“Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.” – Anthony Bourdaine
Over the years, globalization has increasingly paved the way for different traditional cuisines to break into culinary scenes abroad. With the rise of more metropolitan cities worldwide, cultural assimilation is inevitable as culture itself subtly radiates from the millions of immigrants residing in the land. Through such exposure and a tolerant and welcoming local community, what was once considered foreign food have been given the opportunity to thrive and reach not only those who grew up on the traditional cuisine but also the global audience residing in the city.
Each traditional cuisine packs unique spices and carefully crafted flavours, all reflecting the geography, socioeconomics and lifestyle of its people. Now, think of your favourite home-cooked traditional meal growing up. Be it the chicken rice, beef rendang or fish curry, your choice is heavily influenced by not only your taste buds, but more so the wholesome experiences you had as a child indulging in that love-prepared dish. Thus, in spite of many of us finding ourselves far from home, the craving of smelling the aroma of our cultural dishes and dining our ethnic cuisines is actually rooted in something deeply personal and is felt by many across cultures.
Apart from people longing for the familiar, there is also no denying the rise in popularity of Asian cuisine in the past years. In the UK, public awareness of world cuisines have now extended the selection of Asian cuisine to go beyond just Chinese and Indian dishes (source). Asian flavours are being better represented in the UK’s foodservice market, with a rise in the numbers of food outlets serving Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese cuisines to name a few (source). The figures reflecting the top 10 fastest growing restaurant categories can be seen in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1: Net change of units in the top 10 fastest growing restaurant categories in 2018 (Source)
Similar trends can also be seen in other western countries. In pop culture, American renowned chef, the late Anthony Bourdaine, constantly professed his deep love for Asian cuisine, having documented his travels and food experiences in the Asian continent through his widely televised TV series Parts Unknown and No Reservations (source). Likewise in Australia, Asian cuisine is so ingrained in the local food scene that competitive cooking reality TV show, Masterchef Australia, even included a Chinese dish challenge in one of its seasons (source).
So, where is this industry headed? Would more globalized cities then be demanding of more restaurants and food outlets offering dishes from across the globe?
To answer this, we must first look into the trends following the foodservice industry of metropolitan cities in itself. Firstly, with people today generally leading a more fast-paced life, the act of eating out is normalized due to its convenience. The extent and need for convenience have even pushed technology to increase the accessibility between customers and restaurants through on-app, real-time restaurant meal delivery services. With new online platforms, customers can now have the convenience of trying out new cuisines with just a click of a finger.
With all factors aforementioned considered, Mordor Intelligence estimates the global ethnic food market to be valued close to USD 36.5 billion in 2018, with growth anticipated at an astounding CAGR of 11.8% between the years 2020 to 2025 (source). Customers from the Asia-Pacific are said to contribute greatly to this growth due to the rising young demographic composition. Consumers’ interests in Asian cuisines, such as Thai, Korean, Malay, and Japanese, are increasing globally, as people are seeking more, “bold and spicy flavours.”
With such considerable growth anticipated, how does one participate to capture the market? Well, we believe Warisan Cafe is on the right track when it comes to establishing a brand in the home of global cuisines. Warisan Cafe is a Malaysian grown brand serving traditional Malay dishes in one of the leading capitals of the world – London, with an outlet in Paddington, Central London since 2017. In contrast to other Malaysian foodservice outlets in the region; Warisan Cafe has positioned themselves well in the local community and extends its target market beyond just Malaysians – with more than 80 per cent of its customers comprising of Londoners. Keeping with the trends, Warisan Cafe has also taken on food delivery partners such as Deliveroo and JustEats to further push their sales and reach their customers in a more accessible manner. The strategy is proven a success, as Warisan Cafe now credits up to 25 per cent of total sales from those deliveries itself.
Keeping Malaysia at heart, Warisan Cafe aspires to get more Malaysians to participate in their restaurant’s journey by becoming crowd investors and marketers. With plans to expand and open up new outlets across London (and eventually beyond!), Warisan Cafe is in the process of fundraising for expansion, and offers lucrative incentives for investors too! Seeking to raise RM1.3 million in the preliminary campaign to finance phase 1 of its expansion plans, Warisan Cafe aims to have total coverage of Central London by the end of this very year. Exciting times are coming, and if you have a passion for food, a love for London, or anything in between, would you like to be a part of Warisan?
