Social Media News Release

Annika Stensson, (202) 973-3677, Twitter.com/WeRRestaurants
Mike Donohue, (202) 331-5902

The National Restaurant Association's survey of American Culinary Federation chefs is the industry's leading culinary forecast. This marks the third annual survey of ACF chefs. More than 1,600 professional chefs nationwide ranked nearly 210 culinary items as a "hot trend," "yesterday's news" or "perennial favorite."

Read the chef survey news release. Read the alcohol trends news release.

Download the Chef Survey. [PDF, 1MB]

• National Restaurant Association's third annual survey of American Culinary Federation chefs is the industry's leading culinary forecast.
• Hottest trends on 2009 restaurant menus: nutrition and philosophy-driven food choices.
• The top 10 trends: locally grown produce, bite-size desserts, organics, healthy kids' meals, new/fabricated meat cuts, kids' vegetable/fruit side dishes, superfruits (including acai and mangosteen), small plates/tapas/mezze/dim sum, artisanal liquor, sustainable seafood.
• The top alcohol trends: micro-distilled liquor, culinary cocktails and organic wine. Top non-alcoholic beverage trends: specialty iced tea, organic coffee and flavored/enhanced water.
• Leading culinary trend themes: nutrition, gluten-free/allergy-conscious and food-alcohol pairings.
• Read the full news release.

• "Creativity is a hallmark of professional chefs. Today's marketplace offers more options than ever. As the wide health trend continues to grow, the trend of choosing foods for one's personal philosophy has gained momentum. As interest in food and the culinary arts grows, consumers are becoming more knowledgeable about the food they eat, and chefs are putting their talents to work to fulfill the demand for dishes that follow those trends.
  
  "Restaurant operators will have the best opportunity to explore these trends at the 2009 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event, next May in Chicago."
  
  — Dawn Sweeney, National Restaurant Association President and CEO



• "Our members are restaurant owners, culinary educators and executive chefs at restaurants, hotels and country clubs, and they experience first-hand the latest trends. In 2009, we will see healthier menu options with an emphasis on produce and fruit, smaller dishes and fish, and an increase in the use of local and sustainable ingredients. Going green will no longer be an alternative, as it will affect everything we do in our industry, from the use of induction cooking to finding new and exciting local food sources. And the word 'chef' will represent and mean a chef who cooks healthy, flavorful foods."
  
  —John Kinsella, CMC, CCE, WGMC, AAC, American Culinary Federation National President

Please contact Media Relations for additional quotes.

• News release on Chef Survey: What's Hot in 2009
• News release on alcohol trends from chef survey
• 2009 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show (serious bloggers may attend as news media)
• 2009 International Wine, Spirits " Beer Event (serious bloggers may attend as news media)
• American Culinary Federation

• The National Restaurant Association, founded in 1919, is the leading business association for the restaurant industry. Comprised of 945,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and 13.1 million employees, the restaurant industry is the cornerstone of the economy, career opportunities and community involvement. Along with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association represents, educates and promotes the rapidly growing industry. For more information, visit our Web site at www.restaurant.org.



• The American Culinary Federation, established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 22,000 members spanning 230 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in educational resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation. ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org.

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• Organization and Mission

• Leadership Bios

• Michael Donohue, (202) 331-5902

• Sue Hensley, (202) 331-5964

• Maureen Ryan, (202) 331-5939

• Annika Stensson, (202) 973-3677

E-mail: media@restaurant.org