Paul Hargreaves, chief executive at food wholesaler Cotswold Fayre, has noted four key trends he predicts will continue to grow next year – premium alcoholic drinks, non-alcoholic drinks, meat-reducing diets and high protein products.

Premium alcoholic drinks Paul says: “Craft beers and ciders as well as premium spirits have seen tremendous growth during 2017 and this is set to continue in 2018.  More and more new brands are setting up small distilleries and breweries to enter the market as it is easier than ever to do so. Vodka is even said to be the new gin – although I don’t expect gin sales to slow anytime soon.”

Non-alcoholic drinks, fuelled by millennials Paul says: “Younger people, millennials, are drinking less than their Generation X fore-runners, so as well as the growth in premium alcohol, sales will continue to increase in premium non-alcoholic drinks. 

“There is even a non-alcoholic botanical gin yet it sits at the same price point as a bottle of craft gin with 40% alcohol and 60% duty!  One of Cotswold Fayre’s top selling products is currently an elderflower sparkling drink “masquerading as” champagne by Braes o Gowrie.”

Veganism and meat-reducing diets Paul says: “Meat-reducing diets and complete veganism are widely reported as being the largest current global trend in the world of food. There is still a need for vegetarian products replicating meat items, so we have vegetarian sausages and veggie-burgers.  More recently, however, plant-based diets are being celebrated for what they are – glorious vegetables! This means interesting and unusual fruits and vegetables, such as jack fruit and dragon fruit, are proving very popular on their own and as ingredients.

“Secondly, meat-reducing diets mean that consumers are eating meat less often and in turn buying less but spending more per gram on meat. Premium meat therefore comes into play because when consumers do want to consume meat, they are looking for high quality and ethically sourced products.”

High protein foods Paul says: “Foods that are high in protein, but not meat, are gathering huge momentum.  All sorts of products are being marketed as high protein, but particularly among the snacking category.  Similarly, plant-based proteins are predicted to fly in 2018 with the increased demand for high protein foods and rise in flexitarian diets.

“In fact, 2017 was set to be the year of the insect so we introduced an insect range to our portfolio at the beginning of the year but this did not really take-off with our customers.  Perhaps 2018 is too early still for edible insects to fly!”

With the sugar tax also coming into play in April 2018, Paul also comments on expectations for which areas may prove less popular in the year ahead.

He says: “Among soft drinks, I would expect full sugar drinks to decline and low calorie options to increase.  However, it remains to be seen whether other sugar-rich products will also come under pressure, such as cakes, biscuits and confectionery.”

In 2018, Cotswold Fayre will be introducing 35 new ambient suppliers to its range of fine food and a further 40 chilled new suppliers throughout 2018.

Retailers can see and taste the new product ranges as well as meet the people who make them at one of Cotswold Fayre’s six new product launch shows from January 16 – February 1 2018.

To find out more o now, visit the website  www.cotswold-fayre.co.uk.