Happy new year, and welcome to a new decade! We've made it through the 2010's, the decade of unicorn food, freakshakes, halloumi, sriracha and The Cronut. The rise of social media has had a profound effect on both our expectations for food, and the lengths we're willing to go to to get our hands on a new trending dish, pushing restaurants to come up with more and more inventive offerings. But what does 2020 have in store for us foodies? We’re taking a look at some of the most searched for food on Eaten and making our predictions for what will be the best (and worst!) food trends of the year.

 

 

 

Boozy Kombucha 

 

Kombucha has been HUGE this year. Forbes have named it as the fastest growing product in the functional beverages market, and internet searches for ‘DIY kombucha’ kits have, quite literally, skyrocketed. Standard Kombucha is made by fermenting tea and sugar, which gives it a teeny bit of an alcohol kick (around 0.5% ABV, to be precise) but producers have amped up the fermentation process to create a far boozier version. Alcohol that’s actually good for us?! Yes please. 

 

 

Doughnuts

 

Doughnuts have had somewhat of a hiatus in popularity over the last few years. The last decade has seen us become far more mindful of what we are putting into our bodies, and doughnuts are often hailed as the poster child for everything sugary, greasy and deep fried. However, the food gods seem to have mastered the art of making a ‘healthier’ doughnut, and they are back with a bang in 2020. Think sugar free, vegan, GF… doughnuts have had a serious upgrade and are ready to reclaim their crown as king of the comfort food.

 

See our eaten guide to the best doughnuts in London

 

 

‘Meat’ burgers

 

The astronomical rise of veganism in the 2010’s cannot be over exaggerated, and food producers have caught on to the fact that a single bean patty or forlorn mushroom just isn’t gonna hack it anymore. Cue the creation of ‘fake’ meat: patties that taste, look and feel exactly like the real thing, even down to the bleeding effect of a rare beef burger. They have previously only been found in restaurants (burger king, honest burger, and GBK all have their own version of impossible burgers) but in 2020 it’s going to be a lot easier (and cheaper!) to find these babies in your local supermarket.

 

See where to find the best vegan burgers on Eaten

 

 

 

 

Squid ink

 

We’ve seen many different quirky ways of colouring food in the last few years (remember the activated charcoal trend?) but it seems that squid ink is going to be a thing in 2020. We’ve seen more and more Eaten users searching for squid ink pasta, burgers, and even pizza dough. Squid ink certainly looks dramatic and gives a very rich, salty brine-like flavour.

See our top Eaten picks of where to find it here. 

 

 

Nut butters 

 

If you think nut butters have peaked in 2019, time to think again. Huge demand for healthy, more environmentally sustainable spreads have seen sales of the high protein food exceed even chocolate spread and marmalade. Producers have become even more inventive with what they can make butter out of, so get ready to see chickpea, watermelon seed, argan oil and even pumpkin butter all making their debuts this year.

 

 

 

Collagen water

 

We’re scratching our heads a little at this one. Despite multiple studies from dermatologists stating that it’s literally impossible to absorb the collagen proteins in a way that would make any difference at all, google searches and sales of powders, pills, butter and collagen water are all on the rise. Whilst we love the idea of a magical wonder drink making us look younger, save your money, kids. They really aren’t going to do anything for you. 

 

 

 

Brussel sprouts 

 

If you (like any sane person) detest brussel sprouts and are very happy to see them quarantined to a single day of the year, we have extremely bad news for you. Brussel sprout sales have been steadily increasing over the last five years, and are set to undergo a renaissance in foodie culture. Sprouts have been compared with kale in terms of health benefits and are becoming a fashionable choice for both restaurants and consumers alike. Yeah, we’re not convinced either. 

 

 

 

Insta food porn 

 

The insta hype food trend just won’t go away. Every year, millions of food pictures are posted online, and hashtags like ‘foodporn’ and ‘forkyeah’ still dominate the instagram foodie scene. The result? Restaurants creating food that looks beautiful (think rainbow bagels, mermaid toast and sushi doughnuts) but really doesn’t live up to the hype in terms of taste. For food that you’ll really want to shout about, try searching on Eaten instead. 

 

 

Brunch 

 

Don’t get us wrong, we love a good brunch as much as the next person. However, with restaurants all competing to offer something new to the brunch scene, classic brunch dishes have been somewhat sidelined in favour of breakfast bowls, acai and everything smashed avo, all served on wooden boards with water-filled jam jars. We know it’s all very hipster millennial-chic, but we just find ourselves missing a good ol’ fry up. 

 

Do you agree? See the best brunches in London here.

 

Flavoured Lattes

 

Green matcha lattes were big this year but their sister, blue matcha lattes (made from butterfly pea powder), are set to have their day in 2020. The taste is certainly less controversial than matcha, but unfortunately unlike matcha has far fewer health benefits. Along with butterfly pea powder, expect to see both mushroom and broccoli powder lattes making an appearance on the foodie scene this year. Yummy.  

 

 

 

Are you looking forward to trying these foods in 2020? Let us know your own predictions in the comments!