During the heyday of the craft beer boom, there was a period when a visit to a pub involved me only drinking beers I’d not tried before, and I applied a similar mentality to food. My curiosity for new cuisines and dishes was fuelled by the experimentation taking place at globally influential places such as The Fat Duck, El Bulli in Spain and foraging pioneers Noma in Copenhagen, along with the emergence of food trucks and food halls promoting largely unknown cuisines.
The benign economic backdrop undoubtedly helped drive a general desire to try new food and drink, as the cost involved was not a prohibitive factor for many individuals who were willing to move beyond relying solely on safe options. Today, we are in a totally different financial environment, and experimentation is firmly off the menu for a growing number of people.
They are seeking financial safety in comfort foods, where there is no risk of spending money on meals that don’t ultimately tick all their boxes. In addition, there is a desire for familiarity in these very uncertain and turbulent times. This is reflected in the booming trend for nostalgic foods, with classic flavours sparking a powerful longing for comfort and connection. Waitrose has recently experienced a surge in interest for traditional Christmas foods, with online searches in March for panettone, stuffing and pigs in blankets up 168%, 107% and 39% respectively compared with this time last year.
Respected restaurateur/chef Jackson Boxer suggests restaurants had, over recent years, been a vehicle for discovery, with people eager for richer experiences and to try something new. But today, there is an ongoing reversal taking place, with moves to instead provide reassurance through familiarity.
This has pushed a raft of comfort food-led venues to the top of the must-visit eateries. When you look at some of the headline-grabbing London restaurants of late such as The Dover, The Devonshire and the plethora of French brasseries that just keep on coming, you find menus that predominantly comprise classic dishes that have proven themselves over centuries. There are no risks dining in these places.
Boxer has been adapting his offer to take into account this changing landscape. He noticed in New York that even the smarter, edgier places often include a cheeseburger, or other such classic, on their menus. Unlike in the UK, this is not seen as debasing the establishment and impacting the sensibilities of its chefs. It’s invariably giving diners what they want and supporting the economics of the restaurants. At his recently opened Dove restaurant, which replaced his fish-focused venue Orasay, Boxer has embraced this thinking.
This scenario has also fed through to food halls, which initially opened with the objective of introducing diners to new cuisines and dishes. Most have since pulled back on this part of the proposition. Among them is Jake Atkinson, who when running Mackie Mayor and Altrincham Market in Manchester and The Picturedrome in Macclesfield, said he brought in some accomplished chefs with amazing food – but the dishes simply weren’t recognised by customers, who have increasingly shied away from them and instead sought comfort in the stalwarts of burgers and pizzas.
This learning means he’s relying on the likes of Burger & Beyond and curry brand Mughli, which is recognised in Manchester, at his forthcoming food north west hall, House of Social. Market Halls and Boxpark have also taken the same route. Matt Snell, chief executive of Boxpark, says the strategy is to avoid being clever with avant-garde dishes and instead always have chicken, Mexican, burgers and pizza on the roster. He recalls his time previously running Gusto Italian, where the menu would be peppered with the odd adventurous options, but it was the carbonara and pizza margherita that would always fly.
Recognised dishes would always feature highly on the best-selling lists at any restaurant, but the risk averse nature of customers in the current headwinds of cost increases and global uncertainly is making this increasingly pronounced right now. That’s not to say restaurants are not striking out with new foods and dishes, but even they acknowledge the risks involved.
Rosa’s Thai co-founder Saiphin Moore has developed Thai noodle concept Slurp and admits it has been a gamble: “You’re selling dishes that Westerners have never heard of. You have to compete with pad Thai. I think it will take a while for people to understand what we are trying to do. If you want to try authentic Thai noodle soup, this is it, but being authentic is a risk.”
As proven operators, they have the confidence to take a gamble that many less experienced people would be unwilling to take. While this situation prevails, the hospitality industry will be a much more conservative place. Operators, investors and consumers will, for the foreseeable future, take the safer option of picking proven winners. I’ve certainly curtailed my more outlandish desires for unusual beers and dishes from untried cuisines, and I’m now more likely to be found enjoying a Cobra lager with a dhansak or a dish of pasta with a ragù sauce washed down with a glass of prosecco. Well, maybe not the last one.
Glynn Davis, editor of Retail Insider
This piece was originally published on Propel Info where Glynn Davis writes a regular Friday opinion piece. Retail Insider would like to thank Propel for allowing the reproduction of this column.
https://www.retailinsider.com/2025/04/taking-comfort-from-proven-favourites/