Latest news with #FutureMenus
CairoScene
03-07-2025
- Business
- CairoScene
Unilever's Future Menus 2025 Hits Egypt With New Take on Global Dining
Unilever's Future Menus 2025 Hits Egypt With New Take on Global Dining When chefs gather under the shadow of the pyramids, it's not usually to talk about tacos. But this month, at Khufu's restaurant—yes, that Khufu's, with the limestone backdrop and panoramic views of the world's last remaining ancient world wonder—Unilever Food Solutions did just that. The team in Egypt localised the global Future Menus 2025 campaign with a plate-spinning mix of trend forecasting, street food makeovers, and cultural deep dives. There were bao buns. There were Filipino sauces. There were updated takes on your teta's stews. The premise of Future Menus is simple: identify the shifts happening across global kitchens and translate them into useful frameworks for chefs. The 2025 edition distills those shifts into four major menu trends: Street Food Couture, Borderless Cuisine, Culinary Roots, and Diner Designed. If the names sound like they came out of a food-meets-fashion brainstorming session, that's because dining today is as much about vibe as it is about flavour—and Unilever Food Solutions knows it. Take Street Food Couture, for instance. Executive Chef Perihan Saleh of Gracias has been watching this trend marinate for years. 'Since corona,' she said, 'people have been craving the food of the streets—but with an uplifted touch.' That 'touch' translates to cleaner techniques, tighter plating, and flavours that hold their ground without drowning in nostalgia. Think Korean corn dogs with architectural integrity. Or tacos engineered for crunch at first bite. Then there's Borderless Cuisine, which captures the real-time remix happening in kitchens from Seoul to Sohag. With migration, travel, and algorithmically-curated food content all blending into one big sensory feed, diners are hungrier than ever for flavour collisions. At the event, Chef Shehab Mostafa of Khufu's brought this trend to life with dishes that reimagine Egyptian classics through global ingredients and technique. But while global fusions got plenty of heat, Culinary Roots was the course that hit closest to home. This trend was led by Chef Sherif Afifi, Executive Chef at Unilever Food Solutions, in collaboration with Chef Mostafa Seif. Together, they created a 'four hands' dish—a single concept shaped by two culinary minds, rooted in heritage but elevated with technique. Chef Sherif has been leading the Future Menus programme in Egypt for the past three years and has travelled to the Netherlands annually to collaborate with Unilever Food Solutions' global chef team. Meanwhile, the final trend, Diner Designed, taps into the slightly chaotic, entirely social-media-driven ways people eat now. It's not about prix fixe and more about pick-your-own-adventure menus. According to Unilever Food Solutions, 47% of diners would rather spend money on experiences than things—and yes, that stat was probably pulled from your FYP. Culinary Director Yomna Khedr, who runs the show at Lokali, summed it up neatly: 'Just eating isn't enough. It's fun to play with your food—and experience it.' The Future Menus launch event wasn't your typical hospitality summit. It didn't rely on buzzwords like 'elevated,' 'artisanal,' or 'game-changing.' Instead, it leaned into real kitchens, real chefs, and real challenges. What happens when your diner wants Korean heat, Egyptian comfort, and three types of texture in a single dish? How do you train your team to build a menu that makes sense to a Gen Z diner who grew up on mukbangs and Michelin? That's where Unilever Food Solutions is hoping to make a mark. With a portfolio that includes Knorr Professional and Hellmann's, plus a global team of over 250 chefs, their goal isn't to dictate taste but rather help chefs translate it. Their platform offers recipes, ingredient support, and training that allows kitchens to riff without losing footing. Still, launching this in Egypt, at a restaurant with a direct sightline to the last standing ancient wonder of the world, added some metaphorical weight. Because if there's one thing that food, like history, doesn't do, is stay still. Tastes shift. Techniques evolve. Menus need to move. What Future Menus 2025 makes clear is that movement isn't just coming from the usual centres of culinary gravity. It's just as likely to start with a street cart in Manila, a grandmother in Fayoum, or a burger joint in Guadalajara. And when it lands, it's chefs—not algorithms—who have to make it work on a plate.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Unilever Food Solutions Future Menus 2025 Sparks Culinary Innovation in Southeast Asia
BANGKOK, May 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Unilever Food Solutions successfully hosted the FUTURE MENUS EVENT 2025 IN BANGKOK, bringing together over 330 chefs, entrepreneurs, and food service experts to explore the future of dining. Under the theme "Unleash the Taste of Asia," the event spotlighted four key trends shaping innovation in the evolving restaurant industry. Attendees engaged with forward-thinking ideas through immersive experiences, panel discussions, and live cooking demonstrations, redefining modern dining. Key Trends Shaping the Future of Dining Street Food Couture elevated bold street flavors into premium cuisine, featuring Spicy Fermented Salmon Salad in Pani Puri Shells (Thailand) and Small Crab Sticky Rice (Vietnam). Culinary Roots honored heritage flavors with Arsik Ikan Fish (Indonesia) and Nasi Lemak (Malaysia), celebrating Southeast Asia's rich culinary traditions. Borderless Cuisine blended global influences, exemplified by Beef Pares Style Tacos (Philippines) and Green Peppercorn "Tigermilk" (Singapore). Diner Designed – A showcase of personalization in dining, focusing on bespoke culinary experiences rather than specific menu offerings. Creativity and customization took center stage. Culinary Innovation Meets Data-Driven Strategy Beyond food trends, the event emphasized the power of data in modern dining. Entrepreneurs Krittikul Chumkaew (After Yum) and Rungsun Promprasith (QueQ Thailand) shared insights on using data to optimize restaurant operations and enhance customer experiences. An Inspired Culinary Finale & Industry Insights Future Menus 2025 culminated in a stunning four-course dinner curated by Chef Pam - Pichaya Soontornyanakij and the Unilever Food Solutions chef team, featuring dishes inspired by event trends. Reflecting on the event's impact, Kulnipa Lertpimonchai, Managing Director of Unilever Food Solutions SEA Mainland, described Future Menus 2025 as more than just a trend showcase. She emphasized its significance as a platform where visionaries can exchange ideas and drive progress in the food service industry. Meanwhile, Angela Klute, Global Chief Marketing Officer of Unilever Food Solutions, underscored the industry's evolving landscape, as Gen Z embraces personalization, Asian flavors gain global popularity, and consumers seek accessible luxury. She reinforced Future Menus 2025 as a key driver helping chefs and restaurateurs adapt to these transformative shifts. With its resounding success, Future Menus 2025 solidified its position as a landmark event driving culinary innovation in Southeast Asia, reinforcing Unilever Food Solutions' commitment to shaping the industry through creativity and forward-thinking ideas. View the Gallery: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Unilever Food Solutions
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
HOW UNILEVER FOOD SOLUTIONS IS HELPING SHAPE MENUS OF THE FUTURE
Four Macro Forces Identified in New Future Menus Trends Report ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) unveiled the Future Menus Volume 3 trends report, detailing the top four culinary industry trends that will help chefs and foodservice professionals stay prepped for tomorrow. The trends were unveiled at an experiential dinner event hosted by UFS with Chicago-based Michelin-starred chef Jenner Tomaska. Unilever's global team of 250 chefs, 10 of whom are in North America, work together with their partners to meticulously craft the annual report. Future Menus features not only the trends driving menus but also the top ingredients, new techniques and globally inspired and locally adapted recipes, along with the insights and inspiration behind these macro forces. Moreover, all of the recipes featured in the report are designed with cost, execution and various skill sets in mind to make them easily executable for restaurant operators. TOP FOUR CULINARY INDUSTRY TRENDS SHAPING FOOD CULTUREThe top four macro trends detailed in the report are: Street Food Couture: This trend is about taking traditional street foods and elevating them into gourmet offerings, driven by Gen Z's preference for accessible and exciting food options and the growing popularity of night markets. It is about reinventing traditional recipes for tacos, empanadas or bao buns, and blending ingredients and techniques from various cultures in a thoughtful, innovative manner. "We are seeing a surge in Mexican, Indian, Korean and Filipino street foods, with Filipino cuisine gaining the most traction in the U.S.," said UFS Executive Chef Brandon Collins. "Street Food Couture is about creating intriguing and interesting dining experiences that offer accessible luxury." "The Street Food Couture trend underscores what so many of us have been doing for years — taking the food we grew up on and pushing it forward, without losing where it came from," said Chef Kwame Onwuachi of Tatiana and Dōgon. Borderless Cuisine: This movement is driven by increased globalization and migration as well as a new generation of chefs aiming to honor their multicultural roots. These chefs are reimagining how different culinary influencers can be combined to create unique yet authentic dishes that go beyond novelty. "There is so much inspiration in the Future Menus trend report," said Chef JJ Johnson of Fieldtrip. "I normally call what I cook global, but now I am going to take away all of the borders and the boundaries." Culinary Roots: This exciting growing menu trend celebrates and revives lesser-known regional cuisines, honoring indigenous ingredients and cooking techniques that connect to cultural heritage. This movement emphasizes the importance of preserving the past while moving forward, ensuring authenticity remains at the heart of each dish. The trend often begins within a region and may gain wider recognition, but it must retain its true essence to succeed. "It's about taking a dish that the diner is comfortable with and then creating an entirely new dish by marrying it together with elements from another culturally relevant cuisine," says Chef Alvaro Lima of Unilever Food Solutions. "For example, we developed a birria ramen dish for the report, fusing both my Latin heritage with a popular Japanese dish to create a new combination to entice diners." Michelin-starred Chef Carlos Gaytán, of Tzuco, agrees. "To me, this trend is about taking traditional cuisine and local ingredients, and doing a modern interpretation of these dishes," said Chef Gaytán. "It is a legacy you leave behind when you honor your culinary roots." Diner Designed: Dining is moving beyond generic customization to be more interactive and personalized — experiences where diners take part in meal creation and modification. This menu trend focuses on making dining immersive and multisensory, and offering unique, value-added experiences. "This trend is being driven by Gen Z being digital natives and demanding curated experiences and content," said Chef Jenner Tomaska. "Artificial intelligence is a big part of this trend, helping shape the future of dining. From the creative side, I love to engage AI in my menu creation to shape my narrative direction, as well as on the business side of things, to create and cost recipes." Flavor-Forward Inspiration, Rooted in Real-World Application "Future Menus is about helping chefs stay on trend and offering UFS's support so they can be prepped to meet evolving customer demands," said Ximena Hernandez, Unilever Food Solutions North America Marketing Director. "Our team of chefs take pride in partnering with our customers to help them continue to grow their business." About Unilever Food Solutions While Unilever is known for its iconic brands, such as Hellmann's, Knorr and Maille, its professional foodservice unit focuses on providing chefs and operators with cutting-edge solutions and guidance to support menu planning, pricing and culinary training. Unilever Food Solutions is a business built by chefs for chefs, with a global team of more than 250 experienced chefs located in 70 countries. Find out more at To download the Future Menu North America Trends 2025 report, click here. To learn more about Unilever Food Solutions, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Unilever Food Solutions Sign in to access your portfolio
