Seasonal Culinary Trends Resorts Need to Nail This Winter ❄️
- The League of Extraordinary Chefs
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
The winter season brings a unique craving for warmth, comfort, and cozy indulgence. For resorts, this means transforming menus and dining experiences to meet guest expectations, blending classic winter favorites with modern culinary innovation. This year, the focus is on elevated comfort, global flavors, multi-sensory experiences, and a strong commitment to sustainability. Here are the seasonal culinary trends your resort needs to embrace this winter.
1. Culinary Concepts: Beyond Classic Comfort
Although guests desire hearty, comforting meals, the trend is to present them with a refined touch.
Elevated "Newstalgia" & Comfort Classics
Give classic winter comfort food a high-end makeover. This trend, sometimes called "Newstalgia," is all about a playful, elevated take on familiar dishes.
Gourmet Baked Potato: Move beyond a simple spud. Offer a loaded baked potato topped with caviar, black truffle, pork belly lardon, and a rich mornay sauce.
Reimagined Dessert: Reinvent classics like Baked Alaska with a modern filling, such as a molten chocolate cake center.
Globalized Comfort: Introduce hearty, comforting dishes from around the world, like a gourmet Gulasch Soup or a nourishing bowl of Pho or Ramen as an on-slope lunch option. A growing trend is the inclusion of Korean comfort foods like Kimchi Eggs Benedict.
Flavor Innovation: Umami and Fusion
Winter menus are getting a depth of flavor from unexpected sources and global inspiration.
Dry-Aged Vegetables: Borrowing a technique from meat, dry-aged root vegetables and mushrooms are gaining traction. This process concentrates their natural flavors and enhances the umami—the savory taste that is perfect for winter dishes. For a unique touch, consider dry-aged persimmons for a sweet, savory starter.
Asian Flavors: Continue to integrate bold, complex Asian ingredients like black tahini, salted egg yolk, and Chili Crunch fusions (e.g., chili crunch blended with Italian herbs for seafood or pizza). Southeast Asian flavors, including Filipino and Indonesian, are also on the rise.
2. Beverage & Bar Trends: Cozy and Creative Sips
The winter bar scene thrives on both hot, spiced drinks and creative, dessert-inspired cocktails.
Hot & Spiked Winter Warmers 🔥
The classics are back, but with complex, high-quality ingredients.
The Hot Toddy Reinvented: Beyond the basic lemon and whiskey, offer twists like a Hot Gin Toddy to highlight the gin's botanicals, or a Spiced Apple Cider spiked with rye whiskey and cardamom bitters.
Elevated Hot Chocolate: This is a non-negotiable. Offer a decadent Boozy Hot Chocolate with spirits like vanilla vodka, Irish cream, or a French-inspired Verte Chaud (hot chocolate with green Chartreuse). Gingerbread hot chocolate is a festive variation.
Hot Buttered Rum: Feature this rich, decadent drink made with a house-made butter mixture that includes brown sugar and a blend of winter spices like cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Or start with a base using a Hot Buttered Rum cold brew, like this one from Chef Bob's Coffee.
The "Sober Curious" Movement & Tipsy Tea
Guests are increasingly seeking low- and no-alcohol options that are just as complex as their spirited counterparts.
Low/No-Alcohol Focus: Don't just offer water; provide well-composed non-alcoholic distilled beverages and sophisticated zero-proof cocktails that utilize botanicals and spices.
Tipsy Tea: For the modern guest, traditional afternoon tea is getting an upgrade. Offer a lively tea-based happy hour with tea cocktails, sparkling teas, and high-end tea varieties (especially Asian teas) that can be served with or without a spirit.
Functional Beverages: Tap into wellness with specialty coffees and teas that include functional mushrooms (like Reishi or Ashwagandha) or other adaptogens known for their nutritional benefits.
Bourbon Barrel Aged Coffees: All the flavor with none of the alcohol. True barrel aged coffees make excellent cold brews and give N/A espresso martinis a bold kick.
3. Experiential Dining & Venue Concepts 🥂
In the resort environment, the setting and experience are just as important as the food itself.
The Power of Sensory Immersion
Dining is transforming into a full theatrical experience that engages all five senses.
Sensory-Designed Rooms: Incorporate curated soundscapes, ambient lighting, and even subtle scents that evolve with each course to transport the diner. For example, use ocean sounds and blue lighting for a seafood dish.
Interactive Dining: Offer engaging experiences like Fireside Dining with traditional Alpine dishes where guests melt their own raclette cheese by the fireplace. A horse-drawn sleigh ride to a remote dining lodge provides an unforgettable touch of winter magic.
Themed Winter Villages: Create a unique, memorable outdoor experience. Set up private dining cottages or igloos on a rooftop or terrace, offering spectacular views and a rotating prix fixe winter menu.
Hyper-Local and Sustainable Sourcing
The demand for transparent and ethical food sourcing remains a major trend, resonating strongly with younger travelers.
Local & Seasonal: Focus your menu on hearty winter produce like hard squashes, root vegetables, and locally sourced game. Highlight the hyper-local element by detailing the farms and suppliers on the menu.
Zero-Waste Cooking: Guests appreciate a commitment to sustainability. Showcase creative efforts to reduce food waste by utilizing all parts of an ingredient in different dishes or upcycling food by-products into new snacks and beverages.
Plant-Based Excellence: Elevate your vegan and vegetarian offerings far beyond a simple side dish. Menu seasonal, inventive plant-based perfection where the season's bounty is the star, catering to health- and eco-conscious guests.
This winter, a resort’s culinary program is much more than just a menu—it's a critical component of the entire guest experience. By mastering these seasonal trends, from the deep, savory comfort of Newstalgia cuisine to the creative flair of "Tipsy Teas" and immersive dining setups, resorts can craft a narrative of warmth, indulgence, and unforgettable memories. Prioritizing authenticity, sustainability, and sensory engagement will ensure your resort not only meets but dramatically exceeds the expectations of the modern winter traveler, turning a simple stay into a truly cozy, sophisticated, and talked-about culinary destination.
If you're part of the culinary or hospitality industry seeking to enhance your operations, The League of Extraordinary Chefs is here to help. Our talent management solutions are tailored to your unique needs, ensuring every dish and guest interaction exceeds expectations.
Schedule a 30-minute introductory call with us to explore how we can help you redefine culinary excellence. Your guests deserve nothing less than extraordinary.
About the League of Extraordinary Chefs
The League of Extraordinary Chefs was established in May 2021 when a team of chefs converged upon the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby. Arising out of extreme staffing shortages in the culinary industry, the League was born and has grown to a full roster of highly-vetted and qualified culinary professionals. We offer talent management and placement of extraordinary chefs & FOH hospitality professionals for hotels & resorts, sporting & entertainment events, conventions, top tier restaurants, and vacation ranches. From short-term (3-7+ days) to long-term (6+ months) placements, let us source the right culinary talent for your needs. #STAFFEXTRAORDINARY
