Londonist likes lists. In fact, without lists, we’d have trouble even remembering to put the Londonist rubbish out at night, or to pay the Londonist milkman. Lists of fave ‘this’ and best-selling ‘that’s are quite amusing, and of course are to be expected at the end of one year or the start of another. Lists of predictions however, be it in terms of fashion, home-furnishings, blogging trends (ooh-er) or food, are a hoot, written either by hopeless wishful thinkers or by those with enough [style quotient + media connectivity = clout] to enforce what they’d foreseen. Tom Aikens' view:
“I hear fish and chips are going to be big. I see more simpe food, although people still want to have the fine-dining gastronomic experience.”
…can thus be seen in quite a different light if you know that he is about to open a posh fish and chippery.
So it is with a mixture of resentment (‘we’ll do what we want and not what you tell us to’) and cynicism that we report on this year’s ’hotly anticipated’ foodie trends.
The two ‘next big culinary things’ in 2008 are probably going to be:
Many of the chefs interviewed in the survey used the expression ‘back to basics’, which always worries Londonist as it is most often heard from the lips of top politicos. Quite of few of them inferred a backlash against foam, which suggests that Heston Blumenthal might not be in for a good year. A couple of them mention a more continental approach to dining (later hours), but this probably really is just wishful thinking. But the most sensible comment of the lot came from Chris Galvin:
I think great hospitality is something we have to work harder on in England.
Understatement of the year so far, we reckon.
Piccie courtesy of wiccked's flickr photo stream.
