National Restaurant Association Releases Annual Chef Predictions on "What's Hot" for Menu Trends in 2018

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Dec 05, 2017, 10:41 ET

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the National Restaurant Association released its annual survey of 700 professional chefs – members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) – to predict food and beverage trends at restaurants in the coming year.

TOP 5 FOOD TRENDS

New cuts of meat
House-made condiments
Street food-inspired dishes
Ethnic-inspired breakfast items
Sustainable seafood

TOP 5 CONCEPT TRENDS

Hyper-local
Chef-driven fast casual concepts
Natural ingredients/clean menus
Food waste reduction
Vegetable-forward cuisine

"Local, vegetable-forward, and ethnic-inspired menu items will reign supreme in the 2018. Guests are implementing these trends in their own lifestyles and want to see them reflected on restaurant menus. In response, chefs are creating more items in-house and turning to global flavors," said Hudson Riehle, Senior Vice President of Research at the National Restaurant Association.

"Chefs strive to strike the right balance between offering consumers what they want to eat now and guiding them toward new and exciting culinary frontiers," said ACF National President Stafford T. DeCambra, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC. "ACF chefs dedicate countless hours to continuing education and professional development to stay at the forefront of culinary innovation, allowing them to respond to and redefine diners' expectations in an ever-changing foodservice landscape."

For complete survey results, visit www.restaurant.org/foodtrends.

About the National Restaurant Association
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 1 million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of more than 14.7 million employees. For more information, visit Restaurant.org.

About the American Culinary Foundation
The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the standard of excellence for chefs in North America. With more than 17,500 members spanning more than 150 chapters nationwide, ACF is the leading culinary association 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. The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org. Find ACF on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.