Spotlight on . . .food and drink trends
Our food and drink collections are among some of our most popular at Bookspeed, so we asked Key Account Manager and resident foodie Lisa to share her insights on the latest cookbook trends.
I love the variety of cookbooks we offer at Bookspeed. And the covers! I love to see bold colours. Personally, I want to see something that would look great in the kitchen. And there are so many brilliant titles to choose from at the moment.
When I’m recommending books to customers, colours matter. I try to pick out books that would complement their shop’s interiors scheme. I think about who is shopping in their stores, and tailor suggestions towards that target audience.
I also keep an eye on trends. I follow a lot of foodie influencers on Instagram and pick up on new and emerging food themes there. But I also notice patterns in my customers’ orders, and I’m guided by our sales data to determine if a trend is likely to stick around or just a flash in the pan! (Excuse the pun!)
Here are some of the trends I’ve seen flourishing so far this year:
Asian cookery
Chinese New Year increased demand for Asian cookbooks, but many of my retail customers are still ordering these books. There’s been real growth in Asian restaurants, especially where I live in Glasgow. Younger generations, in particular, are drawn to this cuisine. Suzie Lee has made a splash in the media, with her brand of accessible Chinese home cooking. Her appearances on This Morning often drive her book sales and I’ve seen her latest title Simply Chinese Feasts on lots of orders recently.
Books to look out for
Simply Chinese Feasts
Ramen Forever
Beans
Social media is said to be responsible for the recent beans revival. Lately, I’ve seen lots of vegan content creators sharing great recipes for beans and pulses. This humble ingredient is having a moment, and some interesting bean-inspired cookbooks are starting to emerge on the scene.
Books to look out for
Bold beans
Greens and beans (published in August)
Recipes for gut health
There has been an explosion in interest in gut health, following lots of new research in the field. Greater awareness of how diet directly influences health, has created fresh demand for inspiration on how to eat well for body and mind. As a result we're seeing a great choice of books on the theme too.
Books to look out for
The Gut Stuff
Leon Happy Guts
The Healing Cookbook
Basic staples with a twist
Straitened economic times could be prompting people towards back-to-basics cooking, drawing from store cupboard staples. We noticed that books featuring simple dishes, such as toast or one-pan chicken, were really popular at the spring/summer trade shows. Publishers are approaching this theme creatively, showing that basic doesn’t mean boring. We’ve seen lots of interesting cookbooks reinventing simple or familiar dishes with bold, eye-catching designs. .
Books to look out for
Seriously Good Toast
The Tinned Tomatoes Cookbook
One-pan chicken
