She’s noticed ethnic-inspired dips and complementary flavor combinations also continuing to be popular in 2020. We’re continually impressed with the variety of ways consumer use dips to create simple to decadent board presentations.” “It adds creativity and options for both snacking and meal variety that consumers have sought in 2020. “Dips and spreads pair perfectly with olives, meats and crackers, and cheese boards are easy to put together for a no-cook meal,” she says. And all of these products can be found in the supermarket deli section.Ĭaitlin Morrison, brand manager for Reser’s Fine Foods, headquartered in Beaverton, OR, notes cheese boards are a trend that lend well to dairy dips. Terrapin Ridge Farms, headquartered in Clearwater, FL, offers gourmet mustards, dressings, sauces, dips, jams & jellies and salsas, all of which can turn any meal into a gourmet occasion.
There is only room for this category to grow.” “Additionally, the amount of meals and snacks consumed at home has been accelerated by the pandemic. While they still love the classic flavors like French onion and Ranch, they are seeking more innovative flavors like Tzatziki and diet-based options like plant based,” she says. “Consumers are favoring clean ingredients and labels. Mandy Bottomlee, director of content marketing for Pleasant Prairie, WI-based Good Foods Group, notes as snacking frequency continues to grow, consumers are becoming more conscious of how they’re snacking and are favoring clean ingredients, clean labels and free-from artificial ingredients. “The dips category experienced a surge as the pandemic broke out, and chips were listed as an essential item by retailers.” “Within the peanut butter category, we have seen portion control become a new segment of the category that is appealing to the busy parent or the person looking to eat a protein source on the go,” says Needham.
There’s also a lot of plant-based dips and spreads being introduced to the segment, including things like a whipped nut base to drive their creaminess and a huge growth in ethnic flavors in the space, such as tzatziki.