Superfoods
Healthy, clean eating is fast becoming a popular choice in menus rather than just being for vegetarians and those with special diets, says Lucy Mears, sales and marketing manager for Harbour & Jones Events. "Gone are the goat’s cheese tarts in a butter-laden pastry case and having every canapé on the menu containing cheese. These have now been replaced with superfoods, alternative grains and seasonal produce."
Peyton and Byrne’s Gavin Gooddy, sales and marketing director for Peyton Events, agrees: "For summer 2015, new superfoods joining the ranks include seaweed and foraged greens such as dandelion leaves. Vegetable hero dishes, in which lean and green superfoods star, are becoming increasingly popular amongst vegetarians and omnivores alike, with grains such as amaranth and teff providing powerful proteins."
Dude food
A common complaint about vegetarian food is that it is often insubstantial in comparison to meat options. As a result, caterer The London Kitchen has developed its menus to offer more filling options such as vegetable calzone pizzas. This is the ‘dude food’ revolution, explains Mears. "The dude food trend of meat and carbs is translated for vegetarians with treats such as deep fried savoury doughnuts and veggie dogs."
Mexican, Persian and Korean
Another reason why vegetarian food has gone mainstream is because Mexican, Persian and Korean food trends have brought fermented foods and different flavour combinations to the fore, elevating the vegetarian options from being simply a side dish to taking centre stage.
Keep it simple
Vegetables are being stripped right back – no pastry, no frills, just ground-to-plate goodness served simply to let the produce speak for itself, says Mears. "Our potting shed and edible gardens are very popular at the moment."
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