Food and drink trends for 2022
As we continue to grow our range of handpicked British food and drink from independent producers, we’re often asked what’s new for Barbury Hill this year. So we’ve taken a moment between food tastings to look into the potential food and drink trends of 2022.
Low and No Alcohol continued growth
With more and more adults choosing Low and No as part of a balanced lifestyle, the number of Low and No Alcohol products available on the market continues to grow. No longer just for Dry January, people are choosing to abstain from alcohol more permanently or during the week. Luckily for them, and their willpower, the range of exciting products is growing every week and the quality continues to improve. We predict 2022 will see increased demand for premium quality Low/No ABV both in hospitality venues, home consumption and for gifting to family and friends.
More mindful buying habits
After the turbulent times we’ve all experienced, many customers are increasingly interested, now more than ever, in buying British and supporting our farmers and independent makers. When doing this, they are also increasingly mindful about the choices they make. For example, when it comes to meat and dairy products, customers are seeking high welfare products and they tell us that the carbon footprint and traceability of their food is important.
Sustainable packaging
There are generally three options when it comes to packaging products for home delivery – cardboard, plastic or wool. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution and the packaging will vary depending whether you’re protecting a bottle of wine or temperature sensitive products such as cheese or meats. However, customers are increasingly making sustainable packaging choices. Do you have a favourite? For wine bottles, we’re particularly impressed with Flexi-Hex – a plastic-free, recyclable, biodegradable and compostable solution that provides incredible protection and looks great too. For protecting chilled food items we like Woolcool – a multi award-winning sustainable solution made from English sheep’s wool.
Waste less
We love food (had you noticed?) so we hate to waste it. And we’re not alone. We’re hearing the same from our customers too. The link between food waste and climate change has not been well understood but that’s changing and this year consumers are striving to waste less food. We recently wrote about the largely avoidable issue of food waste and what small steps we can take at home to help have a positive impact. Read the full story here.
English Wine on the rise
The English wine scene is thriving – but why is English wine suddenly so popular? It is hard to believe now but there was a time when it was something of a joke. But luckily for us, times have changed and 2022 is looking good for English wine sales. There are now over 500 vineyards in the UK, and with more and more bottles of English Fizz being glugged every year, producers are upping production and new vines are going in the ground too. Warmer climates are helping and the UK is attracting more wine-making talent. This is great for the wine industry but also for the consumer - expect to see more English wines becoming household names over the coming years. Head over to our English Wine category to discover more.
Cooking at home
One of the silver linings of COVID is that more people have learnt to cook from scratch at home and have developed new culinary habits. Not just this, many of us have redecorated our homes, extended our kitchens, and kitted out the gardens. This means we now see the home not just as somewhere to cook but as a place to entertain and create food memories. Hosting our friends and family after so long apart has become a joy, and laying out an abundant cheeseboard or charcuterie platter to share with loved ones is something to cherish, and certainly not something we’ll take for granted again.
What are your predictions for food and drink trends in 2022?
Do you have any tips for ‘the next big thing’ in food and drink for 2022? Perhaps you have some ideas of your own that you think Barbury Hill should consider. As a young, growing company, we’re all ears when it comes to what our customers want to see on our site, so we’d love to hear of any exciting new food and drink trends you think we should know! Get in touch with us - we’re always happy to talk about our favourite subject… food and drink!
