Food and drink trends for 2026: What's next in food?

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hello and welcome to Talking Food with Bidfood. Your go to source for the latest insights in the food industry. I'm Rhea Harry, research and insights manager and today I'm joined by Catherine Hinchcliffe, our head of corporate marketing. Together we'll be exploring the latest food and drink trends, shaping the market, what they mean for operators and how they're influencing consumer behavior. So wherever you're listening from, settle in as we unpack what's next in food. [00:00:34] Speaker B: So welcome to Bidfood's 2026 Food and Drink trends which we are both excited and honoured to share with you and which we hope will help you shape menus that really resonate with consumers over the next two years. And we won't keep you waiting long. We'll share the trends that will shape menus and choices out of home. We'll take you through each one, the reasons why they're important right now, how to leverage them and bring them to life on your menu and the tools that we have to help you. So don't take our word for it. As ever, the trends are based on research and we partnered again this year with CGA by Nielsen IQ to run a 2000 strong survey of UK adults eating out of home. This year we also ran a survey with chefs and catering managers to get an operator's perspective on the flavours and ingredients which are trending. And this is all backed up with extensive desk research and research on the streets this year in London and Birmingham to make sure that the trends we're seeing are not just London centric. So let's start now with the consumer and what they are looking for when they eat out. It's still the usual suspects value quality as ever, neck and neck as choice drivers. And we know from a variety of sources that consumers are looking for that all important experience when they eat out. And more than two thirds are also brand led, hence the many brand collabs that we're seeing in the market. So what are they expecting from a venue, a brand or a menu? Well, meaningful value for money that delivers on experience, quality and nutritional value, not just a cheap price point. High quality in terms of ingredients, dishes and service and elevated and premium experiences as well as something relevant and new to tempt or excite them. So when consumers are eating out, there are occasions and their mood or emotions to be considered too and these also influence what and where they eat, as Rhea will explain. [00:02:43] Speaker A: Thanks Katherine. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Rhea Harry and I'm a research manager here at foodfood and I have been leading the food and drink trends for 2026. So before we get into the trends, I'm going to take you through the key emotions and occasions influencing choice when consumers choose what to eat out of home, three emotions lead the comfort, tradition and adventure. Comfort offers reassurance and familiarity in uncertain times, tradition signals authenticity and trust and adventure brings excitement and discovery. These emotions map directly onto key occasions when eating out of home as consumers look for ways to satisfy a particular feeling, such as treating themselves, celebrating special moments and create social connections with friends and family. For operators, the opportunity is clear. Build menus that balance comfort, tradition and a touch of adventure to create experiences that feel meaningful. It's also important for us to look ahead at the consumer behaviors shaping the most influential food and drink trends. First, health conscious choices. Nearly half describe themselves as very health conscious and two thirds try to eat healthy most of the time. Cutting fat, sugar and salt while boosting fibre and nutrients remain a major priority, which we'll find out more in our health trend. Second, community and shared experiences. Consumers crave connection through food and research suggests that formats like small plates, sharing platters, group dishes and bottomless brunches are the go to ways to deliver it. Thirdly, alcohol moderation. No low options are rising. Driven by young audiences, over half say alternating alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks helps them stay in control while others value these options for health, refreshment and even as a treat. Finally, social media influence Almost half of consumers follow food accounts and 41% have visited a venue because of something they saw online. One in three even tried Korean food after spotting it on social channels. Viral foods create buzz and that buzz drives footfall for operators. These behaviors highlight where to focus shared formats, no and low drinks, health driven menus and innovative viral concepts. Now for the moment you've all been waiting for, I'm finally going to introduce the food and drink trends for 2026. We have topped and Loaded, Fast Forward flavours, Whole lot of Goodness, Sweet Adventures and Tea Tonic. Then for our flavours less travelled key cuisines, we have Malaysian, Korean, South American, which encapsulates Brazilian, Venezuelan, Peruvian and Colombian. Topped and Loaded reflects the current consumer desire for premium dishes that are within budget. It's all about taking familiar staples like fries, potatoes or nachos and elevating them with bold, plentiful toppings. It's indulgence and value combined, 52% already engage in this trend with a further 17% open to trying, showing strong market growth potential. Perfect for the cost conscious consumer who still wants premium experiences. It gives treat factor without high spend. Loaded fries, jacket potatoes and nachos are the most appealing to consumers, but there is rising interest in innovative formats such as loaded naans, loaded dumplings and even sweet formats like loaded waffles. Since this trend is highly driven by a desire for value for money, consumers are looking for large filling portions. So the more toppings, the better. Flavours can include a mixture of cheeses, delicious sauces like katsu or chimchurri, herbs and proteins like pork belly which all resonate with adventurous eating. There are endless opportunities to add bold flavours and upsell with personalization. Overall, the top denoded trend is a great way to repurpose everyday cost efficient ingredients into high value dishes. We believe this trend is not just a passing fad, it's a versatile, adaptable trend that could fit into menus across many different sectors and day parts. I'm now going to take you through Tea Tonic Tea has always been a part of UK culture, but the market is shifting fast. Right now 71% of consumers already drink tea, but there is a rising interest in tea reimagined among students. Nearly half are interested in iced tea and younger consumers are driving demand for bubble tea, matcha and creative flavors. Consumers no longer want just a comforting hot brew as teas are evolving into bold, modern, customizable drinks. Think refreshing, creative and visual appeal. The kind of drinks that play brilliantly on social media and carry strong premium potential. For operators. It's a versatile toolkit. Classic tea flavours like lemon and honey remain popular, but there's real appetite for innovative tea flavours like lychee, yuzu, coconut and even teas inspired by sweet treats like Cherry Bakewell. Refreshing flavours of appeal include watermelon, elderflower and lime, but there is also appeal for trending tropical fruits like mango and passion fruit. The opportunity is strong, especially for Gen Z and Millennials for example. Education and student settings can lean into build your own tea bars with bubble teas and customizable flavours. Hotels can premiumise afternoon tea with unique pairings and tropical flavours. In general, it's great for spring and summer menus with upsell opportunities like tapioca pearls, ice cream or foam. Overall, Tea Tonic combines traditional teas with innovation. It's refreshing, instagrammable, highly adaptable and a quick win to elevate menus. The recipes for Tea Tonic are Bubbled Tea Float with Northern Block Ice Cream and a range of crafted iced teas with low preparation and high appeal. Now to take you through Our next trend. Here's Heather. [00:09:03] Speaker C: Hi, I'm Heather, nutrition manager at Bidfood and I lead on our approach to nutrition and healthy eating and I'm going to take you through our whole lot of goodness trend today. The Whole lot of goodness health food trend is about going back to basics and eating more whole foods. In response to today's complex food landscape, customers are becoming increasingly interested in the impact of nutrition on our health and well being. With 48% of consumers having tried nutrient dense foods like oily fish, avocado and berries when eating out and they would like to try them again. And 47% of consumers have tried reducing their ultra processed food consumption when they eat out and they would also like to try this again. The key dishes to highlight from this trend are vibrant salads, grain bowls, chillies, porridge and breakfast pots. Flavour profiles include sweet and tangy fruits, earthy vegetables, grilled meats, toasted nuts and seeds, herbs, spices, chilli and garlic. So lots of amazing flavors going on and these dishes are perfect for health conscious consumers that don't want to compromise on taste, texture or culinary creativity. Operators can support consumers health and well being through this trend, but also help to boost transparency and build consumer trust which drives brand loyalty. While some whole food ingredients might be more expensive than a more highly processed alternative, they can also help to increase perceived value and maintain your market margins. But other whole foods like beans and pulses offer cost saving opportunities. Incorporating more whole foods also aligns with consumer interests like including more plants and reducing the consumption of ultra processed foods. So in summary, Whole Lot of goodness is a positive, achievable step that businesses can make that provides consumers with fresh, high quality dishes. The recipes that our chefs have created for a Whole Lot of Goodness are greens and grains, torch mackerel and candied seeds, an oaten quinoa porridge served with warm fruits of the forest and a lentil bibimbap which is a great blend of the Korean trend and whole lot of goodness. [00:11:28] Speaker B: So thanks Heather. So sweet adventures, what's this trend all about? Well, as the name suggests, the dessert and sweet treat trend this year taps into that consumer desire for adventure in the form of more globally inspired desserts. So think Basque cheesecake, Dubai chocolate, Korean cruffles, Japanese cloud cake. Many of these more international treats are fueled by social media and the wave of innovation coming through in specialist bakeries, casual dining restaurants, bubble tea shops, coffee shops. They're gaining traction because of the size of the treat occasion. Almost 2/3 of consumers treat themselves when eating out more Than half are looking for something new and unique when they do eat out. So this trend is all about adventure, treat celebration, occasions and elevated experiences. And the dishes we do see are often on the go or shared, but they are most certainly Instagrammable. But they are not so specialist that they don't have a place in food service. So looking at the recipes, Dubai Chocolate is a versatile ingredient that you can weave into a cheesecake, a chocolate sauce or a pot. Japanese cloud cake is fairly simple to make and even Bingsu you can make by grating frozen juice for example. And there are some enticing global ready to serve options available in our range that you could use if you're not in a position to make them from scratch. The fast forward flavours trend reflects the growing importance of using premium or trending ingredients to enhance dishes. It resonates with consumers because quality is so important to them, especially when they decide where to eat out. Quality ingredients give venues that sort of halo effect. And also because more than half of them consider themselves to be foodies. And we see this to be especially especially true of younger age groups like Gen Zs and Millennials. City centre based and more affluent consumers. These highly prized ingredients can be used to make over a bestseller, premiumise a dish to achieve a higher price point and draw in those valuable foodies who we know will spend more when eating out. So what is hot in 2026 and 2027 then? So we've merged the results of our chef survey and the results of our consumer survey and the hot ingredients and flavours across sweet and savoury. Our top picks are Miso Caramel, Salted caramel, Pistachio and Hot Honey Wild Mushroom, Cauliflower, Grass fed beef and wild caught salmon. But to share more of these, we've built a graphic that shows the key picks by type of ingredient and flavour for chefs and also the key picks for consumers. So our chefs have created two delicious key recipes. Miso Caramel Banana Split with Chopped Nuts and Northern Block Coconut Ice cream and Limoncello and Raspberry Posset. But you'll find fast forward flavours and ingredients featuring in a number of our other trends and recipes and star products, for example Gochujang, Mango and pistachio. So looking further afield, Korean is the first of the three flavours less travel this year and it's come a long way in popular appeal since we first saw Korean Fried Chicken trending a few years ago. It's been fuelled by the rising interest in Korean films, music and recipes featured on social channels and the promotion of Korean culture generally. And it's still registering very high levels of interest in trying over the next one to two years, with more than half saying that they would try and 43% saying they'd be willing to pay more than they would for an average meal. When you delve into the demographics, more than three quarters of students, Gen Zs and Millennials are interested. Very, very high numbers, I'm sure you'll agree. So this is mainstream appeal that we're talking about and they love the bold, spicy and umami flavours as well as it being perceived to be quite a healthy and hearty cuisine. Because of the kimchi, rice and noodle based dishes, it's the wider range of more traditional dishes that consumers are starting to explore above and beyond. Fried chicken both sit in and on the go, so dishes like barbecue bulgogi and bibimbap. There's a whole range of desserts too, so this cuisine works for small plates. Sharing street food on the go and on site. It's a very versatile cuisine. Three recipes that our chefs have created for you reflect that versatility. They are great for pubs, for workplace leisure, hotels, coffee shops, unis, lunch, dinner and snacking occasions. And it's surprising how easy croffles are to make. [00:16:49] Speaker A: Malaysian cuisine is starting to break through in the uk. More than half of consumers say they'd like to try it and 4 in 10 are even willing to pay more. So what's driving the appeal? Malaysian food delivers bold heritage led flavours, pairing ingredients like coconut and chilli, tamarind and chilli and peanut and chilli, all to deliver sweet and savoury balance. Rice and noodles are staples paired with curries and meats in different formats from dry to broth style. It's adventurous but still approachable. For operators, the versatility is the win. The national dish nasi lemak is coconut rice with curry, chilli, peanuts and egg a great centre plate option. While street food staples like roti satay, skewers and cari pap pastries can flex across sharing or snacking. The Malaysian recipes are king prawn laksa topped with crispy rice noodles and rendang bites with lemongrass Sriracha. South American is set to be the next big hit on menus. 48% of consumers say they're interested in trying it when eating out and that jumps to more than half. For students and foodies, this isn't niche, it's mainstream demand building momentum. It's adventurous, it's vibrant, it's social and it offers traditional dishes in both unfamiliar and familiar formats. So for chefs and operators, that means great flexibility for menus. So what are the South American cuisines growing in appeal and what makes them different? Let's start with Venezuelan and Colombian. They share a few black beans, plantain and staples like arepas, those cornmeal pastries with savoury fillings. But what sets them apart? Venezuelan food is pure comfort. Think slow cooked and shredded beef, barbecued skewers and pepitos which are grilled beef baguettes. These hit that sweet spot of familiar yet different. There's also real opportunity in small plates. You have the well recognized empanadas and you also have tequenos, fried cheese sticks. Both are approachable and perfect for sharing menus. Colombian food, on the other hand, is interactive and communal, perfect for group dining. A fantastic example is patacones con todo, loaded fried plantains that diners build themselves with meats and cheese. It's a fun, hands on concept that consumers love. Hearty dishes like frijoles work well as centre plate options, while fried cassava offers a snackable side. So Venezuelan delivers on comfort and familiarity and Colombian brings comfort and community. Exactly what Gen Z and Millennials are looking for when eating out. That makes it ideal for theme days, group occasions and celebration events. Now onto Brazilian and Peruvian. Peru's signature ceviche is citrusy, fresh and perceived as healthy to 2 in 5 consumers. A perfect seasonal play for spring and summer. Beyond that, Lomo Saltado stir fried beef with chips and rice is a great gateway dish. It also means operators don't need to reinvent the wheel. Peru balances premium appeal with accessible formats. Lastly, Brazilian cuisine is breaking out beyond steak and churrasco. Consumers are interested in feijoada, the national black bean and pork stew, and makeca, a coconut based fish stew. These are hearty, comforting dishes that travel well onto menus. The empedao, which is a chicken pie, also appeals strongly to older diners, perhaps due to its familiar format. Brazilian also offers street style snacking options like fried croquettes and pastels, both savoury and sweet, ticking the box for small plates. In short, the South American cuisine is versatile across casual and premium dining as well as treat and snacking occasions. So what are the South American recipes? Arepes, which is Colombian and Venezuelan, Brazilian maqueca, white fish stew and Peruvian sea bass ceviche. I hope you've enjoyed hearing about our new trends for 2026. And that brings us to the end of today's episode of talking food with Bidfood. If you'd like to explore these trends in more detail, take a look at the show notes where you'll find further resources and inspiration. We'll see you next time.