TheBulletin.ca Journal of Downtown Toronto
Chefs across the country have made their picks. Here’s what’s hot for 2017 according to Restaurants Canada:restaurant trends
- Craft beer/microbrewsrestaurant trends
- Food smokingrestaurant trends
- Charcuterie/house-cured meats
- Sous viderestaurant trends
- Locally sourced foods (Locavore)
- Gluten-free/food allergy conscious
- Sustainable seafood
- Ethnic condiments (e.g. Sriracha, raita/raitha, chimichurri, soy sauce, sambal)
- Pickling
- Asian twists on condiments (e.g. Sriracha ketchup, kimchi mayo)
“Craft beer continues to dominate, but new trends are breaking ground,” says Shanna Munro, Restaurants Canada’s President and CEO. “The restaurant industry is always innovating and experimenting with different flavour palettes to push the boundary.”
“Trends come and go, but these solid, innovative products are here to stay and grow,” says Chef Charlotte Langley, culinary curator for RC Show 2017, an annual industry gathering taking place this weekend in Toronto. “Watch for fermented and fresh-to-go options. Seaweed is in, so we can give our oceans a break. It’s an ethically sourced product that’s great for you and our food economy.”
Chefs and restaurateurs will be able to see and sample these top menu items and more at the annual RC Show, presented by Restaurants Canada, Feb. 26 – 28, at the Enercare Centre in Toronto.
New for Canada’s 150th: Iconic Canadian foods
Nothing says Canadian like maple syrup. New this year, chefs were asked to name the quintessential Canadian food. And the winners are:
- Maple syrup
- Poutine
- Beef/Alberta beef
About the survey
More than 560 professional chefs participated in Restaurants Canada’s eighth annual Canadian Chef Survey, conducted by independent market research firm BrandSpark International between January and February. Restaurants Canada, the Canadian Culinary Federation, Terroir, and the industry at large took part. The survey was sponsored by Saputo.
Restaurants Canada is a growing community of 30,000 foodservice businesses, including restaurants, bars, caterers, institutions and suppliers. We connect our members from coast to coast, through services, research and advocacy for a strong and vibrant restaurant industry. Canada’s restaurant industry directly employs 1.2 million Canadians, is the number one source of first jobs, and serves 18 million customers every day.
— Prasanthi Vasanthakumar
