What’s new, Gold Coast? It’s a question we look at every year, picking out the changes and trends that have emerged in the hospitality industry over the past year.
Food trends affect what we eat, where we eat, and how and why we eat. Success in hospitality depends on restaurateurs providing food experiences that consumers want, sometimes even before they know that they want them! Producing trendy appealing dishes defines a venue’s point of difference and helps build a loyal customer base.
Change is embedded in the nature of the industry, so let’s look at what’s happening right now.
Like the bubble of oil in a builder’s level, the latest buzzing food hub moves up and down the coast. From Southport to Coolangatta, suburban dining goes in and out of fashion. Right now, our attention is focussed squarely on Nobby Beach, with more openings there in the past year than anywhere else.
Success breeds success. Many proven restaurateurs have gone out on a limb and opened new venues that are either slightly different or in a different geographical area. Examples include Rick Shores opening of Norté and Sueno Rooftop, Elk’s new Sunnyboy, Light Years Group opening Bar Monte and Cook Club, Bao Lucky’s new Bobby Bang’s, Agave Rosa’s Kira Kira, Dipcro’s second shop in Main Beach, and Cycho’s new digs in the Smith Collective.
Popups and collabs provide novelty, ensuring that some of the best food visits your suburb, even if only for a little while. Yo-Chi has this concept down to a tee with their collaborations, as does the QT Hotel with their Pistachio Papi and Black Star Pastry collabs.
Coffee, (in particular its price), has been causing rumbles in the industry. Yes, coffee will go up, but more likely to $ 8 per cup than the predicted $ 12 before year end. Climate change and supply chains are blamed for this woe, and it’s little comfort that we are seeing more diversity in the market.
One element of that diversity is matcha, the Japanese powdered green tea that promises a smooth hit of caffeine with added health benefits such as antioxidants. Matcha has gone viral on social media, featured in cakes, as coffee, and as a delicious iced matcha and strawberry latte. It’s likely that matcha will become mainstream and more readily available, providing consumers with a healthy hit along the way.
Talking drinks, the growth of non-drinkers and the social acceptance of a year-long ‘Dry July’ is growing by the day. There’s an overall decrease in alcohol consumption with younger generations, especially Gen Z, increasingly embracing a “sober curious” approach, mainly for health reasons.
While the market for non-alcoholic beverages has grown, there are still taste issues with many alcohol-free drinks, particularly wine, limiting market growth. Mocktails, to us, are a better option with some of our best bars offering fabulous mocktails that are a work of art. (Here’s looking at you, Valyn Thai and Limlay.)
In 2024 we saw the consolidation of comfort food, reworked and elevated rather than brand new. (It’s a bit like sanding and repainting your favourite bicycle!) Gone are the sad, soggy tomato sandwiches of school lunch pack days. Now, sandwiches of thick-cut sourdough are loaded with fresh fillings bursting with flavour. Terminology changed and sandwiches became sandos, toasted sandwiches became toasties and the bug roll (or lobster roll to southerners) still reigned supreme, (our favourite version made on a cotton cloud white roll, the sides toasted in butter).
Donuts, cult croissants (Dipcro), bagels and pies are other comfort foods whose moment in the sun continues. Their popularity has led to bakeries becoming as trendy as a new café, baked goods forming the centre of the menu. Because we are more conscious of catering to dietary differences, you’ll also find some donuts which are vegan and gluten-free.
However, there’s a balance in the market between comfort and nutrition. There’s no trend without an opposite idea, with a growing interest in functional foods (or food as medicine) and greater interest in nutrition including diversity of food sources. Creative, low-calorie ways to eat protein is a dominant theme on social media. (If I see one more food item that can be made from cottage cheese, I think I will literally melt!)
It was a joyous day when Asian food claimed us as part of the Asia-Pacific. We continue our love with Asia, exploring a little further north into Korea and playing with more fusion ideas while trying to keep the flavours authentically Asian. Last year’s ‘elevated Thai’ is not waning however, with tight economic conditions, we’re trying to replicate Asian flavours at home in our own kitchens. ‘Cucumber Salad’ was one of Google’s most searched recipes in 2024! We’ve also seen a trend towards pickles as a way to promote gut health and to bring a kick of spice to everything, from drinks and snacks to mains and even … cottage cheese!
Post Covid, and motivated by rising food costs, diners are showing more interest in their home kitchen. Emphasis is on quick and easy recipes, aided by the latest kitchen appliances. ‘Ninja’ CREAMi became the new kid in the kitchen with a promise to make four-minute ice creams or slushies to suit our dietary requirements. Of course, it’s a little more complicated than that, but it’s the story that so many of us longed to hear, the possibility of making our favourite non-dairy ice cream at home without the cost of a food delivery service.
Talking appliances, they’re a hit so long as they fit in our designer kitchens or make life easier. We’re moving towards the ultimate single multifunction kitchen machine, controlled by Ai, that can make our favourite meals at our command. How cool would that be? In the meantime, there are cooking hacks and shortcuts to explore on social media, and we can always resort to our own tiffin food delivery services when we are hungry…
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