In the February issue of olive, 36 trends make it onto the 'cool list', with olive's food experts scouring the nation to find the latest fashions in food.
According to Christine Hayes, editor of olive, "2011 is all about fun. We have been through some tough economic times and people are looking to put the entertainment back into their lives. olive's cool list celebrates the affordable and inclusive and puts you in-the-know, with a real accent on affordable, but also the fun of it all."
Some of the trends on the list include:
• No airs and graces: "The age of the hushed gastronomic temple is over." Locations including Les Deux Salons, London; J Baker's, York and Entropy, Leicester are recommended.
• Out-of-hours-dining: "Lunch and dinner? They're so 2010! Canny diners know that, as more and more restaurants open all-day, it's flexible, fun and often cheaper to drop in mid-afternoon."
• Vodka: "Bacon vodka is just one example of the new example for bartenders to personalise brands – other favourite additions are macerated fruits and spices."
• Hook, line, sinker: "Fishmongers are disappearing from the high street at pace. But a new generation of fish 'n' chip shops and restaurants are filling the gap."
• Bompas and Parr: "Sam Bompas and Parr create what they call 'spectacular food experiences, that fuse cookery, theatre and conceptual art."
Some of the favourite tastes include…
• Liquorice: "It's not just for Bertie Bassett – we've spotted Brett Graham (theledbury.com) and Marcus Wareing (the-berkeley.co.uk) using liquorice to flavour poached pigeon."
• Scotch egg explosion: "From hip Manchester bars (manchesteregg.com) to the definitive version at Michael Parkinson's Michelin-starred pub, The Royal Oak, the Scotch egg is the ultimate comeback snack."
• Milk ice cream: "olive is happy to eat what the Italians call gelato al fior di latte any day of the week for its refreshing, subtle flavour – try Laverstoke Park's natural buffalo milk ice cream or Cowpots' Just Jersey."
February's olive magazine, featuring the cool list, is on sale now, priced at £3.50.
