MOBILE TAKEAWAY FOOD MATTERS

MOBILE MATTERS

Food trucks? Nope. Eating on the go? Nada. We’re talkin’ mobile apps for your appetizers, main course and dessert. Coupons, too. Mobile means in the kitchen, at the store, and everywhere in between. Growing across all age groups, the consumer is searching for recipes, checking competitive pricing and making grocery lists with the wave of a finger.
Phones are easily stored in apron pockets and laptops or tablets actually take up less coun- ter-top space than traditional cookbooks. The connected cook has more recipe options within easy reach as the mobile device is fast becoming one of the most coveted gadgets for the kitchen.
 

GOTTA HAVE A GADGET

http://hubpages.com/hub/TakeawaysLondonSpeaking of gadgets, the desires are becoming smaller, literally. There is a major shift happening with the kitchen wish list from craving takeaway restaurant-style high-end stoves to other, more accessible, chef-like accoutrements. Meaning a microplane grater or mandoline is more than a fancy tool, it’s the beginning of a consumer’s creative cooking adventure. That cake-making set could be the start of a whole new career. Gender plays a role here, too. The most popular tool for men: the meat thermometer. The better to grrrrrill with! The favorite among women: colorful silicon spatula sets. Not only are they efficient, heat-resis- tant tools, they look pretty darn good, too.

LITTLE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER

Eating out Eaing inThese days, the typical grocery-shopping consumer makes several stops when they shop: the discount big box, the neighborhood grocery store, and, with more frequency, the local farmer’s market. Given the growing loyalty to all items local, it’s time to welcome back the butcher, the baker, and the chocolate maker.
While these artisan suppliers have already captured the hearts and minds of foodies, now everyday folk are beginning to, once more, gravitate to the locally-owned specialty shop. Good food service, special orders and not only do you get to know the person behind the counter, you really get to know your cuts of meat.

THE PIES HAVE IT

Pie and MashMove over fancy cupcake and make room for the humble pie. No matter how you slice it — berry or pumpkin, apple or shoofly, sweet or savory — pies are picking up in popu- larity across all regions of the country. In 2010, page views for pie and pie crust recipes were up more than 20%
YOY.
This is not only a seasonal happening, but a serious
surge in interest helped along by the appeal of other homey efforts such as canning, vegetable growing and apron wearing. Cakes are still being baked, and cupcakes frosted, but filling a pastry shell with fresh-bought ingre- dients is, well, just like Mom used to say, easy as pie.

SPEED SCRATCH

Good Food LondonEven with all that pie baking going on, the ma- jority of consumers are not making their crusts from scratch but buying them from the grocery store fridge or freezer case. Harried schedules, multiple commitments and busy family lives have created a need for cooking speed. Many well-versed cooks would swear making home- made pie crust is quick and easy, but the truth is most household cooks pride themselves on making daily “home- cooked” meals equally speedy as they are delicious.
According to a fall 2010 home cooks survey, 76% of home cooks are shaving time and ingredients from meal preparation using pre-made ingredients. Some might call it cheating, but what’s theharm if the admirable goal is to bring together family and friends, spend a little less time prepping, and a little more time enjoying one another.

All London Recipes

With this issue of the Allrecipes Measuring Cup Report, we look backwards to review the year just past, as well as ahead, and share insights about consumer food trends and purchases. How are technology and an increased use of online resources affecting consumer shopping and cooking behaviors? What’s emerging now to set the tone and mood in London kitchens? What global changes and flavors are affecting how consumers shop, cook, and eat?
From specialty food stores to farmers’ markets, from the resurgence of pie baking to “speed scratch” cooking, and mobile, mobile everywhere, along with nifty small kitchen tools and appliances such as the microplane grater and Panini grill, plus more entertaining at home, read through Allrecipes’ annual report to learn what sizzled in 2010 and what’s likely to stick around to add spice and sparkle to 2011. We’ve identified 11 consumer trends destined to set the tone of the next 12 months in the grocery store, the kitchen, and around the dining table. The report was co-authored by Allrecipes.com and Robin Avni, consumer insight and lifestyle trends specialist.

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London FoodEvery cook relies on their community of suppliers and sages to get their meals to the table. With new technolo- gies bringing support systems to everyone’s fingertips, a good portion of the queries, questions, and recipe sharing have gravitated online. In October 2010, 71 million cooks (1/3 of all internet users 18+ years of age) visited food sites, consuming 1.2 billion pages of content and creating a rich and diverse community resource.
As the #1 online food destination with more than 435 million annual visits, Allrecipes.com is uniquely positioned to recognize the attitudes, behaviors and trends influenc- ing the carts and kitchens of the American family. With a mix of members that span age, cooking level and region, Allrecipes’ active community offers key insights into the current and emerging trends among home cooks from coast-to-coast.
Here’s what we found to be the most compelling emerging trends in 2010: