Professional food services brand Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) imagined eight new culinary trends into future-proofed dishes during an immersive tasting experience recently held in Bonifacio Global City’s Blue Leaf Pavilion.
UFS gathered full-service restaurants (FSRs), chefs, business owners, marketing, and procurement representatives to its Future Menus 2024 event.
Here, it featured new menu innovations through expert talks and “trend rooms” where attendees got to eat rather than just hear about selected food trends.
These rooms included New Sharing (canapes made with Chorizo de Cebu and pandesal courtesy of Chef Anna Santella and Chef Paulo Sia), Modernized Comfort Food (bibingka waffles with sinigang fried chicken courtesy of Chef Brando Santos), Low Waste Food (dinakdakan courtesy of Chef Pipo Aluning), and Feel Good Food (hi-protein salad bowls courtesy of Chef Kenneth Cacho).
The remaining featured food trends were Local Abundance, Irresistible Vegetables, Plant-Based Proteins, and Flavor Shock.
“While this is definitely an exciting time for the business of food, both for FSRs and for budding restaurateurs alike, the influx and pace of trends to choose from could prove overwhelming, especially at first,” UFS Philippines managing director BJ Carreon said.
“Our overarching intent for today’s event and the Future Menus report is to provide guidance as we work together to get a full grasp of the food business, and sink our teeth into the future of food readily, excitedly, together,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Trends Meet the Future plenary session had UFS Philippines head of country marketing Monica Reyes contextualize culinary trends to their consumer influence and business impact, giving insights on how to harness these trends to upgrade any menu.
This was further fleshed out in The Future at Present panel, comprised by the powerhouse roster of restaurateurs of content creator Ninong Ry, Chef Ariel Castañeda of The Granary, Chef Jeramie Go of the Pilgrim Restaurant and Grateful Bread Bakery, and UFS Executive Chef for UFS Arabia and the Indian Ocean Islands Chef Joanne Limoanco-Gendrano.
(A free copy of the Future Menus 2024 report can be accessed and downloaded via https://www.unileverfoodsolutions.com.ph/chef-inspiration/future-menus-2024.html)
