Go Back

Food Facts and Trends: What We Ate In 2019

Image

It’s been a delicious year at Great Performances! We introduced even more plant-forward dishes (including our vegan demi-glace) and have thrown a record number of events including corporate events, brand activations, movie and Broadway premiers, weddings, conferences, and of course, holiday parties!

FOOD CONSUMPTION BY CATEGORY


As we looked back at what people ate this year, we noticed a couple trends. First, our customers, clients and diners are spending more on Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Seeds and Nuts compared to any other category. Additionally, we’ve noted an almost 15% increase in the consumption of plant-focused meals, which aligns with the continued growth of plant-based, vegetarian and vegan eaters. It also seems to indicate that people are ready to embrace a balanced plate even at indulgent events! We’ve definitely noticed an uptick in the request for vegetarian friendly dishes as a primary offering at weddings, and our talented chefs have been busy creating new, innovative dishes that look as beautiful as they are delicious.

Focusing on our vegetable and fruit consumption, all the usual suspects made our popularity list.

As we looked back at what people ate this year, we noticed a couple trends. First, our customers, clients and diners are spending more on Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Seeds and Nuts compared to any other category. Additionally, we’ve noted an almost 15% increase in the consumption of plant-focused meals, which aligns with the continued growth of plant-based, vegetarian and vegan eaters. It also seems to indicate that people are ready to embrace a balanced plate even at indulgent events! We’ve definitely noticed an uptick in the request for vegetarian friendly dishes as a primary offering at weddings, and our talented chefs have been busy creating new, innovative dishes that look as beautiful as they are delicious.

Focusing on our vegetable and fruit consumption, all the usual suspects made our popularity list.

TOP VEGETABLES OF FRUITS OF 2019

Vegetables

  • Greens

  • Tubers

  • Tomatoes

  • Legumes

  • Squash

  • Alliums

  • Carrots

  • Peppers

  • Cucumbers

  • Mushrooms

  • Corn

  • Beets

  • Eggplant

  • Asparagus

Fruit

  • Citrus

  • Pineapples

  • Berries

  • Bananas

  • Apples

  • Melons

  • Mangoes

  • Grapes

  • Pears

  • Peaches

  • Plums

  • Kiwi

  • Pomegranate

  • Rhubarb

Although there were no real surprises for us, it was exciting to see the distribution of the consumption of the different varieties of food and how very specific items, including tomatoes, carrots and beets, compared to aggregated items, like greens, legumes and alliums. We consumed more greens than tomatoes, carrots and beets combined, which makes sense when considering that greens make the perfect foil for all of our vibrant and delicious produce!

Last year, we explored some of our favorite local products delivered thanks to our partners and friends including Gotham Greens, Koppert Cress, Fossil Farms, Goffle Poultry, our friends at the Green Market and of course, Katchkie Farm. Here’s how we stacked up this year:

  • 6,040 pounds of New York State apples

  • 115,200 cage free chicken eggs

  • 975 pounds of New York State ground polenta, sourced from GrowNYC’s Regional Grain Project

We’re excited to taste and see what 2020 brings!