Welcome to the Food Trends module of the Diploma in Cookery Level 5. During this module you will examine existing and upcoming trends which affect customer demands for hospitality products and which directly impact on what the industry offers and how the offer is delivered.
Food Trends is a critical topic for hospitality operations. If a business does not change to reflect evolving customer tastes and keeping up with industry developments it will soon be left behind, resulting in declining profits and a dwindling customer base.
The Covid-19 global pandemic has been an enormously disruptive factor in many industries, and hospitality has been particularly hard hit world-wide. Many food businesses have been forced to change the way they prepare and deliver food to remain viable and this shows how important it is for our industry to recognise and respond to changing circumstances.
We look in detail at how four key factors influence what customers want from a food business – both in terms of the actual food, but also how it is presented to customers (ingredient sourcing, packaging, ethics, marketing etc). The factors examined are: Internet/Social Media, Food Production, Restaurant Trends and Eating Habits. In analysing these topics we will discover and discuss some real world examples of how each affects customer food choices, and how a food business can take advantage of trends and developments to remain relevant and profitable.
There is one 5-credit written assessment, to be submitted to Turnitin by the date shown on your 5 week planner. Your tutor will remind you and advise you of the cut-off time for submission and of the submission date and time of the checkpoints.
There are three parts to the assessment. Initially you will define what is meant by the terms ‘trends and developments’ and find examples to illustrate your understanding.
The second task forms the largest part of the assessment, where you research and analyse global trends and developments and their influence on food and cooking in commercial hospitality establishments. In task 3 we look at how some of these globally-recognised food trends and developments have changed aspects of the New Zealand commercial hospitality industry.
The only constant is changeGreek philosopher Heraclitus
This is a well-known saying, attributed to Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus around 500BC.
Food Trends examines the changes in tastes, desires, knowledge, ethics and circumstances which drive customers to seek new food and beverage products and how these changing tastes are promoted and marketed.
Exercise 1: Forum Activity
What do you think this saying means? What changes in the way we live have you noticed during your lifetime so far? What about changes in food – ingredients, how it appears in the media, how we get it to our door etc? Think of at least one food trend from the past few years which you think will last a long time and one which has either disappeared or you think will not last. Share your thoughts with your classmates
Learning Outcomes - Module 3
7.1 Evaluate trends in food and cooking within commercial hospitality environments
| Daily Planner | |||||
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| Week 1 |
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Trends vs Developments |
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Internet:
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| Self Directed Learning | Identify 5 current or recent food trends and 5 current or recent fads.(1) |
Developments over past 20 years that assist food businesses. Task 1 Research. |
Draft Task 1 – definitions, explanations and examples of Trends and Developments. |
Social Media - Platforms useful to a food business. Submit Task1 to Checkpoint 1. |
No SDL Fridays (4 hours per week) |
| Week 2 | Internet- Utilisation by hospitality businesses cont. | Silo Restaurant – Case study. | Food Production - Stages in the Process. | Food Production - Systems & Sustainability. |
Food Production - Technology in food production methods |
| Self Directed Learning | Complete Ex 4. Find examples of hospitality operations utilising Social Media effectively-Task 2(1) |
Continue research and planning for Task 2 Social Media. Modify Task 1 as indicated by tutor in Checkpoint 1 feedback. |
Complete Task 2 (1) Social Media. Research Task 2 (2) Food Production section by watching technology and ethics videos. |
Carbon footprint interactive quiz. | No SDL Fridays (4 hours per week) |
| Week 3 |
Case Study – Drone Technology |
Food Production – Ethics & Workers’ Rights. |
Ethics in Food Trade. Implications of rising consumer awareness. |
Ethics and animal welfare. Trends in meat consumption. | Café Scenario – ingredient choices - food quality and sustainability. |
| Self Directed Learning | Research examples for Task 2 (2) Food Production. Watch video, identifying relevant topics to hospitality. https://www.bbc.com/future/bespoke/follow-the-food/ |
Working conditions of agricultural workers and impact on hospitality industry. Continue working on Task 2 (2) Food Production. |
Price comparison of Fair Trade products. Continue working on Task 2 (2) Food Production. |
Research trends in meat production. Complete Task 2(2) Food Production. |
No SDL Fridays (4 hours per week) |
| Week 4 |
Other Food Production Influences. |
Food Trends and Developments – Specific impact on NZ hospitality scene. |
Restaurant Trends – Technology. Changes to the way food is prepared and served in hospitality operations. |
Restaurant Trends - Authentic Cooking Styles & Ingredients Case Study - Guajarati Rasoi |
Authenticity Trends Regional Specialisation of a cuisine. New Ethnic Cuisines - Bati Ethiopian Kitchen Case Study |
| Self Directed Learning | Find examples to include in your Task 2 (3) Restaurant Trends (Set aside any NZ examples for Task 3). | Research, plan and gather examples for Task 2 (3). Save links for referencing. | Watch video about authenticity in preparation for next session. Continue working on Task 2 (3). | Complete Task 2(3) Restaurant Trends | No SDL Fridays (4 hours per week) |
| Week 5 | Cooking Developments – New Ingredients | Eating Habits - Weight loss, therapeutic and plant-based diets. |
Other Eating Habits
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Factors influencing Eating Habits. Growing middle class. |
China – effect of growing wealth on dining options and food styles served. |
| Self Directed Learning | Research, planning, writing and gathering examples for Task 2 (4). | Continue research, planning, writing and gathering examples for Task 2 (4). | Review Task 3 requirements. Research NZ examples of Trends and Developments. for use in Task 3 | Effects of growing middle class on hospitality industry. Complete Task 2 (4) Eating Habits | No SDL Fridays (4 hours per week) |
| Week 6 |
Changing Food Distribution Strategies |
Trends & Developments in Local Distribution. | Sign off all paperwork for Assessment 7.1 | Tutor-led module wrap-up Sign off all paperwork for Assessment 7.1 | N/A |
| Self Directed Learning |
Watch videos on robotic and drone food delivery. Continue working on Task 3. |
Continue planning and writing Task 3. Continue improving all Tasks ready for final submission. |
Continue improving all Tasks ready for final submission. Complete Task 3 |
No SDL Submit complete final written assessment to Turnitin |
N/A |
