2010 - 2020
While we toasted into the 2000s with Chandon, Lemon Ruskis and Carlton Cold, on the eve of the next decade, we raised hyper-coloured, Cinco de Mayo-inspired cans of pale ale to welcome in one of the most seismic shifts in Australian gastronomy – the arrival of a wave of Tex-Mex and American barbecue-inspired cuisine.
“If the noughties were a time of truffle oil and foam, the 2010s were all about pork belly, beef brisket and chicken wings,” says Luke Hopman, Bidfood Australia’s General Manager of Sales. “It was a time of craft beer and ‘dude food’.”
This shift brought other changes with it. Cafés continued to build on the success of the previous decade, constantly raising the bar to deliver more exciting, delicious dishes. Restaurants went even higher-end, with Tetsuya’s, Attica, Quay and Brae all appearing on the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list – while burger joints, food trucks, ramen shops and American barbecue took over streets and laneways, proving that casual could still mean quality.
“It was also a time for slow-cooked meats, better burgers and slow-fermented pizzas. And alternative milks. Soy milk had been on café menus since the early 2000s. And many early adopters were already offering the more niche options, but it was around this time that the full range of alternative milks was no longer a choice – it was a necessity.”But Luke believes these shifts weren’t just about what was happening in the kitchen. “As expectations on chefs began to shift and the importance of life outside the kitchen gained traction, it wasn’t about the long hours anymore. Single-service businesses became a big thing. Chefs could focus on creating amazing food while still spending time with their families.”
2016 was also a watershed year for Bidfood, rebranding from the familiar Bidvest to the name we all now know.
If the earlier part of this decade was marked by ‘dude food’ and craft beer, the latter half was defined by choice. Consumers knew what they wanted, and business owners delivered. Instagram-loving Millennials were now in their 30s, earning a good wage and eager to spend it. Gen Z was beginning to enter the market and, having never known a world without the internet, their tastes and expectations were shaped by niche markets and trends.
What began just 20 years earlier with the World Wide Web, the Internet of Things and social media meant we were now eating the internet. Plant-based, carnivore, acai, poke, laminated pastries, butter boards, natural wine, low and no alcohol, compostable packaging, birria, fermenting, craft gins, live fire, zero-waste. For every trend, there was a customer.
2020 - present
Something also happened around February 2020 which we all remember well, so we won’t say much more than it was a tough time for hospitality. But during that period, amidst all the uncertainty and upheaval, there were also some amazing stories of resilience and adaptation.
“This time was unlike anything we’d faced before” says Bidfood Australia CEO, Rachel Ruggiero. “All we could do was focus on being there – for our staff, for our customers and for the people they serve. It wasn’t easy, but I’m incredibly proud of how we as an industry stood together and came through it.”
While the trends that will define this decade are still being written, some early contenders are already making their mark. A return to basics – food with provenance and a story – especially one that’s shareable on social media, more extreme high-end experiences, and outstanding produce treated with care.
Luke Hopman believes the way we’re eating across the board is changing. “It’s not just about what’s happening in restaurants and cafés. If you look at health and aged care, for example, we’re seeing restaurant-style meals, better ingredients and real menus. It’s about dignity, enjoyment and proper nourishment. It’s not just fuel anymore. Even in schools, kids are growing up with different expectations of food. That shift is going to shape the next 30 years.”
Rachel Ruggiero is confident that, though, that whatever happens next, Bidfood will be ready. “I don’t have a crystal ball, but if the last 30 years are anything to go by, Bidfood – and by that, I mean the incredible people who show up every day to keep our customers moving – will keep evolving, adapting and leading the way in foodservice.”
“There are people working here who have been with us since the beginning. And I know there are people working here now who will still be part of our team in 30 years. That makes me feel fantastic.”
