How our burger concepts respond to the latest trends in food

The world of food is always on the move. Trends follow up on each other faster than ever. Some of them turn out to be just hype, while others are here to stay. At HMSHost, we keep a close eye on all these trends, responding quickly to the most important ones in order to meet the needs of our global travellers. Discover how we’ve adopted the most important trends in food in our hamburger concepts.

Trend 1: Vegan
Vegan food was once reserved for a small group of consumers. But in a short period of time, vegan food became increasingly popular, and in some countries it’s now even developing towards more and more mainstream.

In response to this trend, and to a growing body of evidence supporting the link between gut and mental health, LEON introduced the 100% vegan LOVe Burger. It's made with a soya-beetroot patty topped with a vegan Carolina mustard mayo, LEON burger sauce, tomatoes, pickles, and a slice of smoked gouda-style vegan cheese. And it turns out to be very successful: at this moment, the LOVeburger is the most sold item at our LEON stores.

LEON is not the only concept that responds well to the vegan trend. Our franchise partners are also actively innovating. Take Burger King for example: together with ‘De Vegetarische Slager’ (the Vegetarian Butcher) they introduced the Rebel Whopper®; a patty made from plants, and it’s flame-grilled in the same way as the normal Whoppers to give that smoky BBQ taste. Right now, Burger King is rolling the Rebel Whopper out to different countries in Europe.

Our concept The Burger Federation also responds to the meatless trend with The (Non) Meat Burger, which is based on a Moving Mountains patty.

Trend 2: Love for local products
Using local products has a positive impact on the environment. But that’s only one reason for the growing love for local food. The other reason is that many travellers love to experience the taste preferences and cultures of the countries they visit. To respond to this trend, every store of The Burger Federation has a local specialty. The store in Utrecht has ‘The Hoge Utrecht Burger’, with Oudegracht-cheese and home-made sauce based on a local Utrecht beer. In our store in Qatar, the ‘Arabian Burger’ is popular: a falafel patty on za’atar bread.

Trend 3: Worldly tastes and techniques
While consumers love local products, at the same time they are seeking adventure in their food: they long for exotic tastes and textures. At The Burger Federation, we respond to this trend with all sorts of ‘worldly’ burgers. Like the Greek Isles Burger, with tzatziki and baby spinach, or the Mexican Baja with guacamole, hot chili sauce and red bean paste.

Trend 4: Food as an experience
For most consumers, enjoying food is about more than just eating. It’s the whole experience surrounding it. They want to be amazed and surprised, they want to see that their food is being given special attention. To respond to this trend, all Burger Federation stores have a ‘food theatre kitchen’ where your burger is put in the spotlight. Behind a big glass wall, you can watch the chef creating your burger.