(source: www.danamccauley.com)
http://www.danamccauley.com/Newsletter.html
The New Shake and Bake | Products such as Batter Blaster and Dr. Oetker shaker batters eliminate the mess of baking and make it an anytime activity. Pancakes, waffles, cupcakes and muffins can all be made with no special tools or ingredients beyond milk.
Assembly Line Cooking | Although the recession may have trained us to eat more dinners at home and to carry our lunches, economic stress hasn’t turned Canadians into cooks. Pick-and-pack lunches that feature a collection of pre-packaged foods and dinners made from kits and semi-prepared ingredients have become even more popular and will continue to intrigue consumers.
Recognition of Local Super Foods | Instead of turning to the fruits of the Amazon, nutrient power houses such as blueberries, raspberries, kale and sweet potatoes will get the respect they deserve. This off-shoot of the local trend will bring nutrition messaging home where it belongs as consumers learn to keep the planet and themselves healthier simultaneously.
Humble Gourmet | On the heels of the success enjoyed by gourmet burger chains and mac and cheese restaurants in the US, more simple foods done well will continue to pop up on restaurant menus. Look for gourmet meatloaf, braises, stews and hot dogs made with artisan care and quality on even high end menus.
Artisan Cocktails | Expect to see more bartenders like Lauren Mote of Vancouver’s The Refinery who make not only their own bitters but also their own fruit infusions for signature cocktails such as The Charred Bourbon Sour. Made with a lengthy ingredient list that includes house bitters (made with licorice root, fresh thyme, ginger, vanilla, lemon/lime/grapefruit/orange peels, cloves, caraway seeds, white pepper, fennel) charred oak and caramelized coconut syrup, bourbon, lemon juice and egg white, this trend turns every toast into a gourmet experience. At home, this trend will manifest itself in more consumers buying premium mixers such as Fever Tree and Q Tonic to make premium quality cocktails.
Macaron Madness | Already very popular in Montreal and Vancouver and trending up in Toronto, expect to see macarons become mainstream, ousting cupcakes from fashionable baby showers, wedding receptions and birthday parties. In the US, these filled meringue cookies are already mainstreaming, making it on to Starbucks’ holiday product roster.
Even Cheaper Fast Food | McDonald’s is rumoured to be coming out with dollar breakfast items in 2010 to compete with the many outlets now selling breakfast sandwiches. Meanwhile Arby’s will add dollar drinks, sandwiches and desserts to their menus. While this trend may appear to be good for consumers, the down side is that it will encourage people to buy cheap, low nutrient foods instead of the fresh fruits, yogurt and other more healthful breakfast foods that cost a little more.
Butterscotch Bliss | Fancier. Butterier. As yummy as ever before but just more (deservingly) popular. Butterscotch is trending up and that can’t help but be good! From butterscotch desserts appearing on more fine dining restaurant menus to twitter chat and TV mentions, butterscotch is on everyone’s lips.
Bare Minimum | In an effort to entice consumers by offering simple, honest to goodness foods that they can trust, food companies have embraced the word “bare” over other hits of the recent past such as ‘fresh’, ‘natural’ and ‘crispy’. For example Just Bare chicken’s tagline is “choose simplicity” and Bear Naked granola snacks play on the dual appeal that all-natural fruits, grains and nuts have for big, strong bears and people, too.
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Look for Dana on TV and radio:
December 15th The Biggsshow with John Biggs Talk 820 (Hamilton)
December 18th: Daytime York Region (Richmond Hill)
December 28th : Breakfast Television (Toronto)
