Tantalising the Taste Buds In 2040: The Future of Food is Eating Yourself Happy
In 2040, every bite of our food, especially chocolate, will need to work harder and improve both our body and mind by making us happy, reduce our stress, enhance productivity but most importantly still be fun, according to a new investigative report on the future of chocolate.
Eat Yourself Happy: What the Next 20 Years of Chocolate Will Look Like. An Investigative Report on The Future of Chocolate has been written by food anthropologist Caroline Hobkinson with support from Professor Charles Spence and Dr Thompson Bell from Leeds University. Montezuma’s commissioned the new study to explore current consumer trends and predict how people will eat and why over the coming 20 years, in order to continue to push the boundaries of flavour and remain chocolate trailblazers.
The key insight reveals that consumers will actively pursue chocolate which delivers happiness using nostalgia, mood, wellness, health, environmental awareness and the senses. These factors will be the key future trends when it comes to chocolate.
The investigative report also reveals that chocolate buyers will want bars that elevate their mood, relieve stress and enhance productivity. The research suggests that ingredients such as chamomile, lavender, and fermented foods, which have a direct impact on our gut health, will appear in bars and help consumers to achieve this.
Chocolate lovers will crave fun and exciting experiences that will elevate eating to new heights. It suggests delivering products that evoke positive memories and childhood nostalgia, using ingredients such as salted peanuts, malt, and churned butter.
The research also suggests that chocolate makers should introduce flavours that provide excitement for the palate. Sound clips will also play a role in future bars in creating immersive, multi-sensory culinary experiences.
Caroline and Charles suggest that the ultimate chocolate bar should be jam-packed full of superfoods. This “superbar” would allow health-conscious consumers to avoid ingredients perceived as unhealthy and seek out foods enriched with ingredients that are beneficial to health and wellbeing, such as Matcha, ginger, Kefir and plant-based milks.
Researchers Caroline Hobkinson and Charles Spence commented on their findings: “Consumers today, and in the future, expect their food to not just provide fuel, but to offer them comfort, nutrition and a complete experience. Our findings show that over the next 20 years, consumers will crave chocolate that evokes memories, boosts moods, and helps people to meet their own unique health goals. Sustainability, and immersive sensory experiences will also be highly sought-after by chocoholics the world over.”
Debbie Epstein, Marketing Director from Montezuma’s comments, “For the past 20 years, Montezuma’s has been at the forefront of the chocolate industry, creating unique and innovative products that truly push the boundaries of flavour. From our very first chocolate bar, which was infused with natural chilli, creating new delicious, mouth-watering truffles to vegan and sugar-free offerings. We commissioned this report to ensure we continue being one step ahead of the cocoa game.”
Debbie continues, “We found it really interesting how chocolate will fuse together even more fun with ingredients that help do some good. It’s definitely food for thought and we will start seeking out the most interesting and exciting ingredients from around the world and marry them together with the best chocolate we can find.”
Professor Charles Spence adds further comment to summarise the findings: “Chocolate is undoubtedly one of the most interesting foods at the present time, given its strong connection to nostalgia and comfort. Chocolate will have a demonstrated effect on our mood. At the same time, the complex temporally-evolving flavour profile also provides an excellent format for the latest in sonic seasoning interventions. With this report, Caroline Hobkinson shows that she is on top of many of the current and forthcoming trends in the consumer’s relationship with chocolate.”
Eat Yourself Happy: What the Next 20 Years of Chocolate Will Look Like. An Investigative Report Commissioned by Montezuma’s, Britain’s Greatest Little Chocolate Company to celebrate the 20th Birthday. By Food Anthropologist Caroline Hobkinson, With Support from Professor Charles Spence And Dr Thompson Bell from Leeds University.