Thinking
What does it take to be as cool as a cucumber?
According to The Grocer, the viral cucumber salad hype started by TikToker Logan Moffitt has, unfortunately, come too late for British growers. So, what makes TikTok so effective at kick-starting food trends?
What makes the cucumber trend different from similar ones that came before it (think kale and avocados) isn’t a big-budget growers' association campaign, but a single creator and a very nifty algorithm.
TikTok delivers stardom in a way other platforms just can’t match. Here’s why it can transform food and drink culture in ways we’ve never seen before:
🎥 Instant Virality: TikTok’s algorithm is lightning-fast. A single post can go from a few views to millions in a day. Compare that to Instagram, which feels slower and more curated than its rough-and-ready counterpart.
🌎 Community Explosion: On TikTok, anyone can become a trendsetter. Commenting is encouraged, and communities are built overnight.
🥒 Real-World Impact: Trends like baked feta and cucumber salad quickly move beyond the screen. This can cause grocery shortages and real-time consumer demand that some supply chains struggle to keep up with.
TikTok is culture in the fast lane. We’ve never experienced such a rapidly moving, amorphous platform. While it’s incredible for starting and growing movements, it can be hard to plan and react quickly enough to meet the demand. Fingers crossed the trend continues for British growers next season.
