Endless street food, dinner-table Instagram and more pop-ups than you can shake a knife and fork at. Welcome to the future of dining, according to a UK-wide consumer poll by French Wines with Style.
The campaign's Future Dining Trends Report, which surveyed 1,379 people across the country, describes a declining interest in sharing platters, while the tasting menu format was showing some popularity. And it'll come as no surprise that street food was showing plenty of promise too.
Pop-ups are here to stay, it seems, and eating at altitude is doing better than ever, as 35% of respondents claimed that the view was as or more important than the food itself.
Among the other trends identified by the survey were locally-sourced menus, pay-what-you-like menus, and supper clubs. In addition, 9% of respondents from London said they ‘embraced food trends when dining out in order to post pictures on social media’, compared to only 3% in the UK.
But what does any of this have to do with French wines? Campaign ambassador Gérard Basset MW OBE explains: 'In the UK we have never been more spoilt for choice when it comes to dining out - whether it’s a pop up in the park or sky high dining, there’s always something new to enjoy. And it’s not just in London, it’s all over the country. French Wines With Style have created a simple way of choosing the best French wines for each of these trends.'
Basset has matched these different trends to particular styles of wine, like Vin de France Chenin Blanc for a 'fun and quirky dining experience', as opposed to a Côte Rôtie from the Rhône for a 'chic and glamorous' evening.
To see the man himself describing these trends and matches, check out the video below.