Four culinary trends for 2024

As a brand communications agency in the luxury travel and hospitality space, MAIA is proudly passionate about all things food. Each year brings a new wave of culinary trends to the industry – from up and coming ingredients set to grace menus, to delicious changes shaking up the restaurant scene – and 2024 will be no different. 

Here are four food and beverage trends to get hungry for in 2024. 

The future is female
In a historically male-dominated environment, female chefs, mixologists, and business owners are solidifying their spot in the F&B industry across the globe. Closing the gender gap has been an ongoing challenge for female culinary professionals, however with each new year we are seeing more and more women not only just make their mark within the hospitality space, but dominate it.  

According to a ‘Food Report 2024’ by leading food trend researcher Hanni Rützler, these ‘female connoisseurs’ are bringing a distinct edge to their work by focusing on sustainability, the future and wellbeing as well as fostering healthy, happy team structures.  

Power of plants 
It’s been a pillar of every food trend round-up for the past few years and will be another big thing on your plate in 2024.  

Bolstered by an ongoing movement to care for people and planet, this coming year will bring even better plant-based meat substitutes as well as a look at how we can lessen the load of one our world’s post precious resources with faux fish. 

But perhaps the most significant plant-based trend will be a shift towards keeping things simple. Expect to be eating more vegetables, as well as plant-based food made with real plants (welcome back, veggie burger!). 

Waste not, want not
Food waste. It’s a problem.  

But one that will continue to be tackled in 2024. Restaurants and food retailers around the globe are fighting the food waste fight, with a goal to significantly decrease the amount of produce that ends up in bins instead of mouths.  

In November 2023, the UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Mariam Bint Mohammed Almheiri announced the ‘Ne’ma Food Loss and Waste Reduction Roadmap’ – a powerful action plan to drastically reduce food loss and waste across the country by 50% by 2030. The plan includes mapping hotspots of food waste, systemic gaps, how to achieve circular ecosystems, and best practices within the F&B industry.  

With governments driving the change, there’s hope that the world-wide issue of food waste will one day be a thing of the past.  

Cleaner caffeine
Whether it’s the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning or your secret to getting through the 3pm slog, we’ll be seeing ‘clean caffeine’ become a trend in 2024.  

In a report by Whole Foods, you can except a better buzz as caffeine and energy drinks will branch into the likes of prebiotic green tea, organic coffee with mushrooms, and cold brew with a L-theanine (a fancy amino acid).