The world of food is accelerating, and restaurateurs, retailers, and manufacturers need to make sure they don’t lose touch.
And as the industry slowly but surely recovers from the impact of the last two years, the celebrated chef Ryan Cole, who is behind the three-starred Salsify at the Roundhouse, offers a look into what the year ahead may hold when it comes to restaurant, food, and drink trends.
Hyper-endemic and indigenous ingredients, flavours, and techniques
Cole expects to see a shift away from international cuisines and techniques, with kitchens looking towards heritage and origin.
“It’s going to be about the discovery of land at a hyper-local level. For instance, we’ll be looking at what Camps Bay used to be, what has been eaten here in the past, and how it was cooked.
“The discovery of what was will lead to what will be. Going deeper into those buzzwords of locality and seasonality, the country’s restaurants have long proven that they cook to an international standard. Now it’s time to discover the country and even the continent's own culinary history.
Looking at food in a regional, South African, and African context. We have so much culture, history, and heritage on this continent, and I really think that’s going to be the next point of exploration,” he said.
Africa rising
From the hyper-endemic to continental cooking, the chef also expects to see the further development and ownership of African identity in food – looking up into the continent and seeing what’s happening across it.
“The capabilities of the continent are really coming to the fore. We have so much culture, history, and heritage throughout Africa, and I really think that’s going to be the next point of exploration. The same will be true when it comes to ingredients.
“Expect the likes of madumbi, cassava, okra, and river greens to be incorporated into dishes. The same can be said about game meat and poultry – the chef sees a move towards using more local venison, guinea fowl, and quail,” said Cole.
Fine dining remains
“There was a lot of hype around fine dining dying but, post-pandemic it can be seen that couldn’t be further from the truth. People are excited to come out and value experiences more than ever.
In a way, it’s the same as going to the theatre, or a concert – something that is firmly here to stay. As such, restaurants will be investing more time, money, and energy into creating these culinary experiences.
Expect constantly changing menus and even spaces, and plenty of bespoke crockery – made just for a certain dish or style of presentation. The same is true for cutlery – the chef currently has specific knives and forks designed for certain services.
“This also creates the opportunity to celebrate and champion local makers and artisans. Allowing the restaurant to further support communities in surrounding areas, through this drive for bespoke and custom-curated pieces, processes, and artworks,” he added.
Niche varietals and wines
When it comes to wine, Cole expects a host of interesting and often unheard-of grape varieties or different styles of wine to be popping up – especially on tasting menus.
“These are wines that patrons are unlikely to have come across in a shop or tried elsewhere.
“We really love working with unexpected and unusual varieties, when it comes to pairing. Many of the lesser-known types of wine make for phenomenal food wines and it enhances the experience when the guest can try something new or which they may not have even heard of before,” he concluded.