Eleven Food Trends for 2012

by Darcy Higgins

The last few years have seen Toronto, a City without the culinary tradition of other global cities, bringing good food to the forefront.  Our streets have seen witness to the rise of yum, with great restaurants, urban agriculture, food centres, neighbourhood dinners, farmer’s markets, community canning, and food boxes.

The past year was a particularly exciting year with campus, school and community food projects and micro-businesses filling gaps and needs throughout the City, and innovative events like Food Truck Eats, Scadding Court’s Live Local Marketplace, Leslieville’s  Winter Food Mix, the Rusholme Park Supper Club, and the Toronto Underground Market.

The coming year will see a plethora of activity that keeps food climbing to the centre of Torontonians’ desires for wellness, sustainability, equity, and new jobs.  Here’s a head’s up on 12 changes, trends, and happenings to watch and participate in.

Street food  - After a breakthrough year for Toronto street food, 2012 has all the ingredients to really get things going.  Despite setbacks with vendors in some neighbourhoods, entrepreneurs like Suresh Doss and Marianne Moroney aren’t letting barriers get in their way.  City Council’s new mix of lefties keen on health and justice, conservatives that want bureaucracy out the door, and a new group of centrist foodies could make street food a plan that works.  With many advocate eaters in public and on Council, watch for the streets to finally heat up.

The suburbs – No, The Arcade Fire’s Grammy win of the same name was last year.  2012 is all about the exciting food projects bubbling up across the City, from Scarborough and North York, South Etobicoke and The Beaches.  Soon, few parts of the City will be left untouched. The good eats already available in the ‘burbs may also get the attention they deserve.

Backyard hens – With much back and forth behind the scenes over 2011, a backyard chicken allowance will soon be debated by Council.  Popular throughout the world for fresh eggs, many Torontonians have desired the ability to keep a couple of their own for a more healthy and ethical source of protein.  Expect them to share this view with their councillors.

Occupy Gardens – Following a renewed trend of thinking global and acting local, a branch of Occupy Toronto is ready to swing their shovels into gear and occupy gardens in 2012.  Watch this growing group of food activists connect issues of equity to growing food in the City, and challenging City barriers by replacing grass with food.  As an issue that everyone can taste, corporate food companies will also become a greater target of the Occupy movement as a whole.

Local Food Act – In Dalton McGuinty’s election promises was a solid commitment to support local farmers, their markets and share their goods at schools and hospitals.  With the PC’s and NDP both supporting local food policies as well, progress on this file would create a win-win-win for a divided Legislature in 2012.

Hospital food – Everyone knows it stinks, but little has changed.   But with growing awareness of food and body, that won’t stand.  Between new research showing benefits of good food, with chefs, workers and patients standing up for real food, governments and administrators will take note.  Look for local, healthy, and tasty food coming to cafeterias and then patient beds.

Eating your veggies – After a trend of gourmet burgers, folks that care about health, animals, and the climate are looking for more from their traditional diets and meat-heavy Toronto fine dining.  New vegan restos and businesses have been popping up and expect a better array of veggie options and renewed interest in mostly vegan diets for celebs and regular folk.

Local goes bigger – As large agri-food companies become a target for their control of the food system, grocery stores in Toronto will continue to make local food a bigger part of their mantra.  Following Loblaws’ launch of a different kind of grocery store downtown representing more of Toronto’s diverse eats, their competition may jump on board making sustainable and healthy options more available.

Small growth – While the big guys pick up local ever more, watch the City’s entrepreneurs continue to innovate and scale up local and sustainable food, pushing for a bigger share of the market and creating more jobs.

Neighbourhood food hubs – Small businesses, community kitchens, and affordable cafes are starting to make a stand.  After Toronto’s success with large-scale projects like The Stop Community Food Centre and Evergreen BrickWorks, smaller-scale ventures will start to make a difference in how we see food and food access in Toronto.  Look for already established businesses and community centres to play a big support role.

The unexpected – So much is happening in Toronto, we can only expected the unexpected for new food innovations from our entrepreneurs, leading non-profits and foodie newbies.

2012 is going to be a big year for food in Toronto. I hope you're hungry!