Christmas Food Trends 2017: What to Add to Your Menus This Year

With Christmas just two months away, it’s time to get organised and finalise your restaurant’s festive menus – and naturally, you want your Christmas menu choices to stand out from the crowd so that diners will gladly choose to come and celebrate with you.

In today’s blog post, we look at five inspiring Christmas food trends for 2017 that’ll ensure you make the most of this festive season. Here’s how to make sure your Christmas menus sparkle!

1. Meat free menus

The rise in vegetarianism in recent years has sparked widespread action from caterers, and this festive season is no exception.

With more than 1.2 million people in the UK who are vegetarian, it’s time for a shift in focus from the meat-centred traditions we’re all so accustomed to. So, this Christmas, opt for a veggie-infused menu.

A post shared by Alessandro carnevali (@aletyper) on Nov 22, 2016 at 11:35am PST

Take inspiration from Musa in Aberdeen, a restaurant whose Christmas menu has a tasty vegan option for each course. From sweet-potato and hazelnut croquettes, to dark chocolate and kirsch cherry brownies, their menu is far ahead of the curve. So, this Christmas mix up the seasonal colour palette; think a little more green, and a little less red to reap the rewards of a happy veggie clientele!

2. Channel your inner Gatsby

Livingetc’s lifestyle journalist Neil McLennan suggested glamour will be the cornerstone to this season’s on-trend décor. Golds and silvers in Art Deco prints and gold cutlery are a great scheme for your tableware. To really make your food presentation shine, read our blog on the copper tableware trend for tips on how to incorporate this year’s favourite metallic.

From elegant copper ramekins and Moscow Mule mugs, to copper-trimmed food presentation boards that will be the perfect Christmas table centrepiece, what could be a more perfect backdrop for a tasty Christmas feast than a Gatsby-inspired winter wonderland?

3. Cocktail o’clock

Bartender Tristan Willey of Brooklyn’s infamous Long Island Bar claims that ‘everyone is looking to drink seasonally’ this year. So, it’s not just your food menu that needs a little Christmas sparkle! Add deep, festive flavours such as cinnamon, red wine or cranberries to your cocktail menu.

A post shared by The Long Island Bar (@longislandbar) on Jun 6, 2016 at 4:43pm PDT

You can draw inspiration from the likes of Willey’s Good Tidings cocktail, by adding Cointreau, lemon juice, cranberry juice and allspice to vodka. This creates a classic Collins with a warming twist!

4. Drinking alcohol is so last year

Whilst it’s not yet time to ditch the glassware, Christmas 2017 is bringing new ways to incorporate alcohol-infused food into your menus.

Adding alcohol flavours to your menu is a great twist on the classics this wintery season. Find inspiration from Boston restaurant Salvatore’s. Infamous for their adult-centric menu, they offer Kahlua-marinated braised pork, and Italian cherries soaked in raspberry vodka.

What better excuse than Christmas to make your menu a little intoxicating?

5. A blast from the past

Industry experts have predicted a revival of the 1970s, meaning this year’s restaurant trends are all about black forest flavours!

A post shared by Ottolenghi (@ottolenghi) on Sep 4, 2017 at 1:07pm PDT

Famous chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Bruno Loubet, of the Grain Store in London, have enjoyed this 70s revival - offering Black Forest Battenberg and Black Forest Coupes to their menus. If your menu is lacking in a little 70’s nostalgia, take advantage of this year’s festive trend!

We hope you’ve found our blog useful, and you’re ready for the oncoming festivities! Get organised this year and make a start on your Christmas menu using these top food trends. And if you’re searching for the perfect drinks match for your trends-inspired Christmas menu, take a look at our Ultimate Christmas Food and Drink Matching Guide for inspiration.

We’d love to hear your thoughts. What are your favourite Christmas trends this year? Or are there any other trends that have caught your eye? Leave us a comment below or tweet us @BunzlLockhart.