The 2015 Christmas Food Trends That Will Make Your Menu Sparkle
From switching up serving styles through to special features to reflect the most popular 2015 food trends, here’s the Lockhart Catering run down on the festive food trends that are shining through for the Christmas party season.
Formal vs. informal festivity
For last year’s Christmas parties, we noticed that buffets were being given the formal treatment with many venues serving up swathes of small morsels, canapé style. This year there’s even more movement in the traditional formatting of Christmas menus.
The traditional three-course, ‘sit-down’ Christmas meal is still going strong in plenty of venues, but there is some manoeuvrability within. More businesses are choosing to serve up sharing platters for starters or dessert courses, incorporating these less formal and more social serving options into party offerings. For ease of ordering, delivery and service, lots of restaurants still choose to serve their Christmas menu only throughout the month of December, but increasingly there’s evidence of offering multiple set menus at different price points. This deviation is helping eateries to appeal to different crowds by catering for a wider range of budgets and tastes. Also becoming popular, even in non-food establishments, are ‘Christmas experiences’ or activities such as festive cocktail making classes.
While serving many large parties at once is challenging enough for even the most experienced waiting staff, theatrical elements are also making their way onto the Christmas menu. Elaborate decorations, storytelling and dry ice cocktails as ‘welcome drinks’ add to the festive frost and sparkle and help add ‘wow’ to the Christmas fun.
Reflecting the hottest food trends of 2015
It’s no surprise that some of the firm food favourites of the year have secured spots as 2015 Christmas party food trends. On this year’s festive plates we’ll be seeing veggie favourites cauliflower and kale in roasted, crispy or buttered glory, alongside – or even instead of - the traditional fixings of roasted spuds and sprouts.
Items with heavy Asian influences have also snuck into the starter sections of Christmas menus – don’t be surprised to see steamed buns, kimchi and smaller servings of noodles offered as festive appetisers to take guests’ taste buds on an adventure. Surprisingly, salted caramel has seemingly not met ultimate saturation level as it continues to linger as a dessert and drink flavour, albeit one that’s perfect for the indulgent Christmas season. But at the bar on the whole, the craft drinks revolution continues with beers, gins and other spirits are still going strong.
Some establishments are tapping in on the trend by serving their own festive branded speciality brews or custom distilled spirits – developed in house or in conjunction with local producers. For more inspiration on perfectly pairing the drinks and food on your Christmas menus, take a look at our Ultimate Christmas Food and Drink Matching Guide to help you get started.
Emerging festive elements
Last year we saw the influence of the smoking trend dominating the appetiser section of menus. This year, smoked salmon still reigns supreme though in many instances things are taking more sophisticated turn with rillettes and gravlax replacing paté in popularity. For vegetarians, dishes that make use of mushroom or cheese are still in dominance, though as we have already mentioned kale and cauliflower, as well as artichoke and celeriac are also having their own festive moments.
When it comes to the main event, much like last year, beef still seems to be the most popular alternative to the traditional turkey with steaks and slow cooked meats abounding. Duck is also enjoying some time in the spotlight (or fairy lights) this year, along with salmon and baked whole fish such as sea bass and cod. Risotto is the familiar vegetarian option, though pies, savoury puddings and cakes perhaps seem a little more indulgent. For those who make it to through to dessert, 2015 Christmas food menus promise lots of twists on the traditional Christmas pudding – whether it be a brownie, a sundae, the addition of sticky toffee, or even a drinkable version of the much-loved Christmas pudding! Chocoholics will be pacified with pots; there will be mousses, melting puddings and bombes aplenty and fruit fans will be treated to crumbles and festive streusels.
While mulled drinks are still a festive favourite, this year’s Christmas cocktail menus feature lots of dessert-inspired and sweet-spiced drinks. Think eggnog Martinis, figgy pudding sours and festive spiced Old Fashioned cocktails.
What dishes have been flying off your festive menu? Have you been trying something new this year, and do you have any top tips for the food trends of 2016? We’d love to hear from you, so comment below or join in the conversation on Twitter @BunzlLockhart.
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