Get on trend for 2025

What customers really want to see on your food and bar menus next year

Olly Henshall is an Innovation Consultant for Food Innovation Solutions (FIS) Group, which uses customer insights to drive F&B business success

British fusion, playful experiences and rustic venues are so last year*. While healthy choices and new cuisines still prove popular, some unexpected favourites are set to enter the scene in 2025.

Whatever type of venue you’re in, rising energy, food and labour costs look set to continue putting pressure on your business over the next 12 months. So finding the dishes and drinks that will prove popular (and maximise your profits) is essential.

To help you get ahead of the ‘customer taste’ curve, we’ve asked Olly Henshall, Innovation Consultant for FIS Group, to share the latest insights.

*Source: 2024 Food and Drink Trends report, CGA by NIQ

It’s hot, it’s sweet, it’s ‘Swicy’

Hot and spicy food has made its way into the UK public’s hearts. And now balancing chilli with sweet, fruity flavours to create a ‘swicy’ combo is emerging as a growing trend.

‘Hot honey’, chilli flakes mixed with warm honey to create a drizzle or dip served over halloumi or meats, is going viral along with candied jalapenos set to pop up on pizza, fall out of burgers and garnish just about anything this year.

Cool Cambodian

There is clearly a growing appetite for Southeast Asian cuisine, with Vietnamese and Thai food now among many people’s favourites.

Expect Cambodian cuisine to follow its neighbouring countries and grow in popularity. Sharing many flavours and ingredients of well-established Thai and Vietnamese cuisines, Khmer (another name for Cambodian) food is likely to attract the attention of customers looking to try something new. The country’s location means rice and freshwater fish are big staples in its dishes. Coconut fish curry known as amok, the breakfast meal of Nom Banh Chok (Khmer noodles) and beef salad Lap Khmer are great dishes to try on your menu.

Greek gastro

Like Italian before it, Greek food is being reinvented and re-establishing itself on the food scene. A popular holiday destination, customers want to enjoy a taste of the sun at their local venue too. This means simple (but modern) Greek food and flavours are back in the spotlight.

The launch of all-day Greek eatery AGORA at Borough Market, London, has been one of the most highly anticipated of the year. A seat at the small-plate restaurant is one of the hottest tickets in town, so expect gyros and souvlaki to keep growing in popularity.

Although meat and fish are at the forefront of Greek cuisine, so are fresh flavours like lemon, oregano, capers and feta.

To get the recipe for:

Rendang Curry Paste click here.

Must-Have Malaysian

Malaysian dishes are increasingly being ordered for takeaway or when dining out, with popular dishes including Beef Rendang and Laksa. As confidence grows, this will likely open the door of discovery to many other dishes in Malaysia’s vast cuisine.

Baked items from this country are definitely on the watchlist. Their unique use of palm sugars, flavours such as ‘pandan’ and ‘Milk Tea’ and the techniques required to make them, create an impressive addition to any menu.

Malaysian iced drinks have huge potential. They bring texture, theatre and big flavours with plenty of exciting opportunities to rival the all-year-round favourite of iced coffee.

Mexican-do delicious

Authentic Mexican cuisine and some of its key ingredients (such as named chillies) and drinks (such as tequila and mezcal) are cropping up on menus more and more. Specialists are keen to ditch Tex-Mex tropes, so expect dishes and drinks to lean into regionality.

Top restaurants in the cuisine will also be revitalising themselves with stand-out interiors and branding.

Forget nachos, fajitas and burritos, Mexican chefs, producers and bartenders are ready to show that this cuisine has plenty more to give. Expect Mexican hidden gems like the ones below to start emerging as trends.

Pulque

Pulque is an ancient Mexican alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the agave plant. Unlike tequila or mezcal, which are distilled from agave, pulque is simply fermented, resulting in a milky, viscous liquid with a slightly sour, yeasty taste. Now having a revival at home in Mexico, it’s becoming popular for its low alcohol content and versatile flavour.

Tepache

Not too dissimilar to Kombucha, Tepache is a traditional Mexican fermented beverage made from waste pineapple peels. It’s sweetened with unrefined cane sugar (piloncillo) and flavoured with cinnamon or other spices.. Though not yet commercially available here, some restaurants and bars are making it in-house and cool new brands are starting to launch – so its only a matter of time before it catches on.

Drink Latino

Quiquiriqui Mezcal: Handmade by its community for generations, this Mezcal is authentic and organic.

Ocho Blanco Agave Tequila: The purest expression of Blue Weber Agave, its made in an artisinal way for max flavour.

Cazadores Reposado: Pure, high-quality and 100% agave, its caramel notes and colour comes from oak casts.

Brain-boosting Food

Health trends come and go faster than we can keep up with, but they often leave behaviour changes and improved knowledge behind them.

The latest trend was spurred by the release of the best-selling recipe book ‘Brain Brilliance’ by Lucinda Miller. This focuses on nutrition for concentration and brain function, particularly for conditions like ADHD and dyslexia.

As our understanding of these conditions deepens, we can expect increased attention in this area. Brands are likely to follow suit (just as they have in other wellness sectors) by introducing brain-friendly products such as drinks, gummies, and juices.

To mix this trend with another, add British tinned fish full of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D to plates – canning locks in nutrients and adds flavour.

Previously only found in high-end delis, restaurants or retailers, customers want locally sourced options. Producers from Dorset and Cornwall are already canning hake, squid and mussels with lemon, nduja and tomato to create quality products that rival Spanish competitors.

Dishes to watch

Bone-in centrepieces

Restaurants are driving these Instagram-worthy feasts as customers grow aware of how cooking on the bone adds flavour to the meat. Tomahawk steaks, bone-in pies and slow-cooked short ribs will get the caveman-chic treatment.

Egg curries

Many people are choosing a flexitarian diet and that, along with a growing interest in emerging cuisines like Malaysian, Indonesian, and Burmese, means egg curries are becoming more popular. Rich yet economical dishes feature flavours from mustard to masala.

Posh hot dogs

The humble sausage is getting a revamp from chefs creating gourmet versions of the familiar hot dog. With prices rising, customers are seeking guaranteed satisfaction and something special, so think pork and beef shoulder, Iberico ham and truffle mayo.

“Smashed” food

The smashed burger trend doesn’t end there. Smashed potatoes (whether loaded or topped) and smashed Chinese cucumber salads have gone viral online. Take the smashed duck leg from Bebek, for instance – it’s cooked, smashed, and fried for extra crispiness.