Culinary Forecast Predicts Local Sourcing, Environmental Sustainability, Healthful Kids' Meals as Top Menu Trends for 2015

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Dec 03, 2014, 07:30 ET

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Restaurant Association (NRA) each year gets in the kitchen with chefs to reveal the top menu trends for the coming year. For its annual What's Hot Culinary Forecast, the NRA surveyed nearly 1,300 professional chefs – members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) – to find which foods, cuisines, beverages and culinary themes will be hot trends on restaurant menus in 2015.

What food trends are coming to a menu near you? (PRNewsFoto/National Restaurant Association) (PRNewsFoto/National Restaurant Association)

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Top 10 food trends for 2015:

Locally sourced meats and seafood
Locally grown produce
Environmental sustainability
Healthful kids' meals
Natural ingredients/minimally processed food
New cuts of meat
Hyper-local sourcing
Sustainable seafood
Food waste reduction/management
Farm/estate branded items

For complete What's Hot in 2015 results, video and downloadable images, visit Restaurant.org/FoodTrends.

"As consumers today increasingly incorporate restaurants into their daily lives, they want to be able to follow their personal preferences and philosophies no matter where or how they choose to dine," said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research for the National Restaurant Association. "So, it's only natural that culinary themes like local sourcing, sustainability and nutrition top our list of menu trends for 2015. Those concepts are wider lifestyle choices for many Americans in other aspects of their lives that also translate into the food space."

"Chefs are committed to supporting their communities and helping make responsible food choices," said Thomas Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC, national president of the American Culinary Federation. "I am pleased that members of the American Culinary Federation continue to support local sourcing and sustainable food practices as an annual trend and are paving the way for these values to become part of everyday American cooking."

On the drink menu, the What's Hot in 2015 survey predicts the top five alcohol and cocktail trends will be:

Micro-distilled/artisan spirits
Locally produced beer/wine/spirits
Onsite barrel-aged drinks
Regional signature cocktails
Culinary cocktails (e.g. savory, fresh ingredients)

For the first time, the What's Hot survey highlights overarching trends to watch in 2015:

Environmental sustainability remains among the hottest trends, with restaurateurs focusing on food waste reduction as a way to both go green and manage rising food costs.
Hyper-local sourcing continues to gain momentum with restaurants including house-made, farm-branded and artisan items.
Children's meals are becoming increasingly gourmet and healthful, as well as more adventurous in flavor profiles.
Ethnic cuisines are continuing to become more mainstream and ethnic ingredients such as cheeses, flour and condiments are increasingly being used in non-ethnic dishes.
Common preparation methods are returning with a new twist, such as pickling with specialty vinegars and fermented flavor profiles.

When asked which current food trend will be the hottest menu trends 10 years from now, environmental sustainability topped the list, followed by local sourcing, nutrition and ethnic cuisines and flavors.

The NRA surveyed 1,276 American Culinary Federation members October-November 2014, asking them to rate 231 items as a "hot trend," "yesterday's news," or "perennial favorite" on menus in 2015.

About the National Restaurant Association
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 990,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of more than 13.5 million employees. We represent the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. We operate the industry's largest trade show (NRA Show May 16-19, 2015, in Chicago); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF's ProStart); as well as the Kids LiveWell program promoting healthful kids' menu options. For more information, visit Restaurant.org and find us on Twitter @WeRRestaurants, Facebook and YouTube.

About the American Culinary Federation
The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the standard of excellence for chefs in North America. With nearly 20,000 members spanning 200 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States, with the Certified Executive Chef®, Certified Sous Chef®, Certified Executive Pastry Chef® and Certified Culinary Educator® designations accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef & Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org. Find ACF on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ACFChefs and on Twitter @ACFChefs.

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SOURCE National Restaurant Association