2014 restaurant trends highlights local produce

The National Restaurant Associations’s What’s Hot culinary forecast  shows the top 10 restaurant menu trends for next year include locally sourced produce and hyper-local sourcing (i.e. restaurant gardens).  The complete list appears below.

• Locally sourced meats and seafood
• Locally sourced produce
• Environmental sustainability
• Healthful kids’ meals
• Gluten-free cuisine
• Hyper-local sourcing (i.e. restaurant gardens)
• Children’s nutrition
• Non-wheat noodles/pasta
• Sustainable seafood
• Farm- and estate-branded items

The five items that gained most in trendiness since last year in the annual survey were nose-to-tail/root-to-stalk cooking, pickling, ramen, dark greens, and Southeast Asian cuisine. The five items with the largest drop in “hot trend” rating were Greek yogurt, sweet potato fries, new cuts of meat, grass-fed beef, and organic coffee.

You can share your thoughts on these predictions in the Increasing Consumption Community on PMA Xchange.