6 top culinary trends from Elite Catering + Event Professionals.
Tibetan Sound Bowl Cocktail, anyone? That’s one of the F&B experiences cited by Elite Catering + Event Professionals (ECEP) in their recent Trends Report. Each year, ECEP’s Trends Council gathers during their Annual Symposium to look at culinary shifts, surprises, and strategies defining the year ahead. This year’s report was compiled by Michael Stavros, Partner, M Culinary Concepts, Phoenix; Holly Safford, Founder, The Catered Affair, Boston; Bridget Bitza, Chief Revenue Officer, Butler’s Pantry, St. Louis; and Santiago Diaz, Best Impressions Catering, Charlotte. Here are their 6 top F&B predictions:
1. Butter, elevated. No longer a quiet side note, or something to shun for its cholesterol levels, butter is going front and center with curated butter boards and tableside butter trolleys. This is comfort food elevated, with a couture twist.
2. Caviar rituals. Caviar is having a cultural revival, moving from an elite delicacy to a playful and glamorous lifestyle statement. Caviar is popping up at events on roaming carts and in caviar tin service, paired with nostalgic favorites like tater tots, spaghetti and deviled eggs. It’s not just about flavor—it’s about flair, image and turning everyday bites into luxurious rituals.
3. Multi-sensory F&B. Chefs are designing immersive experiences through taste, scent, texture, sound and light. These food and beverage experiences include dishes served on aromatic platters, ambient soundscapes that shift with each course and lighting that evolves throughout the meal. Cocktails are getting in on the action with such offerings as a Tibetan Sound Bowl Cocktail, stirred by sound waves created by the mixologist.
4. Fluid culinary formats. Corporate gatherings are shifting toward a more casual, fluid structure that encourages meaningful networking in a relaxed environment—with F&B offered in an open format featuring interactive food and beverage stations.
5. Wellness expected. Meeting and event attendees want culinary experiences that reflect a holistic approach to health and well-being. This includes choices of nutrient-rich options that appeal to people who value mindfulness, sustainability and self-care.
6. Menus look books. Caterers are creating high-design look books featuring menu items and photos that planners can use as marketing materials for meetings and events.
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