CHEF and owner of Grub & Vine, Culture Wine Bar, the Chef’s Studio and the Blue Room, Matt Manning shares some of the food trends we can expect to see over the next few months.
- Less Fine Dining, More Refined Dining
Following the pandemic, fine dining establishments were hardest hit for two reasons: 1) tourism took a knock and 2) people were more cash-conscious. They didn’t need an 18-course menu – simply being able to hang out with a loved one was enough of a novelty, after months in lockdown.
Fast forward three years, and we have seen some of SA’s most popular fine dining establishments shut while at the same time, there has been a rise in the number of relaxed eateries which have opened. There is less fanfare and pretentiousness, and more emphasis on good, honest cooking and understated elegance.
- Dining Experiences
While fine dining might be dying, dining experiences, on the other hand, are booming! Think themed dinners, cooking lesson-and-dinner hybrid events, private kitchens, table-side theatre and chef’s tables – we all want to get up close and personal with our food – and each other – in an interactive and fun setting.
- Everything Green
There’s a global movement towards sustainability, and food is no different. Expect regenerative agriculture, waterless cooking methods and sustainability to become big buzzwords in 2023. Menus will include the weird and wonderful, from organ meats and other cuts that were typically overlooked (and are now gaining popularity as awareness grows around these being nutritional powerhouses) to insects, while cooking methods will shift to accommodate a new awareness around energy consumption.
- Elevation of the Wine List
In a restaurant environment, wine has typically come second to food, and commercial producers (that can afford the steep listing fees) dominate the wine lists. This has left patrons with a limited view of what SA has to offer. But this is changing.
We expect to see far more representation in wine style, variety and region in our restaurant lists, as well as more fantastical pairing options! Grub & Vine, for example, offers an “SA vs the World” pairing, which features two wines paired with each course; one local, and one international, with the aim of demonstrating how well SA’s wines stack up against some of the world’s finest wines.
