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Nylon food fads: The return of retro

Posted Nov 12, 2009

Once upon a time when in New York or London it was all about visiting a hot new fusion. Times it appears however has changed as the latest food fads are reported to be macaroni cheese and...boiled sweets.

The recession is of course responsible for many an outburst of creativity – it’s shaking up the fashion industry in ways we never imagined but in terms of food, it appears we’re regressing.

Retro sweets are a Christmas craze in the U.K.

Marks & Spencer has reported a 70 per cent increase in sales of their retro sweets such as fizzy cola bottles, rhubarb and custard and wine gums. Mintel, the market research analyst, is forecasting a growth in sweets sales by 9 per cent within five years and online traditional sweet stores such as www.oldsweetshop.com, www.aquarterof.co.uk, www.mysweetcandystore.co.uk  and www.sweetjunkie.com/Old-Fashioned-Boiled-Sweets/Pineapple-Cubes are also providing virtual nostaglia by shipping cola bottles and gobstoppers around the country.

The Mac Bar in New York

Across the ocean in New York – home-cooked food is also having (yet) another moment, only this time in the form of macaroni and cheese. Soho’s Mercer Kitchen is serving it - which therefore equals instant hipster credibility and two restaurants devoted solely to macaroni cheese are according to the WSJ - having a surge in popularity.

S'Mac bar in New York

It's natural to assume of course that the recession has killed food's high life and we're craving for a comfort fix - or maybe it's because fusion food wasn't very nice to begin with?

Kerry Olsen.

Source: The Times, WSJ

 

 

TAGS: food trends london new york retro sweets macaroni cheese mercer kitchen s'mac mac bar