GREENSBORO, NC - When I think of specialty food curators, I picture a group of robed health advocates strolling through grocery aisles with magical fruits and veg radiating from their fingertips. These all-powerful folks harness their weapons months in advance, predicting food trends with what I can only assume is sorcery. Specialty grocer The Fresh Market has got these sorcerers in droves, recently partnering with 25madison in order to predict the hottest trends in the industry.

“Our mission is to inspire our guests to make everyday eating extraordinary, and to uphold this, we have extremely high standards for the products or brands that ultimately make it into our store,” said Dwight Richmond, Director of Center Store Merchandising at The Fresh Market. “Some examples of new products that were big hits in 2019 based on trends were Beyond Burgers and Caulipower Pizza (plant-based), Haku Shoyu and Fillos Sofritos Beans (authentically ethnic), and a host of functional beverages, like kombucha and keto protein drinks.”

To help identify and showcase innovative food and beverage products, The Fresh Market has tapped New York City-based venture studio, 25madison, which is a business builder, incubating companies from the ground up and investing in early-stage businesses. 25madison will keep The Fresh Market on the pulse of early-stage consumer companies that are poised to disrupt or create market trends.

“We are excited to partner with The Fresh Market to help identify, build, and invest in disruptive businesses,” said Steven Price, CEO of 25madison. “By teaming up with The Fresh Market, we can create a competitive edge for our companies, leveraging unique consumer insights and distribution in 159 stores. This strategic partnership will help The Fresh Market’s customers discover and shop for new and innovative brands.”

Here are some of The Fresh Market’s early predictions based on top trends in the food industry:

Sugar Smarts

Consumers are becoming more aware of how much sugar is added to foods, thanks to new food labeling requirements becoming mandatory in 2020 which include a callout for “added sugars” under the carbohydrates section.

Seeds: As Mighty as Nuts

Hot on the heels of the nut snacking trend is a rise in seed-based products (think quinoa, hemp, sesame, pumpkin, flax, sunflower, and chia). Not only are seeds allergen-free, but they are loaded with fiber, protein, antioxidants, essential minerals, and fatty acids, like omega-3.

Plant Based 2.0

Consumers have embraced plant-based meat alternatives and cauliflower pizza crusts, but now food manufacturers are taking it to the next level with plant-based alternatives that pump up the protein using legumes and vegetables.

Sober Celebrating

The rise in functional beverages has also extended to happy hour, with sober-curious consumers choosing to celebrate sans alcohol.

Transparency and Traceability

“We are entering a phase where consumers want to understand the full lifecycle of a food product, from where and how it was grown, why it is better nutritionally and better for the environment,” said Richmond.

As I said, I’m pretty sure these specialty food curators are using sorcery to their advantage, so I advise industry folks to hop on these trends while they’re hot. To see what else is budding amongst health-conscious consumers, keep reading ANUK.

The Fresh Market