As everyone in the foodservice community knows, food is more than just the nutrition it provides — food communicates. And what it communicates depends on how it’s prepared, who it’s prepared by and who is sitting around the table to enjoy it.

For as long as humans have been around, food has brought families, communities and cultures together. Sharing meals helps build trust by communicating a basic understanding of one another’s needs and desires.

Last year, we introduced the first-ever recipe edition of the Product Knowledge Guide, which asked equipment manufacturers, “What recipe best highlights the piece of equipment that you are demonstrating?” We hope that the recipe issue continues to serve as an opportunity to connect the dots between end-user desires and those who work tirelessly to put food on their plates.

So, how do we know what end-users want? For that, we turn to the experts in menu trends and analytics. In this issue, you’ll learn “What You Need to Know About This Year’s Menu Trends” (page 6). You’ll hear from experts about how inflation, sustainability and generational trends are influencing menus.

I had the honor of seeing one of these experts present their findings at our recent Foodservice Equipment & Design (FED) Global Thought Leadership Summit. Mike Kostyo, vice president of Menu Matters, alongside Maeve Webster, president of Menu Matters, offered unique insights into how you can use trends to encourage optimism and engagement in consumers. If you couldn’t join us in person, I highly recommend watching their FED talk, “2025 Trends: Solving for Evolving Consumer Needs,” which will be available to watch at fedthoughtleadership.com soon.

All the best,

Maureen