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What's Hot in 2010 Social Media Release

December 1, 2009

Sustainability, Local Sourcing and Nutrition Are Top Restaurant Menu Trends for 2010

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Chef Survey: What’s Hot in 2010

The annual National Restaurant Association survey of American Culinary Federation member chefs is a comprehensive culinary forecast and menu trends prediction report. More than 1,800 professional chefs ranked nearly 215 culinary items as a "hot trend," "yesterday’s news," or "perennial favorite" on restaurant menus in 2010.

Download the What's Hot in 2010 chef survey results (PDF).

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More than 1,800 professional chefs – members of the American Culinary Federation – ranked nearly 215 food and beverage items, preparation methods and culinary themes to reveal the hottest restaurant menu trends in 2010.

Sustainability, local sourcing and nutrition are the hottest culinary themes.

The top 5 trends are locally grown produce; locally sourced meats and seafood; sustainability as a culinary theme; mini-desserts; and locally produced wine and beer.

Rounding out the top 10 list are nutritious kids’ meals; half-portions/smaller portions for a smaller price; farm-branded ingredients; gluten-free/food-allergy conscious meals; and sustainable seafood.

Other menu trends in the top 20 include superfruits; organic produce; nutrition as a culinary theme; simplicity/back to basics as a culinary theme; regional ethnic cuisine; non-traditional fish (including barramundi and Arctic char), and newly fabricated cuts of meat (including Denver steak and pork flat iron).

In addition to local wine/beer, the top trends in alcohol are culinary cocktails; artisan liquor; organic beer/wine/spirits; food-beer pairings; craft beer; bar chefs/mixologists; gluten-free beer; specialty beer; and organic cocktails.

In the preparation methods category, liquid nitrogen freezing/chilling was ranked as the number-one trend, followed by braising, sous vide, smoking and oil-poaching/confit.

The chefs also rated environmentally friendly equipment as the top kitchen equipment trend, and the hottest restaurant concept in 2010 as restaurants with gardens.

When it comes to sources for trendy food and beverage ideas, the chefs ranked television, trade shows and independent restaurants as the best places to get inspired.

Read full news release.

Quote

"No one has a better view of restaurant menu trends than the chefs of the nation’s nearly one million restaurants, and that is why we survey these culinary professionals on what hot, new trends we’ll see in the coming year. The top trends this year — local sourcing, sustainability and nutrition — reflect wider societal trends and consumers’ growing awareness of and interest in these issues. Many restaurants are sourcing some of their ingredients locally, and you often see chefs shopping at farmer’s markets to create a host of better-for-you options that today’s diners want."
— Dawn Sweeney, National Restaurant Association President and CEO

"This is retro — it’s what we did in the past when chefs relied on local markets because we did not have the luxury of today’s transportation system. We are going back to our roots and the foundation of our craft that made it more pleasurable."
— Michael Ty, CEC, AAC, American Culinary Federation National President

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Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which is comprised of 945,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a work force of 13 million employees. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to lead America’s restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence, and participation, enhancing the quality of life for all we serve. For more information, visit our Web site at www.restaurant.org.

The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 22,000 members spanning 230 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef & Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org.