2022 was the year of butter boards, pink sauce, nacho tables and superfood powders. But what is 2023 going to be about?

Here are our predictions for what is going to be big in the kitchen in the year ahead…

Eating alone

With a surge in people ‘dating themselves’ and prioritising activities alone to promote happiness and wellbeing, 2023 could be the year where eating alone is the new hot ticket.

If there’s a restaurant you want to try, there’s no need to wait for a pal to get on board to make a reservation in 2023. Resy’s 2023 Food Forward dining out trend predictions have corroborated this, predicting that restaurants are more open than ever to the table for one.

#SoloDate and #DiningAlone have 150+ million views on TikTok, according to the report. Nearly one in three people say they have dined alone – as they get to spend some quality time with themselves, and can eat on their own schedule.

TikTok stars turned household names

You may start to see some of your favourite TikTok cookery names jumping into the mainstream in 2023.

With 2.2 million followers on TikTok, the recipes Caught Snackin’ posts constantly go viral – and now the channel is set to reach new heights with the release of its debut cookbook (Caught Snackin’: 100 recipes. Simple. Fast. Flavoursome., Hamlyn, February 2).

Similarly, Max La Manna, who has over 120k followers on TikTok, is releasing his third cookbook (You Can Cook This!, Ebury Press, March 3), with a focus on waste-free cooking.

Eating better for brain health

With so much of our focus now on mental wellbeing, it comes as no surprise that the Waitrose & Partners Food & Drink Report for 2022-2023 names cognitive nutrition as a future trend.

According to the report, “This means an increased focus on ‘brain food’ such as fatty fish like tuna and salmon, blueberries, broccoli, kale, spinach, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate and rocket to improve memory and focus.”

Get the dark chocolate-covered blueberries out – they could be big this year.

Tinned food

People are looking for new ways to cook delicious food for less, as the cost-of-living crisis continues to place a strain on grocery budgets across the country.

This could mean tinned food has something of a renaissance – particularly for ingredients that can be expensive, such as tropical fruit or fish.

On TikTok, people have been finding new ways to cook with canned classics; #Spamrecipe has 10.3m views on the platform, and #Spam has 3.5 billion.

Baked salads

Baked salads have been taking over social media this winter, and that is set to continue into the new year.

From Brussels sprouts to baked curly kale, the options are endless. In 2022 it was all about the viral ‘green goddess’ salad dip, and baked salads are set to be the next huge iteration of that.

Nose to tail cooking

Nose to tail is nothing new, but it seems like there is a fresh appreciation for it – particularly as we strive to reduce waste when cooking, both for environmental and financial reasons.

The cost-of-living crisis could even have people cooking cheaper, more unusual cuts of meat at home this year – be it flank, kidneys or liver.

Locavore eating

There’s a new dietary term on the scene, and according to the Waitrose & Partners Food & Drink Report, locavore eating is set to be the next big thing.

It comes from San Francisco, and describes people who buy and eat local produce in an effort to support local businesses and reduce their carbon footprints.

According to the report, strict locavores won’t branch out further than a 100-mile radius. While this isn’t possible for everyone, where our food comes from is a growing concern – with Waitrose reporting 22% of people surveyed saying they now consider the number of air miles a product takes to get to the shelf.