According to New Covent Garden, in terms of fresh produce, black will be the new purple in 2018. The move is one of a number of trends predicted in the market’s annual Fruit and Vegetable Trends Report 2018.
Last year saw the rise of purple produce, with purple cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and asparagus all gaining traction in foodservice outlets, but next year could see back vegetables, including a South American sweetcorn variety; aged garlic; black radishes and Shetland Black Potatoes grow in demand from some of the capital’s top restaurateurs.
Other top trends identified by wholesalers in the market over the last 12 months include heritage produce, exotic citrus, break-through kale varieties, British berries, specialist potatoes, named tomato varieties, wonky veg and extravagant salad leaves.
Helen Evans, business development director for New Covent Garden Market, commented, “Gaining an idea of new and continuing trends into next year can help to guide chefs and caterers with menu planning to ensure they stay on top of the latest trends with regard to the most popular and on-the-rise fresh produce.”
Photo Caption: Black aged garlic is one of a number of ‘black’ products predicted to be popular next year.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia