Reconnecting with food: the trend continues

Article

In August 2016, chef and food journalist Danny Boome shared his vision for people’s relationship to food. He saw a growing number of people who wanted to reconnect with their food and have a better understanding of what they were eating and drinking. How did this trend evolve? 

Food as a lifestyle and a connector
Food has increasingly become a lifestyle and source of connection. Think of the way foodies are willing to stand in line for half an hour for a bakery that sells that one unique sandwich. Your status in life is no longer defined by the expensive watch you wear on your wrist, but by the food choices you make. You are what you eat. Food also has the unique ability to connect people who live in cities with the countryside, seasons, producers, and the traditions of past generations. The ever growing number of food themed festivals suggests the need people have for connection and proves the power of food to reconnect. 



Pyramid of Foodlov
Food Inspiration trendwatchers have visualized this need for reconnection with food. Inspired by the Maslow pyramid, which prioritizes the basic human needs in life, Food Inspiration developed the Foodlov pyramid. This pyramid shows how food entrepreneurs can fill human needs with food.

The Foodlov pyramid in short:

1. At the bottom of the pyramid, food serves as fuel for your body to function. It just has to fill your stomach.
2. On the second level, food transforms from mere nutrition to internal cosmetics that cleanse and heal your body.
3. On the third level, food is about origins and ethics. What we eat is the key to a better world, so it’s a responsible choice.
4. Food is seen as a lifestyle on the fourth level: what you eat reflects who you are.
5. The highest purpose of food is reconnecting. It doesn’t merely fill stomachs. It also feeds souls by repairing the connection between food, producers, the seasons and each other.

Be close to the origins of your product and tell the story
As this trend evolves, food entrepreneurs are looking for ways to reconnect the world with food. They want to be closer to the origins of their ingredients. Many restaurants have their own (urban) farms and vegetable gardens. Meat is processed nose to tail, vegetables are used stem to leaf.

Whether you are working in the sector of bakery, patisserie, or chocolate, it is important to be close to the origins of your ingredients. To reach the people in the highest regions of the Foodlov Pyramid, you should tell interesting stories about the food you offer. For inspiration, read the article on Eataly to learn how they master the art of storytelling, or the article about communication and storytelling.



Interested in how Puratos can help you to reconnect with your customers? Don’t hesitate to contact your local representative.