Once another year rolls over, it is out with the old and in with the new. What was once popular or trending, advances or modifies, or morphs into something else entirely. Trends happen from year to year and are sometimes hard to keep up with, especially in the areas of technology and fashion. The culinary world has its own set of trends: how food is sourced, how food is made, how it is presented, the restaurant environment, and the customer experience...these are all part of culinary trends.
We want 2020 to be over with and to start brand new and fresh! That includes the food we eat and how we experience our meals. Food trends typically change as seasons change; however, the way we have lived and created culinary experiences during what has been going on in 2020 has also impacted how we will all go forward in 2021 in regards to food.
There are general food trends for 2021 that we will get into in this article, and we want to more specifically share the culinary trends that will impact seafood in 2021.
Upcoming Seafood Trends
Unfortunately in 2020, the seafood industry was not only negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but also by tariffs and global warming. These factors are hitting restaurants hard, which accounts for 60 percent of seafood volumes. While many seafood (and every kind of food) establishments have gone out of business in 2020, retail and grocery chains seem to be doing just fine, as people are eating at home more often. Some of these things have affected upcoming seafood trends, while others are more related to self-care and staying active and healthy.
With more and more individuals stuck working and schooling from home, there is more cooking and dining at home. This means people are trying to get creative in the kitchen in an easy and convenient way. Since some have little to no dining options where they live, or because some have health concerns and do not want to risk going out in public to eat at a restaurant, there is a huge need for convenient meals.
Seafood is a popular item on most menus; and due to the pandemic, individuals have had to purchase more seafood at markets and grocery chains rather than dining out.
Taking live Dungeness crab and being able to make a seafood boil quickly and easily is what people want. Cooking crab to make a unique variety of crab cakes like they have at restaurants is something people are looking to be able to do.
Along with convenience, having a wide selection of seafood that is accessible to the general population is important and it is what people want. This factor goes right along with convenience. People who once perhaps could not afford to eat out at a nice restaurant on a regular basis and order an upscale seafood dish can now access similar dishes at small and large chains as well as mom and pop shops. Instead of dining on expensive lobster at a four or five-star restaurant, there are tons of options out there that serve lobster in other unique ways.
For example, in Huntington Beach, California, a trendy place called Slapfish features lobster in various sandwiches, such as Clobster Grilled Cheese, which is half crab and half lobster, Surf n Turf Lobster Burger, and Lobster Grinder.
Making great-quality seafood available in frozen sections also helps individuals be able to create delicious meals that they may not be able to at a restaurant. Sometimes frozen seafood is better quality than fresh, and it takes longer to go bad and is less likely to get wasted.
The healthy-living trend has been around forever and will never end—it has simply conformed to customer needs and desires throughout the years and has gone along with the trends of each year.
Overall, seafood is sometimes one of the healthier choices on the menu—unless you top it all off with a buttery sauce! In 2021 this is still the case. People want a variety of raw or cooked, organic, and healthful seafood choices but for a nice price. And don’t forget about those wanting to go “meatless.” Steering clear from red meat, chicken, and pork is trending fast and many who claim to be going vegetarian, still eat seafood. By searching online recipes, it is easy to locate healthy and delicious seafood meals.
General Food Trends of 2021
The following list of 21 food trends comes from a recent article in Food and Wine:
- Special occasion dining
- Deeper dives into Black foodways
- Individualized tasting menus
- Heritage cooking
- At-home restaurant experiences
- More virtual cooking classes
- Condiments
- Tofu
- Comfort food
- Kindness
- Diversified businesses
- More fermenting, preserving, and canning
- Political advocacy
- Restaurant industry overhaul
- Destination restaurants
- Mushrooms
- Alternative sugars
- Hygiene precautions
- Even more local
- Quick service and delivery-only
- Hope
Both the seafood and general food trends for 2021 look inviting and something to look forward to. Times are changing and the political and environmental atmospheres definitely have an affect on cooking, dining, and eating.
Those at Fathom Seafood know all about market and food trends and what customers want. Ordering with Fathom is easy and convenient and you will be receiving sustainability caught seafood that you can make into a delicious and healthy meal. Whatever your food goals are for this next year, reach them by choosing Fathom Seafood.
Order live Dungeness crab from Fathom for your next at-home seafood dish!