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Section Editor: Mandy Saven, Head of Food, Beverage & Hospitality
Analysts: Elli Donajgrodzki, Researcher - Food, Beverage & Hospitality
& Hayley Ard, Senior Editor - Consumer Lifestyle
Food has become the new cultural capital in
the West, where it is viewed as an increasingly
precious commodity. “We are currently in a ‘post-
acquisitive’ era whereby food experiences are
considered more covetable luxuries than objects
like jewellery and cars,” notes a recent report by
US media and marketing magazine AdAge.
Cooking shows such as Masterchef (now
produced in more than 35 territories, including
China, India and South Africa) have made culinary
creativity mainstream. Meanwhile, TV programmes
such as the UK’s Cooks to Market, which
offers food start-ups the chance to compete
for mentorship and investment, spotlight a new
wave of global entrepreneurs designing better
alternatives to the industrialised and increasingly
vulnerable food system.
Food safety, ethical production and global
food security are also becoming front-of-mind for
consumers. This is impacting attitudes to food and
nutrition, with some consumers choosing to take
the production of their food into their own hands.
The often marginalised pursuits of hunting and
foraging are gaining popularity as individuals strive
to become self-sufficient and attempt to reduce
their food waste through nose-to-tail consumption.
A desire for authenticity, integrity and
transparency is the new default. Standard
practice in supermarkets, this is now extending to
the cocktail bar. The Apotheke bar in New York
uses only traceable, local ingredients and cultivates
a herb garden on its rooftop.
Brands must support and facilitate these ideals
if they want to resonate with today’s intelligent
consumer.
Colourful Stitches
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Global Food Love-In
Introduction