What Are The Hottest Trends for Canadian Foodie Travellers?

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Canadians just can’t get enough of their craft beer. For the second year in a row, craft beer has taken the top slot on Restaurants Canada's Canadian Chef Survey.

To determine which foodie trends are at their peak in 2016, Restaurants Canada interviewed nearly 500 professional chefs across the country and asked them to list the menu items and cooking methods that are especially popular with customers. Additionally, chefs were asked to identify up-and-coming culinary trends.

So what other foodie items are trending with Canadians this year? Charcuterie and house-cured meats hit the number two position on the list, up from fifth place last year, while ethnic sauces such as sriracha and chimichurri took third place, up from number 10 in 2015.

Many of this year’s top trends are repeats from the 2015 list, although the rankings have shuffled some. New to the 2016 list are "house-made condiments/sauces" and “organic produce,” which bumped “quinoa” and “sustainable seafoods” from the top ten list for the year.

Top Ten Restaurant Trends
1. Craft beer/ microbrews
2. Charcuterie/ house-cured meats
3. Ethnic sauces (e.g. sriracha, raita/raitha, chimichurri, soy sauce)
4. Locally sourced foods (locavore)
5. Food smoking
6. House-made condiments/sauces
7. Gluten-free/food allergy conscious
8. Inexpensive/ underused cuts of meat (e.g. beef cheek, brisket, pork shoulder, skirt steak)
9. Organic produce
10. Leafy greens (e.g. kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens, collard greens, dandelion, beet greens)

When it comes to up-and-coming trends, interestingly none of last year’s up and comers converted into a top trend for this year. Making a repeat appearance on the “up and comers” list are “ancient grains,” “ethnic/street-food-inspired appetizers,” and “unusual/uncommon herbs.”

No longer up or coming are “non-wheat noodles and pasta,” “fewer choices on the menu,” “natural ingredients,” “fermenting,” “natural sweeteners,” “family-style dining” and “vinegar/flavoured vinegar/house-made vinegar,” which all appeared on last year’s list but did not repeat for 2016.

Top Ten Up-and-Comers
1. House-made condiments/sauces
2. Ancient grains (e.g. kamut, spelt, amaranth, freekeh)
3. Alternative pulse proteins (e.g. pigeon peas, cranberry beans, black beluga lentils)
4. Inexpensive/underused cuts of meat (e.g. beef cheek, brisket, pork shoulder, skirt steak)
5. Micro-distilled/artisan liquor
6. Ethnic/street-food-inspired appetizers (e.g. tempura, taquitos)
7. Chef-driven fast-casual concepts
8. Unusual/uncommon herbs (e.g. chervil, lovage, papalo, lemon balm)
9. Ethnic cheeses (e.g. queso fresco, paneer, labneh, halloumi)
10. House-made/artisan pickles

This is the seventh annual Canadian Chef Survey. Research was conducted by independent market firm BrandSpark International between Jan. 11 and Feb. 1, 2016. The survey includes responses from members of Restaurants Canada, the Canadian Culinary Federation, and the industry at large, and was sponsored by Saputo.

Click here to view an infographic of the Top 10 Hot Trends and Top 10 Up-and-Comers.

Canada’s Restaurant Industry: Key Facts

Restaurants Canada has a membership of more than 30,000 foodservice businesses, including restaurants, bars, caterers, institutions and suppliers. The organization maintains an extensive library of industry research and information. Key facts include:

* There are 91,250 restaurants, caterers and drinking establishments in Canada.
* Canada's restaurant industry serves 18 million customers every day.
* Generating C$72 billion in annual sales, Canada’s restaurant industry generates nearly 4 per cent of Canada's economic activity.
* More than 1.2 million people, or 6.9 per cent of Canada’s entire workforce, are employed by the restaurant industry in Canada. It is the nation’s fourth-largest employer.

Canadian Drinking Laws

Need a drink? Restaurants Canada also maintains an infographic of “Wacky but True” drinking laws in Canada, including:

* In Alberta it is illegal to infuse flavours into spirits.
* In PEI, it is illegal to use vulgar or profane language in a bar.
* In New Brunswick, restaurant patrons are not allowed to stand while drinking beer, wine & spirits.

For more information, visit www.restaurantscanada.org. 

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