Trending TopicsThe rise of the artisan

Cather ine Nevi l leP u b l i s h e r & E d i t o r , F e a s t M a g a z i n e

L e s D a m e s d ’ E s c o f f i e r , 2 0 1 2 C o n f e r e n c e , S t . L o u i s

The pendulum has swung away from the artificial and toward the artisan.

Today we celebra te the craf tsman – whether chef , bar tender, farmer, brewer, wine maker, chocola t ier, coffee roas ter, baker, butcher … consumers are seeking products tha t are the authent ic refec t ion of the maker ’s pass ion for whatever i t i s tha t they are crea t ing.

The pendulum has swung away from the artificial and toward the artisan.

Today we celebrate the craftsman – whether chef, bartender, farmer, brewer, wine maker, chocolatier, coffee roaster, baker, butcher … consumers are seeking products that are the authentic refection of the maker’s passion for whatever it is that they are creating.

And creators are seeking ways to explore new ideas as well as old, to be part of a culinary community and actively shape the present and the future of American food.

Why?

• Reaction to increased homogenization in suburban and rural areas

Why?

• Reaction to increased homogenization in suburban and rural areas

• Boredom with corporate concept experiences

Why?

• Reaction to increased homogenization in suburban and rural areas

• Boredom with corporate concept experiences

• Increased sophistication and expectation

Why?

• Reaction to increased homogenization in suburban and rural areas

• Boredom with corporate concept experiences

• Increased sophistication and expectation

• The economy

Why?

• Reaction to increased homogenization in suburban and rural areas

• Boredom with corporate concept experiences

• Increased sophistication and expectation

• The economy

• Advances in technology

Why?

• Reaction to increased homogenization in suburban and rural areas

• Boredom with corporate concept experiences

• Increased sophistication and expectation

• The economy

• Advances in technology

• The rise of “individual media”

TrendsWhat are the larger trends that are pushing the industry forward?

Focus on the foodRestaurants around the country are adopting [a] model of providing guests with extraordinary cuisine with eschewing the framework of fine dining.Food Arts, Sept. 2012

Cary McDowell, Winslow’s Home

Focus on the foodThe economy has ushered in smaller restaurants that require less up-front investment. The elevation of American cuisine that began over a decade ago, with its focus on chef-driven experiences and regional cuisine made with thoughtfully sourced ingredients from individual farmers, hasn’t waned with our shrinking budgets. Chefs are delivering, but in more creative – and smaller – ways.

Farmhaus

Focus on the foodNew restaurants are more casual, more creative. The food pushes boundaries and expectations, but stuffy atmospheres and formal service no longer signal “fine dining.”

We’re not trying to “back the bus over tradition” we are trying to find classics and improve them – understand what made them classics in the first place. Bon Appetit, Sept. 2012

Blood & Sand

Chicken galantine with white beets and Swiss chard

DIYWhy buy it when you can make it yourself?

Flip through industry magazines and you’ll still see ads for pre-made products designed to cut execution times in professional kitchens, but the current thinking is that what a restaurant serves should be hand made, in house, as much as possible.

Pastaria

Ricotta-stuffed tortellini with artichokes

DIYWhy buy it when you can make it yourself?

• It’s more fun.

• It tastes better.

• It’s a reflection of the chef’s personal style and perspective.

Range

PersonalizationIn-kitchen dining, direct access through social media, specialized menus, a blurring of the lines between back of the house and the front, casual style of service …

Customers want to feel that they have a personal, direct connection with the chef.

Home Wine Kitchen

Innovation So let’s look at what’s inspiring innovation in the industry, pushing us toward the next trends.

FrostBite

Mobility ~ Incubation ~ Collaboration

Technology, Square in particular, creates mobility and is allowing entrepreneurs to sell their products without a investing in a traditional brick-and-mortar location.

Mobility allows businesses to go to their customer, sell in unconventional spaces and places and launch their business with lower financial risk, which then cycles back when the company matures.

When a small, non-traditional start-up gains enough audience, many then invest in the traditional brick-and-mortar storefront.

Within this start-up culture, collaboration is also inspiring innovation and creating stronger community. These three drivers often cross over each other, allowing for free-flow creativity.

Mobility: Pop-ups

A one-day gumbo shop. A month-long fine-dining experience. A monthly “underground” dinner.

Whatever form they take, short-term restaurants allow for experimentation. This gives chefs a platform to test out new ideas and see what works and what doesn’t. New concepts are aired out and new dishes developed.

Josh Galliano’s Gumbo Pop-Up

Mobility: Food trucks

Food trucks are crisscrossing urban areas from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Mobile food is not new, but this breed of mobile kitchen is pushing culinary boundaries with innovative dishes and personal connections.

Via social media, these nimble restaurateurs build a clientele willing to seek them out in a new place each day.

Guerrilla Street Food

Incubation: Trucks and market stands

Those trucks that tweet their daily specials? Once they reach critical mass, many are deciding to invest in brick-and-mortar restaurants.

Farmers’ markets are similar incubators. Producers can easily set up a weekend stand at a market, test the waters and then invest in a shop once their audience is established.

The Sweet Divine

Incubation: Trucks and market stands

Kakao

Incubation: Trucks and market stands

Kitchen Kulture

Collaboration

The strong sense of community within the culinary world is leading to some very creative collaborations, particularly in the craft beer industry.

Two minds are better than one as they say, whether creating a new product or a mutually beneficial partnership.

Perennial + Entre

Collaboration

Kaldi’s + Urban Chestnut4 Hands + Fifth Wheel

No BoundariesWe eat in a time when consumers (as well as producers) have never been more sophisticated.

The democratization of great food has created a culture of innovation and craftsmanship.

Now that the doors to starting a culinary business are coming down, boundaries are a thing of the past.