How emerging Food Trends are going to reshape the Foodservice Industry

As we approach 2025, this is an edge where the foodservice industry is bound to face a transformation. Recent research from the Global Food & Drink Trends report for 2025 by Mintel throws light on the evolving landscape that is going to challenge as well as inspire the foodservice professionals. Let us go further in the emerging pattern and their potential consequences on the foodservice industry.

Nutritional Revolution

A new shift in perspective seems to be underway-one that again realigns the relationship between diet and health.

Weight management is begotten anew with the rise of medically new approaches, thus forcing a reevaluation as to what, indeed, a healthy diet is. It's more than just adding fancy, superfoods or supplements to the dishes. Instead, there's an up-and-coming respect for the raw ingredient's nutritional value within the context of your overall health and well-being.

Culinary Nonconformity End

The years ahead could, therefore, become even more filled with culinary rebellion. There is a growing fascination by consumers with restaurants that violate traditional norms of the dining experience. This is part of a greater cultural shift toward accepting imperfection and individuality in even our eating lives.

Supply Uncertainties

Events worldwide continue to affect food supply chains. Changes continue to pose both challenges and opportunities for the foodservice industry. As sourcing becomes increasingly complex, so too must be a heightened interest in consumer education and engagement. New ingredients could be incorporated, flavors could be different, and even new culinary traditions could be introduced based on the new composition of supply chains.

Interestingly enough, consumers are more aware today of how global events impact them directly. Fully 75% of likely US voters say that foreign affairs are an important personal issue for them. -Source: Kantar Profiles/Mintel, May 2024, Base: US: 1,797 internet users aged 18+ who are likely to vote. All this heightened global awareness among consumers adds a layer of transparency to the conversation around sourcing challenges and changes that businesses in foodservice can have.

Tech-Nature Balance

The point where technology and agriculture will converge will be increasingly crucial in the food-service industry. There is going to be a need to strike a very careful balance between utilising the new technology and retaining contact with the natural, organic ways of producing the food supplied to the industry. This will indeed be key to finding ways to overcome these environmental challenges while meeting the needs of the growing global population.

Consumer sentiment on this issue varies globally. For example, according to Mintel, 47% of Brazilian consumers agree that technology should be able to help us live more sustainably (Source: Kantar Profiles/Mintel, September 2023, Base: Brazil: 1,500 internet users aged 16+). This suggests an openness to technological solutions in food production, as long as they support sustainability goals.

Implications for Foodservice Professionals

This is a very recent emerging trend that carries specific challenges and opportunities. So, keeping this all in mind, here are some strategies that can help the operator stay ahead:

1. Consider menu planning in a new light, making the nutritional profiles of your offerings the central issue without sacrificing flavor or creativity.

2. Offer unusual flavor combinations and presentation forms to the customers who seek new experiences in their dining.

3. Develop flexible sourcing strategies and build supplier relationships that mirror a wide range of possibilities to protect your menu stability.

4. Add a little storytelling to your customer experience by educating diners on how ingredients make their way from farm to table. Which is all the more important to note, since 65% of Japanese adults say people are powerless against unpredictable, life-changing events that happen to them. Source: Rakuten Insight/Mintel, November 2023, Base: Japan: 2,000 internet users aged 18+.

5. Explore how technology enhances operations, from efficiencies in the kitchen to engagement with customers, keeping in mind quality and authenticity regarding your business. The openness of the consumer to technology in sustainability-as evidenced in the Brazilian data-indicates that communicating tech-driven sustainability efforts could resonate with customers.

By embracing these strategies and staying attuned to evolving consumer sentiments, foodservice professionals can position themselves at the forefront of industry innovation, ready to meet the evolving preferences and expectations of tomorrow's diners. 

(Source: Mintel's 2025 Global Food & Drink Trends report)