Five Fascinating Food Presentation Trends Spotted at The Show

Of all of the things that we saw, experienced and heard at Lockhart’s very own catering industry event, The Show, it was the emerging food presentation trends we spotted that excited us the most.

Ben Champkin, one of the young chefs that wowed us with a cooking demonstration at The Show told us that “you eat with your eyes”, and we couldn’t agree more as the Trend Set area introduced us to five fantastic trends in food presentation that will make your food and drinks look as good as they taste. If you weren’t at The Show, read on to discover them for yourselves…

Start ‘pudding’ on the Ritz

Just in time for summer, fruity desserts are being thrust into the spotlight of restaurant menus to celebrate the berries and soft fruits that come into season at this time of year. But of course, taste is just one aspect of these dishes to think about as desserts and puddings allow for so much creativity when it comes to presentation, and as we discovered at The Show, there’s more fun to be had with dessert designs than ever.

From dainty teacups and colourful ice cream sundae glasses to sleek, artfully designed plates from Lockhart’s exclusive new Crème tableware collection, which Ben Champkin used to present his dessert of chocolate and olive oil ganache at The Show, there was dessert presentation inspiration for everyone that will complement any type of pudding that you serve.

Just in the picnic of time

We need no reminder that the British weather is being its usual unpredictable self, and it was little wonder that indoor picnic-style eating proved to be a distinctive theme at The Show. Rustic plates from the Dudson Harvest collection and wooden serving platters and boards took cues from nature itself to help bring the great outdoors, indoors, and also complement the ever-growing trends of street food and sharing platters that all encourage a communal style of eating.

However the picnic-inspired trend was also given a modern twist with contemporary serving bowls and baskets combining geometric metal designs with smooth white ceramic; perfect for more upscale restaurants that don’t want to miss out on the shared and street food trend. There was still a nod to nostalgia however with Dudson Gingham ceramic plates that are ideal for family-oriented establishments.

Out with the old, gin with the new

If cocktails are a large part of your restaurant or bar offering, you can’t miss out on this year’s drinks trend that puts gin into the spotlight. Traditional favourites such as gin and tonics, mixed drinks using innovatively flavoured Botanical Gins and fresh, fruity gin cocktails are currently in high demand, and of course this means that exciting new ways of presenting your gin-teresting drinks have come to the fore.

At The Show we saw elegant and modern twists on familiar glassware silhouettes including martini glasses, rocks glasses and tumblers, plus generously sized ‘balloon glasses’ from the Malea collection by Arcoroc, and even eye-catching copper martini ‘glasses’ that will help you to put your very own finishing touch on your delicious gin creations. And don’t forget the tools to help you whip up a gin-licious storm, such as the Bonzer Heritage cocktail kit that includes all of the spoons, strainers and other gadgets you need.

Grab a pizza the action

Now that 90% of Brits eat pizza at least once a week, either at home or in a restaurant, more establishments are beginning to add slices of this Italian delight to their menus. But with frozen supermarket pizzas now of a better quality than ever, it’s crucial that restaurants make their offering truly worth leaving home for, and at The Show there was a wealth of inspirational ways to present your pizzas that will enhance the experience.

On display were a broad variety of wooden serving boards that are the perfect pair for an artisan pizza, or even a crammed calzone. And to make portioning and serving pizza easy and stylish, the presentation displays were completed with luxurious cutlery and KitchenCraft pizza cutters in a cornucopia of colours to match your establishment’s branding.

Craft ales – they’re beer to stay

At The Show there was an unsurprising focus on craft beers, which have been brewing up a storm here in the UK over the past few years, as more and more drinkers have begun to take a keen interest in the heritages of their beverages and develop an appreciation for exotic micro-brewery creations. For these stand-out craft beers a regular pint glass just won’t do, especially as many of these types of drinks are served in half or three-quarter quantities as standard.

There was an outstanding selection of elegant beer glasses in the innovative Plasma plastic drinkware collection, and the rim-chip guaranteed Glacial glassware collection, both of which are exclusive to Lockhart. But glassware manufacturers know that it’s not just size that matters when it comes to craft beer serving; the type and shape of the glasses is important too as this can in fact influence and enhance the taste of the beers themselves. On display were several different types of glasses that are each designed for a particular type of craft beer, such as IPA, stout, or wheat.

Which of these food presentation trends do you plan to introduce to your establishment to wow your guests? Leave us a comment below, or let us know which other exciting trends you’ve spotted!