A US-based food and restaurant consultancy has released its food and dining trend predictions for restaurants and hotels in 2012.

Leading US restaurant and hotel industry consultants, Baum + Whiteman’s predictions for 2012 include:

• If economic crises continue, cheaper marketing for fast food chains will dominate the market.
• Cultural flavours and recipes will be combined into a combined cheaper mix.
• More varieties of meats will be introduced from ethnic areas to mainstream dinner plates, for example cows heart or pigs ears.
• Interest in homemade fruit and vegetable pickles will grow.
• Korean cuisine will become a more popular dining choice.
• After-work drinks will last longer, dinner time will be later in the evening, and adventurous finger foods will re-introduce themselves.
• Outdoor dining (for example, beer gardens) will become more popular in the US.
• Companies that previously used food trucks will open mobile storefronts while still using the trucks as “moving billboards”.
• Japanese craft beers will become more popular as artisan brews.
• Restaurateurs will abandon skyscraper-stacked meals for caterpillar presented meals: a separation of flavors on a rectangular plate.
• Peruvian cuisine will become increasingly popular in the US.
• The gourmet burger market will peak in 2012.

According to Baum+Whiteman, words such as “Artisan”, “Heirloom” and “Local” will be adopted as buzzwords used by conglomerate food chains, while “farmers markets” will be ubiquitous.

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