We love the fresh tastes of summer. Abundant, seasonal bounties. Crisp, flavorful fruits & vegetables that offer such food and beverage versatility for our culinary team.

For summer food trends inspiration, we turn to our resident culinary R&D Specialist, Amanda Webb, for current trends in food and beverage services. With a specialty in menu development and menu engineering, we value Amanda’s culinary creativity. Here’s a sample of what’s on tap this summer:

Tasty Toppings. Amanda and her team love being back at the grill serving up all-American classics like burgers and hot dogs with a twist. “We are seeing some fun toppings this summer for burgers and hot dogs that are definitely out of the box.” What toppings are intriguing them these days? Substituting fermented vegetables, like kimchi and cucumbers, for sauerkraut. And chutneys. Whether fruit-based (like tomato and mango) or vegetable-based (like roasted peppers and chilis), chutneys provide a flavorful, tasty toppings for burgers and hot dogs. Another way to go? Pile on the protein. Play with adding BBQ pulled pork and Texas beef chili to burgers and hot dogs, then finish with a creamy, tangy slaw or even a fried egg, and guests will love these classics turned up a notch.

Summertime Beverages with Delicious Flair. The ultimate sign of summer trends in food and beverage industry for Amanda and her team? Colorful – bright pinks, yellows, oranges – drinks lining the bar. Liven up your summertime bar menu with innovative, refreshing fusions of flavors. Our team blended fresh-squeezed citrus and the finest 100% agave tequila to craft the perfect margarita, The Margarita 2019, for guests at DC’s Farmers Fishers Bakers to sip on their outdoor patio this summer. We also infused proprietary Founding Farmers Pisco with strawberry, thyme, lime, vanilla, and egg white to create Founding Farmers Reston Station’s delicious Strawberry Pisco Sour; and crafted a summertime-in-a-glass Strawberry Ginger Margarita made with patrón barrel select, patrón citrónge, lime, strawberry, ginger juice, and mint. Other interesting beverage trends our team’s working with this summer: exotic fruits (like yuzo and dragon fruit), edible flowers (dandelions are making a comeback), and herbs.

Make your summertime menus standout. Stay tuned, as we’ll have more fresh ideas and inspiration from Amanda & her culinary team coming your way.