In 2022 and 2023, many problems affecting restaurants in the UK continued. The main issue was the high price of food, which made people change how and what they eat. This was especially true in London, where high rents added to the problem. Because of this, many restaurants in the city center played it safe, avoiding riskier or more creative dishes.
Food critic Grace Dent said that in 2023, London’s restaurants became less exciting, while restaurants outside the city were better. As a result, simpler ingredients and classic dishes are becoming popular again, like martinis and beans, but with new twists.
However, some exciting things are happening, too, such as restaurants focused on music and fresh ingredients like fig leaves becoming trendy.
These are some of the trends to look forward to in 2024.
Fig Leaf
The fig leaf, which is normally not eaten raw, is becoming a popular ingredient for chefs. It has a sweet and creamy flavor that can be mixed into oils, dairy products, or even made into syrups for cocktails. Different restaurants are using fig leaves in creative ways. For example, Simon Rogan’s Aulis offers a fig leaf dessert with white chocolate and mint, while a new restaurant in London called Papi uses fig leaves in a sauce for oysters.
A bar in Mayfair, Nipperkin, makes a fig leaf cocktail with butter, and Parafante sells a bottled fig leaf negroni for people to enjoy at home. Since fig leaves are easy to find, we will probably see them in more dishes in 2024.
Hot Sauce Heats Up
Hot sauce has been popular for a while, but now there is a big jump in demand. At Waitrose, sales went up by 55%, and at a smaller shop called Hop Burns & Black, sales increased by 94%. Why is this happening?
Waitrose says people are using hot sauce in their home cooking to quickly add strong flavors. Hop Burns & Black believes it’s because more people are interested in trying food from different cultures around the world.
Both stores think a big reason for the rise in hot sauce popularity is the YouTube show Hot Ones. On the show, celebrities eat chicken wings with sauces that get hotter and hotter while being interviewed. Many viewers are buying the same hot sauces from the show to try the challenge at home.
Listening Bars & Restaurant Crossovers
London’s restaurants are now using music as a big part of the dining experience. It’s no longer just background music chosen by the chef. New places like Bambi in London Fields have special sound systems, old speakers, and a big wall of records.
They also have live DJs playing music while people enjoy small plates from chef Henry Freestone. Another place, mu in Dalston, offers live jazz and Cuban bands along with Japanese-style dishes. In Newington Green, Stella’s is a butcher shop that becomes a music bar with snacks and wine on weekends. This music and food trend is also happening in other cities like Paris and Amsterdam.
World Whisky
This is a great time to explore whisky beyond the well-known countries like Scotland, Ireland, America, and Japan. Now, new and exciting whisky is being made in unexpected places like New Zealand, Nordic countries, France, and Italy. These countries have long histories of making alcohol and are bringing fresh ideas to whisky.
In England, the whisky scene has also quietly grown and become one of the most creative and diverse in the world. English whisky makers aren’t restricted by old traditions. This allows them to experiment with new aging methods and modern distilling techniques while still honoring where the ingredients come from.
Restaurant-To-Retail
Many restaurants are now finding new ways to make money besides just serving food. One popular idea is selling their own sauces and condiments. For example, a famous restaurant called Noma is closing, but its team is still making creative sauces like smoked mushroom sauce and hot corn yuzu sauce. In the UK, Bao sells plum ketchup and spicy chilli sauce, and other places like Poon’s and Gymkhana are also offering special sauces in stores.
Making and selling these sauces can also help reduce food waste. Some restaurants use leftover ingredients to create these products, like Fallow’s sriracha made from extra chillies, or a planned oyster sauce using oysters that would otherwise be thrown away.
Cool Beans
Beans and pulses, which used to be seen as plain and simple, have recently become very popular. At Waitrose, cans of butter beans and chickpeas are selling fast, and a brand called Bold Bean Co is all over social media, which has increased their sales by 650% in the past year. But why is this happening now?
Beans and pulses are cheap, flexible for many dishes, and very healthy. They are low in fat and high in protein, which makes them perfect in today’s tough economic times. Also, people are looking for new options instead of avocado, which is bad for the environment. This has led to a trend of using smashed vegetables and pulses as toast toppings.
Chefs are also showing that beans don’t have to be boring. Some fancy dishes, like braised butterbeans with kale and goat’s curd at Bambi, or white beans with cockles, lemon, and olive oil at Leo’s, are now very popular. Beans are no longer just a basic ingredient, they are becoming a star in many creative dishes.
Pet Nat
Pétillant naturel, often called “Pet Nat,” is a type of sparkling wine that is made in a traditional way. It’s bottled before the fermentation process is finished, which is what gives it its bubbles. While it’s not very well-known in the UK yet, it’s becoming more popular in trendy wine bars.
Fiona Beckett, a wine expert from National Geographic Traveller UK, describes pet nat as “hazy, fruity, and usually low in alcohol.” It gives a summery vibe all year round, and the fun, colorful labels make it feel less fancy or intimidating. Plus, some English winemakers are also producing pet nat wines. For beginners, Beckett suggests trying Lost in a Field’s Frolic pét nat.
Big Sharing Dishes
In recent years, small plates (like tapas) were very popular in restaurants, where people would order lots of little dishes to share. Now, big, impressive dishes meant for sharing are becoming more popular.
At Tomos Parry’s new restaurant, you can get a large lobster stew for 3 to 5 people to share. Other restaurants, like Llama Inn, serve big plates like a Peruvian beef stew with fries, and many places now focus on whole roast chickens. These large dishes are not only great for sharing, but they also save time for the kitchen and look great for social media.
Classic Gins, Modern Martinis
The martini is a very old and well-known cocktail, but according to a report by Diageo, it has become popular again, especially on social media. People are getting creative with how they serve martinis. For example, in New York, Temple Bar offers a martini with anchovy oil, and at elNico, they have a tomato martini with tomato-infused vermouth and basil oil.
In London, some places like Tayēr + Elementary and Llama Inn serve martinis in shot glasses for just one sip. Others, like Ever After and Hawksmoor, serve martinis at very cold temperatures, straight from the freezer. Mimi Kakushi in Dubai goes even further, offering martinis frozen in a block of ice, which bartenders cut out for each order.
According to The Thinking Drinkers, writers for National Geographic Traveller UK’s drinks section, classic gin brands like Beefeater, Tanqueray, and Plymouth will also become popular again. They believe that after the trend of flavored gins, people will start appreciating the traditional juniper taste of classic gins.
Posh hash browns
Hash browns, a classic comfort food, are becoming more popular in restaurants. But don’t expect the usual golden-brown triangles. Chefs are getting creative with them. For example:
- Jackson Boxer at his new Selfridges restaurant serves an oblong hash brown with whipped cod’s roe and kosho.
- The new place, The Dover, offers hash browns topped with caviar.
- Dorian in Notting Hill adds crab to their crispy hash browns.
Last November, Hash Hut opened at KERB Seven Dials Market. They offer hash browns in different shapes and a variety of toppings, like sriracha mayo, parmesan, crispy onions, and nori flakes.
Mushroom As Meat
As people become more cautious about eating fake meats and ultra-processed foods, they’re turning back to natural options. One standout is the king oyster mushroom. Its thick stem and meaty feel make it popular with chefs.
They’re using it to make dishes like mushroom ‘scallops’ and panko-crusted ‘calamari’. Next year, you can look forward to even more exciting dishes with king oyster mushrooms, like crispy, spicy ‘wings’ served with miso butter, as Holy Carrot opens its first permanent location in Notting Hill.
Lower alcohol wines
The trend for drinks with less alcohol is becoming very popular. People are especially interested in beers and gins with lower alcohol content. In the UK, new rules have made it cheaper to make wines with less alcohol.
For example, a wine with 8% alcohol costs less in taxes (£1.49) than a wine with 11.5% or more alcohol (£2.67). Fiona Beckett notes that wines with lower alcohol might not be as rich or intense, but they can be great for certain types, like Mosel Riesling or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. These lower alcohol wines are also usually sweeter.
Savoury French Toast
French toast is a classic brunch dish that is usually sweet with maple syrup. But in 2024, many people are enjoying a savory twist on this dish. Nigella Lawson has a great recipe for savory French toast made with Parmesan cheese, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
She says it’s great for both breakfast and dinner. In Norwich, No33 serves French toast topped with mushrooms, spinach, and a creamy brie sauce, with parmesan, crispy onions, and balsamic. In Notting Hill, Eggbreak offers a savory French toast with za’atar, cherry tomatoes, garlic, thyme, poached eggs, labneh (a type of yogurt), pickled onion, and a drizzle of hot honey, which was a popular trend in 2023.