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Jan 31, 2025 | F & B
Emerging food trends shaping the culinary landscape in 2025 are influenced by ‘consumer preferences’ for Mindful eating and Personalized nutrition, the ‘trending cuisines’ such as Ethnic Fusion, Plant based evolution, Functional foods, Up-cycled Ingredients, Regenerative agriculture and Immunity-Boosting Foods and ‘industry practices’ such as Zero-waste cooking, Hyper-local sourcing, AI & Automation in Food Preparation, Ghost kitchens and virtual brands and Experiential Dining. Staying ahead of these trends is crucial for food and beverage operators to remain competitive and relevant in the hospitality in 2025.
Consumer preferences
- Mindful eating : consumers opting for smaller portions
- Personalized nutrition – DNA-based diets and personalized meal plans tailored to individual health needs and preferences
Trending cuisines
- Ethnic fusion: Consumer interest towards fusion cuisine shows a growing trend towards culinary experimentation.
- Plant based evolution: Plant-based food market is growing at a CAGR of 11.9%.
- Functional foods: Consumers seek foods that offer health benefits rather than mere basic nutrition.
- Upcycled foods: Showing interest in more snacks, beverages, and ingredients made from items that would otherwise be discarded.
- Immunity-boosting foods: Heightened interest for products fortified with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants aimed at boosting overall health.
- Regenerative agriculture: The products labeled as “regeneratively farmed” will become more common.
Industry practices
- Zero-waste cooking: The sustainability efforts are driving zero-waste cooking trend by finding creative ways to use every part of an ingredient.
- Hyper-local sourcing – Including rooftop gardens, urban farms, and in-house hydroponics, will become more prevalent in restaurants and markets.
- AI & Automation in Food Prep – technology will play a significant role in food preparation and service with AI-driven recipe development to robotic chefs.
- Ghost kitchens and virtual brands: Solely, delivery- based operations will continue to grow offering diverse and niche culinary experiences.
- Experiential Dining: The restaurants will offer more than just a meal by combining interactive elements, storytelling, and multi-sensory experiences to provide unique and immersive dining out experiences to customers.
(Source: James Samson of Samson Hospitality cited in HN Year in review, Dec 24)