From fermented foods to cauliflower crust, foodora dishes on what’s coming next
With local cuisines that differ from province to province, and top chefs that regularly spark international attention, Canada’s food industry is continuing to have its moment. Partnered with over 2,500 restaurants across Canada, foodora, the on-demand food delivery service, caught up with chefs in the kitchen to compile its third annual predictions of the culinary trends Canadian foodies can anticipate to order next year.
“The foodora team loves coming together at the end of the year to see how our previous predictions matched up to our customers’ ordering habits,” said David Albert, foodora Canada Managing Director. “Last year there was an emphasis on health and wellness, and we saw an increase in plant-driven dishes and meat alternatives pop up on our restaurant partners’ menus. We’re excited to join in the conversation on food trends and their evolution for the third year in a row.”
From Vancouver to Quebec City, foodora examined new menu options from restaurant partners and consumer ordering habits to predict the delivery dishes that they expect to take off in 2019. Here’s what foodora’s 2019 Food Trends report predicts Canadians will be having delivered to their doors:
Food replacement hacks
Plant-based dishes invaded newsfeeds and social media in 2018 as more and more Canadians placed an emphasis on eliminating processed and refined foods. foodora forecasts restaurants will see increased demand from customers who want healthy alternatives and dishes with food substitutes that make clean eating easy. Move over kale, cauliflower is the new vegetable of choice. This low-carb vegetable can be substituted for almost any of your favourite carb-heavy meals. Think cauliflower crust pizza, cauliflower fried rice, or cauliflower BBQ wings.
foodora’s foodie pick for 2019: Serving up simple, fresh and local dishes, Romer’s should be at the top of your list to go to for good food. Hop on the cauliflower train and try Romer’s Boneless Red Hot Cauliflower Wings, a Kitsilano favourite slathered in hot sauce and served with ranch dip. At Romer’s, all the food is made from scratch, all the way down to the mayo.
Sustainable satisfaction
Canada’s food industry made sustainable strides this year when Vancouver became the first major city to ban plastic drinking straws. Creating a significant impact on the environment, Canadian consumers are taking notice of restaurants who are enacting waste reduction policies. In 2019,
foodie pick for 2019: More than two-thirds of restaurant partners opt to use foodora’s recyclable paper bags, and customers have the option to ‘Opt-In’ or ‘Opt-Out’ of cutlery from 20 participating restaurant partners across Canada including Lola Rosa and Enoteca Monza Pizzeria Moderna.
Culinary exploration
There are certain dishes that families around the world have been making forever, and these are comfort foods that we are just discovering in Canada. In 2019, foodora predicts consumers will lean toward ordering from restaurants led by chefs who are bringing culinary culture to the table. Meals that were once reserved for only in-restaurant dining, foodora delivers dishes inspired from its restaurant partners’ culinary traditions, bring timeless home-cooked recipes right to the door.
foodie pick for 2019: No one brings Taiwan comfort food to Toronto foodies better than Chop Chop. From boiled and pan-fried dumplings to deep-fried shrimp wontons and mom’s hot and sour soup recipe, this family-run kitchen cooks up Chinese food so good you’ll want to order the whole menu.
Get your gut right
Probiotics landed on lists everywhere in 2018 as the ingredient to watch. With its benefits for digestive health, Canadian consumers were eager to add probiotics to their diet. In 2019, foodora expects gut health to continue to stay top of mind for customers, especially when ordering food delivery. Restaurant partners who experiment with fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi will add flavour to food orders, and kombucha culture will continue to be a craze.
foodora’s foodie pick for 2019: With over 800 different kombucha products available from restaurant partners across foodora’s markets, it’s clear that our customers are drinking to their health. If you’re looking for a delivery option that will bring beneficial probiotics to your door, grab a gourmet salad from Mandy’s and sip on a fermented tea with flavours full of ginger, lemongrass, and mint.
Groceries to go
While mobile ordering has transformed traditional food delivery, in 2018, consumers were still taking daily shopping trips to brick-and-mortar grocery stores. With the mobile ordering predicted to grow into a $38 billion industry by 2020 in North America, foodora anticipates customers will start to demand convenience for all everyday necessities, from pre-packed produce and non-perishable goods, to toiletries and cleaning supplies.
foodora’s foodie pick for 2019: Convenience will never go out of style. In October 2018, foodora began offering delivery from 48 7-Eleven locations across Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton. This means Canadians can get the store’s iconic Slurpee® delivered right to their door.
Dessert, delivered
Don’t get us wrong, Canadians still have a sweet tooth. This year, our Instagram feeds blew up with images of cheesecake and charcoal ice cream. From 2017 to 2018, foodora saw an increase in the number of deliveries from bakery & confectionary partners, including Montreal’s popular La Diperie. Even in the frigid temperatures, customers are craving a sweet treat, and in 2019 foodora expects to deliver desserts even for the health conscious. From vegan ice cream to loukoumades, guilt-free desserts will take off in the New Year.
For interviews with Matt Rice, Head of Marketing at foodora, foodora restaurant partners, or to learn more about foodora’s 2019 predictions, contact press@foodora.ca
About foodora
foodora is dedicated to bringing food lovers around the world their favourite meals from curated local restaurants. Since its creation, the on-demand food delivery service has grown to more than 7,000 partner restaurants in more than 100 cities across 8 countries globally. foodora is active in Austria, Germany, Finland, Norway and Sweden in Europe, as well as Canada. It belongs to Delivery Hero, worldwide leader of the food delivery industry. For more information visit foodora.ca
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