The Specialty Food Association's Specialty Food Live! virtually welcomed 16 culinary arts students and their instructor from West Ashley High School. The teens represented the Gen Z point of view as members of a special SFA Trendspotter Panel. The school is affiliated with Bread + Butter, a Charleston, South Carolina, nonprofit dedicated to connecting Charleston’s hospitality with the community at large through staffing and service initiatives.
The students identified the following trends and products:
Eatertainment: 40 Below Joe, frozen beads of coffee and dairy free creamers, from the inventor and founder of Dippin' Dots
Plant-based and gluten-free: Suzie's Organic Pea Couscous, made of green peas, sunflower oil, sea salt, and water
Global travels: Yolele Foods, Inc. Jollof Fonio Pilaf and other varieties; Clark + Hopkins hot sauces in flavors ranging from Laos, Texas, Ethiopia, Kerala, to Chesapeake Bay
No Sugar Added: Butcher's Bunches Handcrafted Preserves, grown up jams and jellies in flavors like Get Your Guav' On! (Pink Guava Paradise) Berrylicious (Mixed Berry Mingle)
"Bread + Butter invites Charleston high school students into the food world and provides culinary training and skills," said Amethyst Ganaway, a professional chef, writer, recipe developer, and SFA Trendspotter who made the introduction to Bread + Butter. "I'm happy to see these students learn about all the ways they can work in food, including product development, food scientist, recipe writing, or even launching their own specialty food line someday. The SFA this year was a great opportunity for a younger generation to be able to see just how vast the food world can be."
The next Specialty Food LIVE! will be held May 10-14, and the next Fancy Food Show will be held in New York at the Jacob Javits Center from September 27-29, 2021.
Related: SFA Trendspotters Reveal Top Trends for 2021; Unexpected Pandemic Trends From SFA Trendspotters.
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