Each December, food and beverage reporters are faced with a bittersweet mix of triumph and humiliation when they review their predictions for the food trends from the previous calendar year. We (OK, I) have to be proud of ourselves for every accurate prediction about ranch dominating and Caesar supremacy. We persist, and with the help of some market experts and a few food and drink trends, here is a glimpse of what we believe 2025 will bring. Think flowery, trippy and cosy — but less boozy than before.
Flower power is in full bloom.
“Chefs are continuing to use mini edible flowers as garnishes on their dishes, and bakers are using them for the most extravagant slab cakes. Marigolds are now in the zeitgeist, owing to their bright orange and yellow colour and peppery flavour, thanks to the global attention they have received on holidays such as Diwali and Dia de Muertos.
Rubix Food’s The NEXT Flavor Report agrees on the bloom bounty. However, it notes that Gen-Z prefers hibiscus and lavender in hot and cold drinks, as well as lemonade, tea, and cocktails. T. Hasegawa’s 2025 forecast includes hibiscus, elderflower, and rose. They “appeal” to the increasing interest in sensory experiences and calming effects. The Datassential 2025 Trends Report is looking forward to the refreshing South Asian Rooh Afzah Syrup with rose water and kewra.
We’re cuckoo about cocoa.
Swiss Miss, Nesquick and other instant cocoas have helped us through the colder seasons of our lives. But in 2019, expect to see cocoa – hot or cold – become a lot more bespoke. As chocolate and coffee are becoming more conscious of their origins, powdered cocoa will also be a trend. It’ll include everything from bone broth to macadamia, as well as herbs, spices, chiles and other medicinal ingredients. Mintel, a research firm, took note of cocoa as part of its 2025 Global Food and Drink Trends. They cited British brand Sleep Well’s hot chocolate sachets, which are boosted with valerian – a rhizome traditionally used to fight insomnia.
Mushrooms to improve your life
Functional mushrooms are not new. They have been around for some time, but they were marketed as “wellness”. (Seriously? Do we still pretend to know what “adaptogenics” do?) In the last couple of years, psilocybin has become mainstream. Everyone from celebrities to CEOs and your friend’s mother is micro-dosing psilocybin for clarity and calm. You’ll see this more at the dinner table. This will obviously vary by region. Psilocybin remains illegal under federal law but is decriminalized and legalized in certain states and jurisdictions. But keep your eye out for trippy pop-ups or edibles that borrow the trippy vibe, even if they are not technically psychedelics.
Sagrada, a Washington D.C. restaurant by James Beard nominees Jason Berry and Michael Reginbogin that will open in early 2025 and have a mission “to educate and draw attention to psilocybin’s therapeutic benefits” (without serving any) Popadelics is a snack brand that offers crisp-dried shiitakes with flavours such as Trippin’ Truffle Parm, Twisted Thai Chili and Twisted Thai Chili. Like Sagrada, they donate money to the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research in order to promote the mushroom boom.
Dive into a diner renaissance.
The nostalgia we have for American diners and breakfast all day will never fade. But upcoming chef projects add new intrigue, says Lewis. 2022 F&W’s Best New Chef Caroline Schiff, Nancy Silverton, 1990 F&W’s Best New Chef, and food personality Phil Rosenthal are working on a new Los Angeles diner, while “the honey butter pancakes from Golden Diner continue to attract brunch crowds beneath the Manhattan Bridge.”
French 25
The solid comfort of French cuisine is returning to vogue but with a twist. The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will fuel this trend, the ongoing embrace of excess after Covid and the white-knuckled ride of the next four years. Look to Lyon’s boucherie for rustic dishes like meat-and-egg-loaded salads, pillows, quenelles and a lot of offal. We may not be able to eat in huge portions, as we are still in the Ozempics era. But there are still plenty of pates and everything in route that will make a statement.
Jon Hansburg, director of NY Food Service Sales at Baldor, explained in the trend report that “now it’s younger chefs and diners who are engaging classic dishes on their terms and at an approachable price.” Baldor’s sales data confirms the French influence with a 40% increase in sirloin meat used to make steak frites. Datassential reports a rise in the popularity of short ribs, a staple in French dishes like boeuf Bourguignon or French dip.
Fusion meals
Raphael Brion, F&W’s restaurant editor, travelled across the country and saw an abundance of mashup pasta that merged cultures. He praised Wedchayan Arpapornnopparat, 2024 F&W’s Best New Chef, for his Indian and Chinese-influenced Yellow Curry rigatoni with pickle juice and mustard greens. He also congratulated Little Tijuana, Minneapolis, which served vegan map rigatoni, as well as a variety of pasta in Los Angeles, including huitlacoche cacio e Pepe, chilli Colorado cavatelli, and broccoli beef.
The NEXT Flavor Report echoes the evolving interest in melded flavour (which is likely the result of social media experiments), citing Gen-Z’s growing fascination with Korean-Hawaiian BBQ sauce (especially when used on a blank canvas like tater-tots), Japanese-Peruvian Nikkei Cuisine, and Indo-Chinese Hakka. It also advises food service operators in 2025 to continue crossing cuisines in innovative ways to keep cash flowing.
Guinness, with or without alcohol, is good for business and you.
Lewis says that the “Split the G“ challenge, which social media have popularized, is the reason why Guinness suddenly appears everywhere on the internet. Diageo, the parent company, is rationing its kegs across Europe due to increased demand. In the U.S., bar owners report a major increase in sales from younger drinkers. Following the current trend of low and no-alcohol beverages, Diageo has invested $32.5 million to double the production of nonalcoholic Guinness 0. Get ready to raise your spirits – with or without alcohol.
