If you take a look at what’s popular with ice cream and other frozen desserts, you’ll see trends like sweet and salty, spicy flavors paired with sweet, exotic fruits and other unique flavors, and seasonal offerings. Though these trends are showing up in the frozen dessert aisles at grocery stores, they often begin on restaurant menus. This is why many processors look for flavor and product inspiration from restaurant chefs and bartenders.
Maybe it’s because consumers are willing to expand their palates for an evening dinner out, or they decide on more out-of-the-box choices when they don’t have to make it themselves. Whatever the reason, menus are a good place to gauge future trends and get innovative, especially with flavors.