The Future of Food!

Written by: Lucas Peter- Co-founder

Edited by: Team Lotss

We can all agree that food – eating it, cooking it or serving it – is unifying in its ability to initiate a conversation. But just how much of the conversation around food is actually about food?

Just like many of you in the hospitality industry, the founders of Lotss enjoy food and the pleasure it brings. We also wonder about the future of food. Despite the simplicity of the act and art of eating, some pertinent questions about the future in food need to be raised.

It is estimated that our global population will reach 9.7 billion by the year 2050. This will certainly prompt us not only to think about our own habits but also about their impact on our resources. Going by those figures, it is also estimated that our food production will increase by 70%.

We have identified a few key trends for the future of food:

1. Planet Earth

The environment and food have a symbiotic relationship – we cannot talk about one without talking about the other. Putting aside Bayer-Monsanto for a minute, let us focus on the thinking consumer. The thinking consumer is aware of the effects of alimentation on this planet. More and more families are trying to be auto-sufficient. More and more families are applying DIY to their alimentation practise and attempt to be more sustainable instead of relying on their weekly shop at the supermarket. Projects like Herbert, who offers growing your own food in your living room or Nogg, that, should you have the luxury of a balcony and a hankering for fresh eggs, will provide a luxury coop for your chickens, are gaining traction amongst the urban, thinking consumer.

2. Forget the good ol’ proteins

In relation with ecological matters, the fast growing practise of veganism is also alluded to. In response, many businesses are already looking at ways to replace our proteins.

Beyond meat has found a way to offer you a juicy burger that is purely plant based. In fact, Bill Gates enjoyed his vegan double whopper so much that he financially backed up the project. Algama, another pioneer in this field, is already producing healthy, tasty and sustainable alternative food using microalgae. Finally, even if you are not vegan but still looking for alternative proteins, Jimini’s offers to trade your usual snack for edible insects!

3. Eating to perform

Alimentation, the act of provision of nourishment is inextricably linked to your daily habits – but, adapted to your generic lifestyle. Today, however, nutrition is being further adapted to each individual. Habits will collect DNA and blood work and tailor alimentation according to your specific genetic makeup. Other start-ups give us a chance to better understand what on our plate or in our supermarket aisles with technology such as Foodvisor and Yuka respectively. Others yet, like Soylent have looked into culminating all the nutrient of a meal, into a bottle putting aside the pleasure of eating.

4. The technology

To have a personal chef cook up all your whims or simply sharing his breadth of knowledge as he/she prepares meals tailored to your fancy, would be a definite luxury – one that most of us would like.

Christophe Duhamel founder of Marmiton envisions that nearly all our kitchen appliances will soon be connected to smartphones – restaurants will soon adopt virtual reality to create new food and beverage experiences.

He also envisions an interesting future in 2032 where incorporate AI into our everyday routine – imagine having your coffee automatically brewed 10 minutes before your alarm goes off, imagine getting frequent prompts on your smartphone reminding you to rehydrate, imagine getting suggestions for recipes to cook at your next gathering based on the data collected on you and your friends. You may be the one cooking but imagine having your mise-en-place done for you by your kitchen robot. Finally, envision your friends giving you a star rating* for the meal prepared once they are home! Such may be the future.

Duhamel finishes his presentation by saying: “Food will and should always remain a pleasure” and I don’t think I could find a better way of articulating that.

* Ps: An episode of the popular dystopian TV show, Black mirror imagines a society where individuals give star ratings to each other for every interaction is worth watching.