Italian takeaway trends in 2020: Who grabbed a pizza the action?
2020 has not been the greatest year for the hospitality industry. Lockdowns have impacted many restaurants and bars, meaning the furlough of staff and reduction of food sales. All restaurants across the whole of London (as well as the UK) have been affected.
London bars, pubs and restaurants have been pivoting during 2020 to generate sales and help ensure their customers continue to enjoy their fantastic food and drink. They’ve been moving to not only offer takeaway but also supplying ingredient kits so customers can enjoy delicious restaurant-quality meals at home.
Some restaurants are even selling cookbooks, mugs and t-shirts to patrons alongside food!
In this article, we are going to shine a spotlight on the Italian eateries across London. What have the trends been during 2020, and what can we expect 2021 to bring to the local food industry?
The Italian food trends of 2020
At Crowbond, we’ve been eyeing the 2020 trends with interest. The developments we’ve seen so far this year are:
An increase in online ordering: Online ordering has been massive in 2020, with restaurants adapting to serve takeaway and delivery food to their loyal clientele. Deliveroo has advised 11,500 new restaurant partners have joined them since the start of March.
An increased demand for comfort food: Customers have been demanding fatty and rich foods to get them through troublesome times, and Italian food fits the bill perfectly.
People across London have craved the comfort of cheesy pizzas and creamy plates of pasta, with sales of pizzas online increasing by 9%.
People choosing more luxurious foods to eat: Customers have been dining out less, so have been ordering more expensive items for special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.
Discount schemes like ‘eat out to help out’ have also enticed diners to choose more high-end items from the menu. For example, orders of seafood have increased by 17% over the year, with steak orders growing by 8%.
Many London restaurants are offering luxury food for delivery so customers can treat themselves to something special. For example, Knightsbridge’s Sumosan Twiga, which specialises in Italian and Japanese fusion food, is offering an eat at home menu for two for £130.
Restaurant food for customers to cook at home: If your restaurant is unable to open to customers, you can provide meal kits for them to make high-quality food at home.
Lina Stores and Padella are selling fresh pasta meal kits through their websites, with Ottolenghi selling bottled cocktails alongside their deli treats!
London-based company Pasta Evangelists offer a subscription service where pasta-lovers can order fresh pasta and sauces of their choice, sent anywhere across the country.
More vegan and plant-based food: It’s estimated 4% of the population will be vegan by the end of 2020.
This year has seen a rise in plant-based options for customers; whether they are going completely vegan or just reducing the amount of meat they eat. When it comes to serving plant-based Italian cuisine in your restaurant, think cheese-free pizza, veggie-filled pastas, chargrilled vegetable antipasto platters and zesty fruit sorbets.
Purezza in Camden is the UK’s first vegan pizzeria, offering both collection and delivery. There are also plenty of Italian restaurants in London that offer extensive vegan options for customers.
What will the trends for Italian food be in 2021?
2021 is still an uncharted year, but we’ve been doing some research in what the trends for the next twelve months will be. Our predictions include:
Sweet and umami tastes: Many food enthusiasts say a sweet and umami flavour combination will be the top taste of 2021. Think salty anchovies, earthy mushrooms and ripe tomatoes partnered with sweet balsamic vinegar or juicy peaches.
We briefly mentioned Sumosan Twiga above; Japanese and Italian fusion restaurants (of which there are a few of in London) do this sweet and umami flavour combo incredibly well!
A return to olive oil: Great news for Italian eateries! Coconut oil has been the trending oil for many years, but in 2021, extra virgin olive oil will be the healthy fat of choice. Imagine it drizzled on salad and pizza and mixed with balsamic vinegar as a delicious dip for ciabatta bread!
The growth of the chickpea: When you think of chickpeas you may think of hummus, but chickpeas (or garbanzo beans as they are known as in Italy) are set to skyrocket in popularity in 2021. In Mediterranean cuisine, you can find them tumbled in pasta or served alongside fish and seafood for a Tuscan-style flavour.
Chickpeas also are great for those with food allergies. Chickpea flour can be used to make pasta suitable for those on gluten-free diets and aquafaba (the liquid leftover from tinned chickpeas) can be used to make egg-free meringues!
Will takeaway food continue to be popular in 2021?
Although restaurants will hopefully open to the public again in 2021, we believe takeaway and delivery food will remain popular.
Not only are customers able to get their favourite restaurant food in the comfort of their own home, but restaurants can reduce their overheads significantly by offering a takeaway service.
We’ll be reviewing our predictions throughout 2021, so keep reading our blog for updates!
Crowbond: Italian food suppliers
If you are looking for high-quality Italian foods at wholesale prices, make Crowbond your destination.
We provide a wide range of fruit and vegetables, oils and herbs as well as an exceptional range of Italian meats and cheeses.
Our range of cheeses are the perfect finish for any pizza or pasta dish, with grated mozzarella for £3.82 per kg and creamy burrata for £1.50.
Try burrata with sliced peaches or roasted tomatoes as a delicious fresh appetiser!
We deliver across the whole of East and Central London, and offer a click and collect service from our depot in East London for smaller orders.
Contact us today to see how we can help boost your restaurant and takeaway services in 2021 and beyond.
References
- https://upserve.com/restaurant-insider/state-of-the-restaurant-industry/
- https://www.townandcountrymag.com/uk/lifestyle/food-and-drink/a31799567/how-to-enjoy-your-favourite-restaurants-during-social-distancing/
- https://uk.deliveroo.news/news/deliveroo-reveals-food-trends-for-2020.html
- https://greenseedgroup.com/food-trends-2021/
- https://www.foodandwine.com/travel/restaurants/biggest-food-trends-chefs-2020
- https://upserve.com/restaurant-insider/pizza-food-trends/
- https://news.italianfood.net/2020/11/03/whole-foods-2021-top-10-food-trends-unveiled/
- https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/what-are-food-trends-for-2020
- https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/fresh-pasta-market-2020-regional-analysis-with-top-countries-data-trends-definition-share-market-size-and-forecast-report-by-2026-2020-11-29
- https://www.standard.co.uk/reveller/restaurants/london-restaurant-trends-2020-vegan-wine-a4329376.html