Welcome to our social listening series: Social Senses! These posts are created in partnership with Tastewise, who monitors social media activity in the food and beverage world. This post includes listening dates: July 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020.

Grilled Stays Hot

Grilling was gaining popularity in the warmer months, as Kyle mentioned in the Q2 report, therefore, it is no surprise that we see this trend continue on into Q3 in the savory social media world. Although of course meat options are the main ingredient being thrown on the grill, we are seeing an increase of other food items making an appearance.

Plant-based options stayed hot, and are showing new opportunity during COVID. However, not only are alternative meat options hitting the grill, but we see grilled vegetables make an appearance as well. Here we see a chef creating a delicious grilled-mushroom (my favorite veggie) meal.

Soup Makes a Comeback

As Sydney mentioned in her blog, a lot of foods are getting attention that did not in previous years. This includes milk, cereal, and – soup. Thanks to COVID, soups have seen a bump in sales, as families are looking for an easy and convenient way to eat at home. It’s gained a boost in savory social media and blog circles; there are new soup recipes showcased every day. And consumers are looking to soups to get creative in the kitchen! We are also seeing an increase in globally-inspired recipes, as well as looking to soup for immune health benefits.

Asian soups, including Ramen and Pho, is one of the top ethnic recipes that consumers are engaging with. Here we have an example of kimchi soup, which is not only great for comfort, but plays on the health benefits of soup as well.

Fall favorites don’t just touch the coffee category! In Q3, among the soup craze, Panera announced their comeback of their squash Autumn soup.

Refreshing, Isn’t It?

Consumers are showing increased interest for ecological and healthy foods, like mentioned in this article written by the Marketbites staff. This of course is only amplified by the health craze induced by COVID. This can lead way as to why we see an increase for the want of refreshing ingredients in Q3 across multiple categories in the savory space. This comes to life through the use of various ingredients like cucumber, lemon, and more.

Here’s a great example of meal prep where there’s the oh so fresh cucumbers used.

Sauces saw an increase in refreshing mentions, like with this vegetarian pasta salad recipe, made with fresh herbs for a refreshing summer day.

Want to learn more about the market products and services gaining traction? Visit our Social Listening section of MarketBites of the blog for more!

Savannah Turner

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