The wholesale food distributor identified six food and drink trends set to influence menus next year: FastForward Flavours, Flavours Less Travelled, Mini & Mighty, Function & Ferment, Standout Sharers and A Touch of Texture.
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In addition, its research suggested increasingly selective consumers were placing greater importance on quality and memorable experiences when choosing where to spend.
Furthermore, the findings indicated value was becoming more about whether an experience was worth paying for rather than simply seeking the lowest price.
Lumina Intelligence research cited by Bidfood found 83% of consumers felt high-quality ingredients increased the value of a dish, while 76% believed atmosphere and service were just as important.
Moreover, 75% said presentation and food complexity contributed to value, while 64% agreed the restaurant experience was worth paying more for.
Against the challenging cost pressures facing hospitality businesses, quality also emerged as a priority in recent CGA by NIQ research referenced by Bidfood.
When asked about the measures they would prefer venues take in response to rising costs, 35% of consumers opted for maintaining quality and increasing prices.
A further 30% preferred maintaining quality but reducing portion sizes, while just 13% favoured reducing quality to keep prices unchanged.
The trends draw on Tastewise menu and social intelligence, a Bidfood and Yonder survey of 2,000 UK consumers who eat out, wider industry research and insight from Bidfood’s chefs.
Commenting on the findings, Bidfood head of corporate marketing and insight Catherine Hinchcliff said: “It’s all about perceived value. It’s not just about a cheap price.”
She added while value remained important to consumers, when they did spend money eating out they increasingly wanted an experience and a quality dish.
New flavours and cuisines
Bidfood’s FastForward Flavours trend identified sweet and savoury ingredients expected to gain further traction, including black garlic, tamarind, tahini, flavoured honeys and savoury matcha alongside guava, citrus and botanicals.
More than a quarter (26%) of consumers said a flavour or ingredient they had not tried before would encourage them to choose a new dish, according to the Bidfood and Yonder Omnibus Survey.
Meanwhile, Flavours Less Travelled highlighted Vietnamese and Middle Eastern food as emerging flavour trends.
It also identified growing interest in regional dishes for already established cuisines in the UK such as Italian, Chinese and Indian.
Tastewise UK data from May 2026 showed mentions of “authentic regional cuisine” were up 39% year on year, while regional menu items increased 10.4%.
Smaller portions and changing appetites
Changing appetites underpin Mini & Mighty, which encompasses smaller portions and flexible formats including bowls, sliders, snack pots, mini desserts and grazing plates.
Almost three quarters (73%) of consumers were more likely to try a new cuisine when served as a small plate, while 43% would like to try small-plate or tapas-style dining in the next one to two years, according to Bidfood.
The wholesaler also identified the growing use of GLP-1 weight-management medications as one factor affecting appetite, estimating some 2.8m UK adults take GLP-1 medications, which it noted was almost as big a market as vegetarians.
Meanwhile, health was a key focus in Function & Ferment, covering functional ingredients alongside fermented foods and drinks such as kimchi, kefir, tempeh, sauerkraut and kombucha.
Almost half (48%) of consumers described themselves as very health-conscious when eating out, while 43% said they followed health trends and enjoyed trying new functional ingredients, according to Lumina Intelligence.
Fermented items recorded 9% year-on-year growth in social mentions and 6% growth on restaurant menus, according to Tastewise UK data from May 2026.
Eating out as an experience
The final trends put greater emphasis on making eating and drinking out feel like an occasion.
Standout Sharers covers dishes designed to make the centre of the table part of the experience, including breakfast and brunch boards, globally inspired platters and sharing desserts.
More than half (51%) of those surveyed preferred sharing dishes to an individual main, according to Mintel’s Behaviours towards Licensed Restaurants 2025 report.
Separately, Bidfood and Yonder found 37% would like to try sharing-style dining, while 33% were interested in pick-and-mix or mix-and-match concepts.
Finally, A Touch of Texture was all about using contrasting textures to make familiar dishes and drinks more memorable and create a greater sense of quality and theatre.
Almost a third (32%) of consumers would like to try dishes with interesting textures in the next one to two years, while 16% said the same about drinks featuring toppings, fruit pieces, jellies or foams, according to the Bidfood and Yonder survey.
Bidfood suggested operators could tap into the trend through contrasting textures, from crunchy toppings and creamy centres to cold foams and premium garnishes.
It also highlighted menu descriptions as a way to communicate texture to customers, using words such as crispy, silky, fudgy, chewy and crunchy to give diners a better idea of what to expect before ordering.
Bidfood research insights manager Rhia Harry added: “Our 2027 trends are full of energy, flavour and opportunity. Consumers want more than novelty for novelty’s sake, they’re looking for exciting flavours and experiences that make eating out feel special.
“For operators, that opportunity lies in the small touches that make a big impression.”
- Want to find out more about the trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the drinks market? Book your ticket to Drink Tank here now – the new meeting place for the UK drinks industry on 10 November.
