Future food industry trends in Singapore

Future food industry trends in Singapore

The food and beverage industry is one of the biggest sectors in Singapore, and highly creative entrepreneurs are innovating new ideas constantly. The power is still firmly in the hands of consumers, a growing trend globally, and food companies should continue to be very attuned to their needs. It's likely that consumer's concern for healthy foods will increase in the next few years, as well as a desire for ethically produced food - both of which increase the demand for plastic-free products and farm-to-fork ingredients. Consumers also prefer restaurants with smaller menus that focus on a few signature dishes, along with companies that have a strong online presence, so that food can be ordered at the click of a button from an app or website and delivered to your door.

Health and wellness

The consumer focus on health and wellness and the desire for healthy products is likely to grow in the next few years. In particular, non-alcoholic drinks, like kombucha and agua fresca, are increasingly popular as customers focus on improving their gut microbiome and taking care of their health. Restaurants would do well to focus on this trend, and as well as matching alcoholic drinks to menu items, there is an opportunity to provide complimentary mocktails and alcohol-free drinks to attract customers. Consumers are also demanding ethical products and plant-based proteins, with veganism and clean eating still a steadily increasing trend. Generation Z want transparency and to understand where food is made and what it's made from, so clear labelling is a good focus to have.

Plastic-free and zero-waste

Consumers have a heightened awareness of the importance of biodegradable packaging and its impact on our environment, so a trend that will continue is the plastic-free, zero-waste movement. People demand products that minimize packaging and innovations that address this need are sure to flourish. Restaurants can offer plastic-free straws, such as metal or bamboo items, and present food in biodegradable packaging, made of cornstarch and compostable forms of plastic. Operating a food and beverage business from an environmentally friendly standpoint will create a good reputation and increase customer interest, especially from Generation Z and Millennial consumers.

Farm-to-table

In Singapore and all over the world, consumers are increasing their demand for locally sourced products. The farm-to-table movement promotes ingredients grown within a small radius of the consumer, and in Singapore includes products produced island-wide, offshore and in Malaysia. The increase in farm tourism in the Kranji area and desire to educate children on the importance of organic produce shows consumers interest in buying locally grown food from ethical farms. Restaurants can promote ingredients sourced locally, which will increase interest from a range of different customers and also support the city's economy and livelihood of local farmers.

Smaller menus

Many customers prefer restaurants that have signature dishes, and are willing to go out of their way to try them. In a world where increasingly people are bombarded with information and infinite choice, consumers naturally favour this decision being made easier for them, and will pick restaurants with trimmed down menus that sell a few dishes that the venue has perfected. This is also beneficial to the food and beverage establishment as they are able to cut running costs by reducing the amount of ingredients purchased, and are better able to estimate supplies needed. Having a smaller menus allows customers to pick a favourite dish, which makes them more likely to return multiple times.

Online presence

In 2018, the e-commerce trend really hit the food and beverage industry, and this is set to increase further in the years to come. Apps are an excellent way to grow your customer base, as online retail enables you to reach a wider market. Even though demand for fast food and restaurant deliveries is increasing thanks to apps like FoodPanda, Uber Eats, HonestBee and Deliveroo, this doesn't mean brick-and-mortar stores have to miss out, as any business can easily make the switch online, either hosting themselves on one of the apps above or by creating their own, or creating a payment system on their website. Digital forms of payment also decrease labour costs and time spent processing payments on the companies end.