Fancy Food Show 2022 Recap: Emerging Trends to Watch Out For

Fancy food shows are highly anticipated events in the food and beverage industry – and for good reason! Food trade shows are an opportunity for consumer packaged goods (CPG) businesses to network with industry peers, create new relationships with distributors, meet buyers, meet suppliers, learn from the industry’s best and brightest, and understand trends to better serve customers. In other words, if you’re part of the CPG industry, attending a fancy food trade show is in your best interest. (And they’re a lot of fun, too!)

But because of the pandemic, this year was the first time in three years that members could reconnect and attend a food trade show. That made the 2022 Fancy Food Show even more critical. 

In this post, I’m sharing my experience at the fancy food trade show and the trends all my CPG business owners should be on the lookout for.

5 Trends to Watch Out for in the CPG Industry

I had the pleasure of attending the 2022 Fancy Food Show in New York and couldn’t help but notice some innovative and exciting industry trends. Here are a few of my favorites, along with brands that were showcased at the Fancy Food Show in New York:

Surprising Snacks

We all love to munch (myself included), but these snacks were all about adding a creative and unexpected twist. That surprising pop of flavor in everyday snack foods was a standout on the show floor at this year’s Fancy Food Show in New York.

• Zesty Z’s Feta Popcorn

• Daily Crunch Java Nut Medley

• RIND Snacks Chips

• Jamie’s Farm Black Truffle Granola

• Sow Good Foods Freeze-Dried Papaya

Specialty Condiments and Sauces

This trend was the true icing on the cake, or should I say sauce on top of your faves. Bold and culturally-forward, flavor-enhancing sauces and specialty condiments were abundant, adding a kick or complement to virtually whatever favorite food you’re ready to bite into. 

• Fly By Jing Chili Crisp

• Sierra Diablo Sauces

• Whipnotic 

• New York Shuk

• Chingona’s Salsa Macha

All About the Pre- and Probiotics

Health continues to be top of mind for many consumers, especially when it comes to fancy food. These show-stopping brands stopped traffic over their products and probiotics.

• American Vinegar Works

• Cleveland Kitchen

• Big Easy 

• Spare Foods Tonic

• Anita’s Yogurt

Dips and Spreads

Can we agree that there’s nothing like a good spread for snacking or serving? And there’s nothing like these flavorful dips and spreads that will be taking over pantries across the country and world!

• Fabalish

• Humble Nut Butter

• Seed & Mill Tahini

• B. Nutty Peanut Butter

• Soci’s Yogurt Dip

Tasty and Trendy Truffles

This trend speaks for itself. The coveted truffles were back and in full force across snacks, sauces, and even whiskey!

• Jamie’s Farm Black Truffle Granola (so nice had to include it twice!)

• The Truffleist

• Popadelics Crunchy Mushroom Chips – Trippin’ Truffle Parm

My Journey to the Fancy Food Show in New York  

I had the pleasure of attending the 2022 Fancy Food Show in New York and wow! It was a total game-changer for me.

To be honest, I kind of fell into the CPG industry while freelancing as a virtual assistant, and I’m so thankful I did. It felt like the perfect way to combine my corporate, human resources, ops management, and leadership experience while helping solo entrepreneurs build their dreams.

But it also felt lonely.

I wasn’t sure what groups to join, where to meet other ops management pros and leaders in the industry, how to get my name out there, what publications to follow. I was lost. I felt enchanted but disconnected from the industry at the same time. 

Eventually, I found some relevant groups to join, like Startup CPG’s incredible Slack support group. I attended panels and learned about Foodboro, Retail Ready, Chicago Food Incubators, and RodeoCPG.

Then, through word of mouth and a handful of Facebook posts, I landed some gigs working with emerging food brands, including Jamie’s Farm. I quickly realized I was so much more than a VA who took things off my clients’ plates. (No pun intended!) I discovered I LOVED operations and organizing the back end of businesses, so the role of fractional operations manager felt natural and like a much better fit.  

Everything was starting to fall into place for me.

Fancy Food, Friends, and Trends

After working with Jamie’s Farm remotely for about a year, we had the opportunity to meet at the Fancy Food Show in New York. Meeting in person really strengthened our relationship and helped us align on Jamie’s Farm’s vision and what’s next. I met Jamie’s vendors, some other amazing brands, customers, and friends in the industry too.

After a global pandemic, an event like the 2022 Fancy Food Show felt incredibly necessary. Bringing people together was energizing and cemented my belief that I’m in the right place in my career. I’m excited to keep learning and growing in the CPG industry!

The CPG industry is filled with thousands and thousands of talented, innovative, and passionate experts – like you! I know it can feel extremely overwhelming when you’re first starting out. Trying to meet people, making connections, and becoming known as an expert can be difficult. And that’s why fancy food shows are so important: They help bridge the gap between professionals of all backgrounds, experience levels, and skill sets. 

As a fractional Operations Manager for CPG businesses, I would love to make your journey a little smoother and less stressful. Let’s make sure you’re maximizing every opportunity that comes your way – schedule a call with me today!