasure Look to the flanks. Mainstream restaurant requires mainstream investment. Less likely to take risks. Look a little deeper. India has 26 countries, and more languages than that. So what is an Indian meal? There is always breakfast.

Is London the centre of the Gastroverse? YES. A busy, modern restaurant needs enlightened wealthy punters. There are lots of these rare beasts in London. That’s why 80% of Britain’s best restaurants are in London. Consider the other excellence magnets: New York, Paris, Sydney….

The finest foods speak for themselves …but it’s a pity we don’t always understand what they say. It’s time for the organoleptic bit. Taste the cheeses A and B – what are your conclusions?

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