2018 year end reflection: Andrew Coppolino

With 2018 winding down, here are some reflections on a few of the events and trends that characterized the food and restaurant scene this past year. 

There is also a brief reference to what will no doubt be the most significant trend to hit food in a long time in 2019: cannabis edibles. 

Harmful greens 

In its most visceral, physical sense, food was a threatening force, especially in the latter half of 2018. This fact, and the somewhat ominous quality of hidden and undetectable harm in what we so innocently eat, made it one of the most important food news stories of the year. 

And perhaps surprisingly, it wasn't tainted meat that was the culprit (although there was some of that as well): rather, a massive California Romaine lettuce recall changed the landscape in our produce sections and on restaurant menus. 

It was only in late December that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) gave the all-clear that Canadians could once again eat the leafy greens from central California now that outbreaks of E. coli infections had stopped.

Cucumbers and cauliflower were also recalled, and the fact remains that merely washing your produce often has little impact.  

We're not done yet: another California lettuce-based prepared food—"Eat Smart Salad Shakeup" bowls—was just recalled in five Canadian provinces on December 27.  

To keep some perspective, despite thousands of boxes of lettuce shipped each month, there have only been a relative smattering of illnesses.   

That exception proves the rule, however. The recalls point to how vulnerable we are to flaws in the food system we rely on—especially when the food comes from across the continent even though many of us try to meet the nearly impossible standard of "eating close to home." 

It's even more interesting to consider when there have been concerted efforts by consumers and diners to eat less meat and more vegetables. 

Delivery app disruption 

If the lettuce disruption was unintended, another disruption grew significantly across the country and in southwestern Ontario: third-party delivery apps were big restaurant news. 

More restaurants started working with delivery companies such as Uber Eats, Foodora and Skip the Dishes.  

The concept is loved by consumers, most often a younger demographic, who want to eat when they want and without leaving the comfort of their home. 

But restaurants are torn: they recognize the market they are serving is important and that it is a revenue stream that they can't thumb their nose at—even as it could cost them as much as thirty percent.  

It's clear that restaurateurs need a new business model in order to work the phenomenon into their profit and loss statements. There's no doubt the disruption will continue to grow in coming years. 

Vegetarian and vegan menus 

No matter how food is being ordered, it's abundantly clear that restaurants have re-vectored to include more vegetarian dishes on their menus—and more vegan ones too. That is another disrupter that's in the news. 

For instance, the Beertown family of restaurants in Waterloo, Cambridge, London and Burlington—a Mecca for beer and burger lovers—as well as their sister restaurant Sociable Kitchen and Tavern in Brantford all added a substantial vegan menu to what it offers this past fall.   

Other restaurants are holding vegan tasting menu events. That shows foresight and speaks to the growth of this dining sector—something all restaurateurs will need to deal with robustly as we move into the future. 

Edibles 

Finally, the landscape is about to be further disrupted in a way that wasn't thought possible only a couple of years ago: edibles. 

Last year in the United States, there were $1.4 billion worth of edible cannabis sales made—even though cannabis is not federally legal in the U.S.  

I have no doubt that number is only going to grow, both in the U.S and in Canada as our system gets rolling along further in the next year. 

More than any other trend, look for cannabis-infused food to dominate the news in 2019.