30 food and beverage trends for 2024

Influential chefs and food experts spotlight culinary fashions that will whet our appetites this year. 

1. Bubbly in a can

Her name is Chateau Del Rei and she’s the girl she thinks she is. This canned sparkling wine is available in several flavours, including Sweet White, Rosé, and Sweet Red. Adored for its lower alcohol content, it’s perfect for outdoor vibes — think open-air concerts, picnics, or intimate gatherings.

2. Mindful eating

The healthy, mindful consumption and creation of food are becoming ever more important.

3. Social-media food challenges

Viral recipes create food challenges, such as the Flying Dutchman bun-less “burger” that dominated our #fyp (For You Page) on TikTok.

4. Mocktails

These are no longer just sugary non-alcoholic drinks but rather options with well-considered recipes and perfect presentation.

5. Shared plates

Globally, food prices continue to rise and restaurants are responding. Large, shared plates allow consumers to save money.

6. Gin o’clock

This old faithful is not going anywhere anytime soon.

7. Looking to Asia

After the dominance of matcha, the next culinary sensation could also be a food from Asia — boba, for example, has already become entrenched locally.

8. Plant-based innovation

“Expect to see innovative plant-based meat alternatives, dairy-free cheeses, and creative vegetable-forward dishes that appeal to vegans and omnivores alike” — Zakhele Ndlozi, executive sous chef at Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom.

9. Global fusion

“Chefs are drawing inspiration from diverse culinary traditions to create fusion dishes that blend flavours, techniques, and ingredients from different cultures. In South Africa, this trend could manifest in dishes that combine local ingredients and flavours with influences from Asian, Middle Eastern, or Latin American cuisines” — Ndlozi.

10. Zero-waste cooking

“Expect to see menus featuring nose-to-tail cooking for meat, as well as dishes that repurpose often-discarded ingredients such as fruit peels, vegetable scraps, and stale bread. In South Africa, this trend may align with traditional practices of using all parts of an animal or plant in cooking” — Ndlozi.

11. Tech-driven dining experiences

“Technology continues to play a significant role in the culinary world, from advanced kitchen gadgets to immersive dining experiences. Chefs may incorporate techniques such as sous vide cooking, 3D food printing, or molecular gastronomy to create visually stunning and scientifically precise dishes.

Additionally, expect to see restaurants leveraging augmented reality or virtual reality to enhance the dining experience, transporting guests to virtual landscapes or providing interactive storytelling alongside their meals” — Ndlozi.

12. Hyper-local ingredients

“In South Africa, this could mean highlighting indigenous ingredients such as rooibos tea, buchu or ostrich meat, as well as supporting small-scale producers and sustainable farming practices” — Ndlozi.

13. Mushrooms & legumes

“Ingredients and products such as mushrooms, grains, nuts, seeds, pulses, and legumes will shine, and chefs may create dishes such as nutty legume burgers” — Shaun Munro, executive chef at Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani.

14. Foraging chefs

“Chefs are foraging more for food and ingredients” — Munro.

15. Fermented foods

“Naturally fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchee, and other pickled foods are becoming more popular” — Munro.

16. More organic ingredients

“Classic ingredients are out, with less use of cream, butter, etc and more use of ingredients such as turmeric, kombucha, herbs, and natural spices and seasoning (no artificial/MSG)” — Munro.

17. Martinis

“… in particular espresso martinis” — Munro.

18. Urban produce

“Urban agriculture produces healthy foods that contribute to food and nutrition security. It plays a role in the social and cultural fabric of communities, contributes to community economic development, and promotes environmental sustainability” — Chef Peter Ayub from Sense of Taste Chef School in collaboration with B-well. 

19. Climate-consciousness

“We need to minimise waste and choose to use products that have a minimal impact on the environment, including products that are easily recyclable or biodegradable, or reusing items that would otherwise be thrown away” — Ayub.

20. More transparent labelling

“A transparent food brand should provide its consumers with information on the product’s ingredients, sourcing, production process, sustainability, and so on” — Ayub. 

21. Mediterranean diet

“Customers are more conscious about what they consume, and Mediterranean food delivers [in terms of] the palate, eye, and texture” — Michelle Biondi, head chef at Aurum Restaurant and Alto234.

22. Gluten-free

“Gluten-free is here to stay, and more and more people are asking for this” — Georgina Hill, executive chef at Wild Coast Sun. 

23. Lifestyle-friendly options

“Generally healthier options accommodate the trend of active, healthy lifestyles, which include a healthy diet. People want fresh vegetables (preferably locally sourced), leaner cuts of meat, and more calorie-conscious meals” — Hill.

24. Affordable dining

“Because of food inflation, people are looking for delicious meals that are priced right” — Hill.

25. Sorghum

“The beauty of sorghum is that it is cost effective and very versatile, and can be used to make savoury or sweet dishes” — Nandile Mtshaha, chef lecturer at Capsicum Culinary Studio.

26. “Bougie bread”

“These are made from different coloured doughs that can be laminated and layered with chocolate or strawberry preserve” — Larozaan van Zyl, chef at Capsicum Culinary Studio. 

27. Vegan desserts

“Vegan desserts will be big, as will dairy-free and gluten-free versions” — Van Zyl.

28. Smaller cakes

“Consumers are gravitating towards more stylised, elevated desserts, while celebration cakes will become smaller” — Van Zyl.

29. Different shapes

“Desserts are also shifting shape, with the cube gaining in popularity and the ever-popular pie popping up as a square” — Van Zyl.

30. “Newstalgia”

“Grandma’s recipes are so trendy right now, but they are slightly elevated” — Van Zyl.