This past week our CEO, Laurie Buckle, and VP, Molly Myerson, jetted off to Las Vegas for The Winter Fancy Food Show, a one-of-a-kind trade show filled with hundreds of brands showcasing thousands of specialty food and beverage products. 

Laurie and Molly spent two days learning about innovative new products, chatting with up and coming brands, sampling delicious new foods (and a few questionable ones), and walking over 12 miles! They returned to LA with full bellies, sore feet, and a wealth of knowledge about what’s hot in the food industry.

Here are the trends they saw again and again:

• Vegan cheese (crumbles, shreds, spreads, etc.) 
• Pork rinds
• Cured meat alternatives 
• Hot honey
• Potato chip alternatives (dehydrated veggies, mushroom crisps, cheese crisps, and plantain chips)
• Goat cheese
• Chickpea butters
• Hemp-based products (chocolates, dressings, oils, and sausage)
• Milk alternatives (sesame milk was delicious!)
• Boba (boba instant mix, boba ice cream, and ready-to-drink boba teas)
• Almonds (snacking, kettle cooked, and almond oil)
• Matcha 
• Products flavored like everything bagels (popcorn, cream cheese, pretzels, potato chips – you name it, it’s been bagel’d)
• Plant-based chicken nuggets 
• Pasta is making a comeback!

   

Here are some of their favorite brands at the show:

• Runamok Maple — we can’t get enough of this sparkling syrup!
• Violife
• Savannah Bee Company
• Death Wish Coffee
• Dream Pops
• Angela’s Bakery
• Ocean’s Halo
• Marco Ice Cream
• Mae Fine Foods
• LA Libations
  
  

What trends are you most excited about? Check back soon to see what Laurie and Molly discover next at Tastemaker Conference, The Inspired Home Show, and Expo West!