Gourmet, Made Convenient

Flavor Insights

November: the month of Fall festivals, school activity craziness, football tailgates, in-office work schedules, and the beginnings of holiday preparation. Between our busier schedules and chillier weather, craving the decadent, gourmet comfort foods our retired grandmas would spend all day in the kitchen preparing is nearly inevitable. With lack of time and interest in investing that level of effort, consumers are now seeking convenient foods that taste gourmet.

Gourmet Flavors for Easy Meals

There are two important consumer insights to consider highlighted in a recent 2023 IFT article1:

    1. 75% of people in the United States are consumers of specialty foods, according to the Specialty Food Association
    2. 48% of people in the United States use a combination of pre-prepared food products and raw ingredients when preparing meals, according to the Food Marketing Institute

Although it may seem like a dichotomy to demand both convenience AND the artisan, elevated taste of specialty foods, several innovative products have recently been released to meet this unmet need by infusing novel flavors in otherwise standard pre-prepared products & “just add water” blends2.

    • Black garlic infused alfredo sauce
    • Lemongrass chicken stir fry
    • Bitter orange & grapefruit citrus marmalade
    • Birthday cake almond butter
    • Pink Peppercorn Honey Yuzu Vinaigrette

Snack Attack

Snacks are officially on the rise, although I’m sure that may come as no surprise if you also fall into the 45% of people who report eating three or more snacks per day4.

Since convenient packaged snacks are beginning to replace true meals for working professionals, the demand for gourmet, elevated flavors are more prevalent than ever before. According to Mintel, flavor seems to be the most important attribute to consumers when purchasing snack food items by a landslide.

    • Tajin mango gummy bears
    • Ginger caramel white chocolate covered pretzels
    • Ube mochi
    • Pandan peach snack cakes
    • Maple cardamom popcorn

References

1.“The Top 10 Food Trends of 2023.” IFT.Org, www.ift.org/news-and-publications/food-technology-magazine/issues/2023/april/features/the-top-10-food-trends-of-2023#anchor-6c75041b-987f-47b4-89fe-4f403dabed6d. Accessed 11 Sept. 2023.
2.“We’ve Predicted the Biggest Food Trends You’ll See in 2023.” Food Network, www.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/news/food-network-trend-predictions-2023. Accessed 11 Sept. 2023.
3.“2023 Food Industry Trends: Food Industry Consulting.” Clarkston Consulting, 24 July 2023, clarkstonconsulting.com/insights/2023-food-industry-trends/.
4. Person. “Snacking 2023 Trend Bite.” FONA, 3 Feb. 2023, www.fona.com/articles/2023/01/snacking-2023-trend-bite.

Staying Seasonal

Flavor Insights

With 78% of Americans looking forward to seasonal food products throughout the year, the demand for all things pumpkin, gingerbread, and praline always seems to reach its peak over the holidays. Not only do these limited-time flavors feel fresh and exciting but they also evoke the feelings of nostalgia and comfort we find ourselves seeking this time of year. Read more to discover how we can help you bring these sought-after seasonal flavors to your products.

 

Seasonal Flavors for Beverages

Pumpkin spice lattes have been coming out sooner than ever the past few years, backed by customer demand!
According to Mintel, over half of Millennials and GenZ consumers prefer seeing seasonal ingredients in coffee and tea year-round. It’s only natural for companies in the beverage category to take advantage of this seasonal flavor trend sooner rather than later. A few of our personal favorite flavors we create include:

 

  • Eggnog flavored latte
  • Sugar cookie flavored tea
  • Praline coffee syrup
  • Gingerbread flavored ground coffee
  • White chocolate pumpkin flavored coffee creamer
Beyond coffee and tea, adding seasonal flavors to canned beverages, cocktail mixes, and craft beer in recent years has also exploded in popularity in response to this trend. From spiced cider flavored sparkling water to a pumpkin flavored brew to a cranberry mule, a seasonal flavor addition seems to be welcomed by consumers across the board.

 

Seasonal Specialties

Winter holidays, parties, and reunions have a way of almost inevitably being centered around special family recipes and specialty foods that only appear during this time of year. Seasonally flavored specialties not only remind us all of past memories, but also connects us with others who have shared similar experiences.

 

  • Persimmon pumpkin pie
  • Ginger pear tart
  • Cranberry pistachio dinner rolls
  • Apple pie ricotta waffles
  • Peppermint wafer cookies
By simply incorporating a few of our seasonal flavors in your specialty food product, it will be sure to shine among the rest on retail shelves this season!

 

 

References
“Americans Want Seasonal Ingredients Year-Round.” Mintel, 10 Jan. 2023, www.mintel.com/press-centre/americans-want-seasonal-ingredients-year-round/.
“Our 2022 Guide to Winter Flavors.” Flavor Insights, 2 Mar. 2022, flavorinsights.com/insights/our-2022-guide-to-winter-flavors/.