From Prawn Cocktail and Roasted Pork Crown back in the 1970s and 1980s, to the faddish South Beach and Atkins diets at the turn of the century, culinary geniuses (and others) are constantly trying to ensure that they don’t miss out on trends that consumers will follow.

New York is a prime example of keeping up with the cooking, as executive chef of New Leaf Restaurant in New York City, Kenneth Welch, indicated in a recent interview with Thursday Life. “I see a continued trend, with some nuance, towards increased quality, convenience, and value,” he stated. Chef Welch pointed out that supermarket outlets are achieving all three, but Whole Foods probably balances these factors the best, hence the reason they can justify their higher prices. Having worked as a private chef for many years, he is convinced that customers value the consistently good produce, which is locally sourced, coming from a place like Whole Foods.

“Our customers at New Leaf also appreciate quality and locality,” Welch continued. “They want dishes with particular seasonal and local ingredients, and the questions these customers ask, while looking at the menu, suggest a fairly sophisticated understanding of products and techniques.” Chef Welch has noted an increase in what New Leaf’s guests are willing to spend, which “tracks closely with the incrementally better economic outlook reported in the press. I am betting on a 2014 restaurant scene well populated with sophisticated consumers ready to spend a little more for higher quality, even if it’s a little more out of their way”. While money is the major player in a diner’s choices, “a desire to be doing the best, having the best, and squeezing the most from life” are all contenders in the trend equation.

Interestingly, Jamaica’s very own Chef Brian Lumley, of 689 by Brian Lumley, was thinking along the same lines when we caught up with him. He believes that the international culinary scene is certainly influencing Jamaicans: “There are so many bloggers out there, and social media sites like Instagram,” that people are experimenting with food more, and trying to outdo one another.”

This will continue to escalate throughout this year, catering executive Theo Smith of Great House Caterers predicts: “A picture says a thousand words, and a picture of your meal doesn’t just say what you are eating, It can say what a good cook you are (or not), it can say how great a restaurant may be, how amazing the food at an event may be, or even how fresh the produce may be at the nearest farmers’ market. So why say it, when you can prove it with a quick snap of your smartphone?” he asked rhetorically.

Gariel Ferguson, chef and owner for G’s BBQ, believes that, “Better versions of what’s commonly available will be the new trend to follow. For instance, we need to step up the burger game. Right now we see it as fast food, but we can make it more like the ‘Five Guys: burgers & fries’ and ‘Shake Shack’ chains abroad, and even do something a little more artisanal with the too familiar chicken,” he suggested. Ferguson even hinted that pork will be on the up, due to purveyors being “more serious about their cuts.” He added that affordable seafood will also take a piece of the trendy pie. “With Fish Pot setting a great standard for seafood, at excellent prices, the competition they have created will force other restaurateurs to get real with their fish,” he insisted. His final prediction for 2014 is mini desserts. “That way customers can mix and match all on one plate,” Ferguson recommended.

Of course, economics affects the success of Jamaican restaurants, but Lumley has observed that the same people who may not be freely spending in restaurants, are still going into supermarkets and splurging on ingredients to experiment with at home, so they can impress their social media followers. That said, restaurants will need to survive in this economic climate. In order for that to happen, Gariel Ferguson foresees an ever-increasing interest in local seasonal cuisine. “Out-of-season produce is not ideal, based on costs alone,” Ferguson declared, “so we all need to move away from imported foods.”

Lumley (and others) has noted that, “Jamaicans are becoming very health conscious, opting for green juices and vegetables, in particular, kale, spinach, squash, green beans and organic mix salad. Coffee and passionfruit are also trendy ingredients to use.”

Smith added, “Some of the international food trends I see developing in Jamaica in 2014, due to our exposure through travel and media, is the use of kale, which has been here from 2013 but not so widespread. Also the use of quinoa, is slowly emerging.” The latter is a gluten-free grain that is delicious hot or cold, used in place of rice, couscous or bulgur wheat. “Another trend I believe might be growing on us locally is the gluten-free trend,” he continued. “We have a few gluten-free products on the market, and from experience I see more customers requesting gluten-free menu items.

Where does one source the freshest of produce? “The farmers’ market needs to come back, as it has real economic value to this country,” Lumley insisted.

English-Jamaican Dennis McIntosh, who is the executive chef at Rio Nuevo Village in St Mary is a big supporter of the farming community here, and he hopes that the trend will indeed lean towards chefs having local farmers grow food, especially for their restaurants and upcoming events. “Our fresh local produce is far superior to what we import,” Chef McIntosh boasted, “and we generally have good rainfall to ensure that.”

Corporate Executive Chef for Couples Resorts Stefan Spath agrees that, “The focus has to be on what we grow locally.” Spath added that, “We need to get back to basics, cooking simple and fresh food that has not been played with so much.” He cited the simplicity of a meal he recently ate in Manhattan at Michelin star Chef Jean-George Vongerichten’s ABC Kitchen, where “I had a lovely lunch”, he told us. “I was amazed at how simple everything was, even down to the tuna sashimi plate, which had hardly been touched. This is the way forward,” he advised.

Smith concurs that it is once again fashionable to “eat local, eat fresh, and eat seasonable”, which is absolutely better for the local economy. He has also seen an increased desire for interactive food stations within all culinary events and establishments: “People are intrigued to see how their meals are prepared, who is preparing it, and to be there step by step to see the action, not to mention when they get to do some of it themselves. Though not new, more people are “hopping on board this trend”, Smith said. “Not long ago it was just hotels and some restaurants that did this, like sandwich franchises that allow you to choose what you want every step of the way. Now we have pizza restaurants that let you watch your pizza being made every step of the way, candy and frozen yogurt stores giving customers the ability to mix and match whatever and however they want. This trend will continue to grow in 2014, because nothing is more inviting than giving someone the power to choose what and how much they want.”

Chef McIntosh is right there with Smith on this one. “A chef will be cooking a steak, for instance, and the customer will be there watching everything, so the chef will ask how the customer likes it done, what he (or she) wants to accompany it, with regard to sauces and sides,” Chef McIntosh explained to Thursday Life. “By the end, the customer has gotten exactly what he (or she) wants, and is 100% satisfied.”

Chef Lumley has also indicated that he “would want to see more Jamaican and Caribbean flavours in our restaurants, with chefs experimenting with the spices from all over the region”. McIntosh informed us that international chefs are actually combining different spice elements in food and beverage, and chefs in the United Kingdom are starting to use thyme and pimento in their creations.

Chef George “Cheffie” Fowler, co-owner and executive chef at Calypso Grill in Grand Cayman, is all for Jamaica’s style. English by birth, Cheffie left his country 35 years ago and has worked as an executive chef throughout the Caribbean, including Jamaica. “I wish more Caribbean people would just do their thing and cook good quality, simple, local food,” he tells Thursday Life. At his restaurant, of 14 years, 90 per cent of what they sell from their menu is fish. “Fish caught here, like wahoo and mahi-mahi, have to be the trend, whether you prepare them in a French sauce, or simply grilled. You can’t go selling salmon on the menu, as we don’t catch that here.” The experienced chef reckons Jamaica’s ‘street-food’ (and beach food) approach to cooking is the way forward.

Perhaps Cheffie is right to a large extent, but international exposure influences our interests. Alessandra Bartolini Misir, owner of Caffe da Vinci in Market Place, is seeing a steady trend for different styles of cuisine in Kingston. “Jamaicans want Mexican, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and now even a Greek restaurant has opened in Kingston. However, they have become more health conscious. Jamaicans also like to go out for lunch, but it has to be fast, so quick lunches, takeout, or delivery work best for them,” she continued. Chef Lumley agrees that Jamaicans do want the convenience of fast food at their fingertips. Bartolini trusts that the Mediterranean diet (salads, pasta, fish, fresh herbs, olive oil), with calorie control, which is to be demonstrated at her new Deli, will become very popular, because it will tie health and time-saving neatly together.

According to personal chef and caterer Michele Vig, who lives in Toronto, people in the cold north are all about health too. “Consumers are more aware of where their food comes from, and they want to make sure that their foods are healthy, safe, and made from quality ingredients,” Vig informed Thursday Life. “Parents are also more conscious of what their children are eating. The local, seasonal and organic trend is on the rise. More vegetables, less meat, and gluten-free foods, like quinoa, have become more accessible,” she enlightened us.

Chef Spath has observed that guests at Couples understand a lot more about their bodies and what foods will help them maintain good health. “As a result, the vegetarian movement will be rising,” he said. “In the past, at culinary competitions, we were all cooking aspic. Things have changed now. It’s big chunky vegetables all thrown in a pan and roasted with some chunky garlic and onions, and torn herb leaves.”

It is apparent that provided we eat healthy, seasonal and local produce, fish and meat, then we’ll be in complete food fashion, no matter where we live…thanks to social media?

Emmadaltonbrown@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter & Instagram: @JamaicaEmma

SIDEBAR: WHO ELSE IS PREDICTING 2014 TRENDS?

1. Huffington Post 2014 food trends include: cauliflower, salt, quinoa, Asian noodle dishes, salted caramels, flavoured waters, coconut, doughnuts and burgers.

2. Food Network’s 7 Healthy Food Trends for 2014: cauliflower; local and sustainable fish, meats and produce; smaller plates, smaller prices; high-protein breakfast like Greek yoghurt and eggs; home-made soda; allergy-friendly foods; and chili!

3. Forbes’ 12 Hottest Food Trends for 2014: locally sourced everything; veggies galore like onions, tomatoes and local mushrooms; healthier kids’ meals like apples, yoghurt and baked fries; gluten-free food; instant ice-cream, using a liquid nitrogen-fuelled freezing process; nuts in all meals; better quality pizza; chicken wings; upscale comfort food; mashup dishes like dessert pizza; Umami, known as the ‘fifth taste’, which is in salt, sauces and burgers; baked biscuits, which will be used to hold sandwiches and burgers together.

4. The National Restaurant Association in the USA surveyed 1,300 professional chefs for their ‘What’s Hot 2014 Culinary Forecast’, and the Top 20 Food Trends includes: locally sourced meats & seafood; locally grown produce; environmental sustainability; healthful kids’ meals; gluten-free cuisine; nose-to-tail/root-to-stalk cooking (no waste); ethnic-inspired breakfast items; grazing (small-plate sharing).

5. Jean-George Vongerichten is going for simple food, lightly seasoned and hardly touched – seafood, kale and vegetables in general.

6. Emerging Food Trends in the UK for 2014 include: baking – with the TV show The Great British Bake Off on air, classics like scones, lemon drizzle cake, pastry buns and Victoria sponge; gourmet burgers; marshmallows; vegetable fries; buffalo chicken wings; quinoa; pan-Asian food; pickles; Brazilian cuisine.

Captions:

Dennis McIntosh, executive chef at Rio Nuevo Village in St Mary, says that the big food trend for 2014 has got to be local farmers and chefs working together.

Chef/patron Gariel Ferguson of G’s BBQ is predicting that affordable seafood will be on restaurant menus this year, thanks to the opening of Fish Pot.

Executive Chef Kenneth Welch, at New Leaf Restaurant in New York City, is prepared for a food-sophisticated clientele in New York this year – people who are willing to spend just a little more money for better quality food.

Stefan Spath, the corporate executive chef for Couples Resorts, says that the number one food trend for 2014 is to have food ‘be prepared simply, and played with as little as possible’

Brian Lumley of 689 by Brian Lumley says that Social Media, like Instagram, facilitates food trends to transcend globally and reach Jamaica.

Alessandra Bartolini Misir, owner of Caffe Da Vinci, predicts a very healthy 2014!

Co-owner and Executive Chef of Calypso Grill in Grand Cayman, George “Cheffie” Fowler, strongly believes that the Caribbean chefs should be sticking to cooking fish caught in our waters in order to be on trend!

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Personal Chef & Caterer in Toronto Canada, Michele Vig sees a growing trend for gluten-free products and a need for more lactose-free items in Toronto:

Catering Executive of Great House Caterers, Theo Smith, is all about Interactive Cooking when it comes to 2014 Food Trends:

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