2017 Food Trends for Autumn / Winter Styling & Photography

I'm researching the next food trends for 2017 (into 2018) and thought I'd share some of my faves and (whaaaats?) with you.  We are in the R&D stage for new autumn/winter photography backgrounds range so i'm picking out a few trends that may be good starting points for surface designs.  

Other sources of inspiration are often nature, an awesome meal, ceramics/art, a new ingredient we've discovered, an old texture or piece of debris we've found, something on Pinterest, you know, the usual. But I thought it might be sensible (as a commercial enterprise) to actually do some research and make sure we're up to speed with all things foodie.  And its fun. 

I've spotted already that purple is going to be BIG this autumn.  Which I'm very pleased about.  I think colour is needed, the natural reaction to so much grey.  Which i love too, and black black black which 90% of my wardrobe is. But for food and any natural material, I think colour is good.  It can take more work as anything looks great if it is the pop of colour on white or grey, but done well. either in contrast or tonally, colour rocks.

So I'm just going to read through lots of material now and jot down things that stand out for me…..

  • 'Protein-centric' food.  Sounds tasty and the obvious nemesis of vegan/plantbased food.  I like both, but who is right? I'm verging on the side of vegan in my head but protein in my belly.
  • Freak shakes. I'm hoping this will be done by autumn? It's food styling gone mad, mad i tell you.

      Here's a boozy freak shake Tom styled for Booths supermarket earlier this year... you can find the recipe over on Booths.

freak shake food trends 2017 styling photography stylist content recipe developer manchester nottingham london

  • Zero waste.  I get this, I'm on board, but how can i make that look pretty?
  • Bedtime/night blends.  So this is why Yorkshire tea have launched a 'bedtime brew' yes? I like it.  I can feel a Pinterest board coming on, something along the lines of 'pretty herbs for a bedtime concoction'.  

I recently tried Wegwoods new range of "Wanderlust' teas at Chelsea Flower Show (darling) and they were beautiful - some caffeine free, some not, some red bush based, all really tasty.  And the packaging is BEAUTIFUL! As is the new tableware to accompany the range, gorgeous colour and pattern.  If i didn't share a home with 7 children I could be tempted to spend lots of money on it!

food trends 2017 styling photography wanderlust wedgwood tea stylist manchester

  • Products/brands including the words 'craft' or 'crafted'. Interesting but doesn't help me now.  May come back to this though as a consumer behaviour thing….
  • Sports nutrition; snacking before, during and after.  Sounds good to me. Here are some energy bars we shot recently for new startup, Natural Works.

food styling photography stylist props recipe developer content marketing nottingham london manchester

  • Seeds - yes, nice, pretty.
  • Butchery - yes, I'm liking all the cool meat shots at the mo.  Need to get me a big cleaver.
  • Seaweed.  Good. The traditionally farmed stuff from Japan's coral reefs is supposed to be really good.
seaweed farming japan coral reef food photography styling stylist trends 2017
  • Ramen.  Nice.  (………………….Over to Pinterest for 10.)
  • 'Rollup ice cream' #Thairolledicecream is only at 3,500 posts on Instagram.  I'm so ahead of the game.

thai rolled ice cream icecream food photography styling stylist trends 2017

    • Limited Time Offerings - only available at certain times of day/year, gotta get it before it's gone.  Noted.
    • Apparently the next buzzword is 'regenerative grazing', surely it's just 'rotating crops'.  Come on people.
    • Sardines.  yes.
    • Lamian - hand pulled chinese noodles. 
    • Mocktails.
    • Goat. Goat it. Anybody else *enjoying* goats milk kefir? I get it from the Chuckling Goat company in Wales as it's claimed to be good for your gut and therefor skin.  I've only been on it 2 weeks so I'll let you know how its going when I'm a little further along.  Here's their intro vid -
  • Harissa. Still?
  • Dragonfruit is the new acai.  Poor acai.
  • Smoothies have gone to smoothie bowls have gone to fruit soups.
  • Dark food - smoked, charred, roasted, black rice.  Liking this.
  • Jackfruit as a meat substitute?
  • Purple.  Of course. Purple sprouting broccoli is one of my favourite ingredients, I eat broccoli most days with eggs or just some chilli and ginger, or some chorizo, such a good hit of iron and green veginess.  The purple sprouting being slightly more bitter is great with sweet, smokey paprika and cheese.

purple food trend broccoli styling photography stylist recipe developer nottingham manchester london

Oh and there is a sneak peak of an autumn design sample! By Tom, it's a lovely powdery blue fading to grey and lilac, very cool.  It will be in our Autumn/Winter 2017 food photography backgrounds collection soon, be sure to get on our mailing list (at the bottom of the homepage, thanks Shopify) to be notified when it launches (and maybe a preview teaser ;p)

    Ok well lots to go at there! Over to Pinterest for some virtual shopping and inspo filing.  Give us a follow if you're on Pinterest :)

    I hope you've enjoyed reading this and find it useful for your autumn/winter recipe development or food content planning?

    Sophie xx