2015 top food trends revealed at Summer Fancy Food Show

Last week at the end of the 2015 Summer Fancy Food Show, taste trackers and trendspotters predicted the next trends that will be coming to a store near you soon. You will find new ways to enjoy beets, flower-infused drinks and snacks, and the spirit of cocktails away from the bar, according to a panel of ten food experts. Among the 2015 sofi™ Gold Awards, the Outstanding Cold Beverage was Owl Brew’s White and Vine, a tea crafted for cocktails. White and Vine is a delectable, refreshing cocktail made with fresh-brewed white tea, pomegranate, lemon peel and watermelon flavored with a choice of bourbon, gin, vodka, tequila or wheat beer.

These trendspotters made their way through thousands of products to sleuth out the newest trends in specialty food and beverage at the Summer Fancy Food Show sponsored by the Specialty Food Association ( SFA) which was held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, New York City. The trade-only show included the latest of beverages and sauces, chocolates, and cheeses, cocktail mixers and condiments from 2,600 specialty food companies representing 50 countries. Marking its 61st year, the show hosted more than 22,000 attendees.

The trendspotters include individuals who follow and write about food trends for leading media outlets and consulting firms. Here are their top five trends from the show:

Gazpacho to Go
Tio Gazpacho – Gazpacho de Sol
Gina Cucina – Watermelon Habanero Gaspacho
Bodega & Co. Mucho Gazpacho – Green Gazpacho
The Splendid Spoon – Market Gazpacho

Can’t Beat Beets
Love Beets – Beet-Blueberry Bar
Health-Ade – Beet Kombucha
Eat Well Embrace Life – Beet Hummus
Gringo Jack’s – Beet, Orange & Quinoa Salsa

Flower Power
Belvoir Fruit Farms – Elderflower & Rose Lemonade
Masala Pop – Saffron Rose Popcorn
Rogue Creamery – La-Di-Da Lavender Cheese
Vosges Haut-Chocolat – Blood Orange Hibiscus Caramel Marshmallows

Cocktail Culture
Bissell Maple Farm – Pappy & Company Bourbon Barrel-Aged Syrup
Colonel Pabst – All Malt Amber-Lager Worcestershire Sauce
Brooklyn Brine Co. – Hop-Pickles
Nancy Silverton’s Nancy’s Fancy Gelato – The Manhattan

The Maize Craze
Kiddylicious – Sweetcorn Rice Rounds
Off the Cob – Sweet Corn Tortilla Chips
Pop Art Snacks – Tandoori Yogurt Popcorn
Pipsnacks – Pipcorn

“The Specialty Food Association is in a perfect position to spot trends before they happen,” says Ann Daw, president of the Association, the Summer Fancy Food show’s owner and producer. “Our show celebrates what’s next in specialty food as our exhibitors present the latest in specialty food to buyers eager to find new products and new twists on classics.”

Other trends spotted include condiments with Asian flavors, intensely flavored ice creams and frozen desserts, new flavors and forms of jerky, and compound butters. Trends that continue to have staying power from past Fancy Food Shows include: coconut in newly created products, artisanal sodas, ginger beverages and sweets, complexly-flavored cocktail mixers, vegetables in every shape and size from chips and pipcorn to pops and yogurt. Also, gluten-free products continue to make a huge impact in expanding into the specialty food world..

The panel of 2015 SFA trendspotters were: Suzy Badaracco, Owner, Culinary Tides; Pat Cobe, Senior Editor, Restaurant Business Magazine; Faith Durand, Executive Editor, TheKitchn; Cecily McAndrews, Food Editor, Every Day with Rachael Ray; Nancy Hopkins, Senior Deputy Editor, Food and Entertainment, Better Homes & Gardens; Ariel Knutson, Engagement Editor, TheKitchn; Greg Morago, Food Editor, Houston Chronicle; Kara Nielsen, Culinary Director, Sterling-Rice Group; Charles Passy, reporter, MarketWatch/Wall Street Journal; and, Denise Purcell, Editor, Specialty Food Media.

The Specialty Food Association is a thriving community of food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs who bring craft, care and joy to the distinctive foods they produce.  Established in 1952 in New York, the not-for-profit trade association provides its 3,000 members in the U.S. and abroad the tools, knowledge and connections to champion and nurture their companies in an always-evolving marketplace. The Association (formerly the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc.) owns and produces the winter and Summer Fancy Food Show, and presents the sofi™ Awards honoring excellence in specialty food.

Author’s Note: “sofi” sofi stands for “specialty outstanding food innovation” and represents the best of the best.