We know our way around a kitchen here at Liquid, and we’re always on the lookout for the next big things in food. With a little inspiration from MINTEL, here are some of the key trends that will shape the industry in 2025.
1. Food as Medicine
The emergence of weight-loss medications like Ozempic may redefine consumer perceptions of “food as medicine”, from added functional ingredients to meeting daily essential nutrient needs. Going into this year, we believe people will shift their focus to food and drinks containing ingredients that will positively impact their health, such as Zinc, chia seeds and other anti-dioxins to get the best nutrition from their diets.
This prediction is in line with the rising concern for general health and well-being among the population. According to Mintel, 41% of consumers consider their physical health a higher priority than a year ago, while 35% feel the same about mental health, presenting opportunities for food and drink brands to help consumers lead a healthy lifestyle with their products.
An example of a brand capitalising on this is Nestlé, with their launch of “Vital Pursuit” which aims to provide dietary support to consumers concerned with weight management. The line includes portioned meals that contain healthy ingredients such as vitamins A and C, potassium and iron to name a few.
2. Rule-breakers
Waitrose’s 2024 campaign has sparked intrigue with a festive murder mystery titled Sweet Suspicion. This leading retailer brought together a cast of renowned stars, including Succession actor Matthew Macfadyen, to investigate the disappearance of the coveted No.1 red velvet bauble dessert. The campaign unfolds across two chapters and takes viewers through a deliciously suspenseful ‘whodunnit’, where clues are scattered across Waitrose’s social media channels, billboards, and in-store promotions. The aim of the campaign is to get customers to speculate on the mystery and stimulate excitement for their holiday food range, including indulgent desserts and party food. Waitrose is proving that Christmas marketing can be both fun and engaging, driving conversation and showcasing their festive offerings.
3. Fusion of flavours
As the most diverse generation yet, Gen Z has taken a liking to many different cultures and flavours, in part thanks to their exposure to social media. In fact, 79% of Gen Z admit they have tried a food or flavor solely because they saw it on social media. We hope this will lead to brands being more adventurous with their food and drink products, using bold and unique flavours and experimenting with ingredients to capture this interest.
An example of this is the TikTok-inspired Coffee Mate Dirty Soda Coconut Lime Creamer, which is a creamer made to mix with Dr Pepper.
4. Technology in food production
A greater use of technology in food and drink production is inevitable to meet current food supply challenges, and many consumers believe that new technologies and AI are subsuming food and nature, rather than enhancing it. Therefore, it is important for food and drink brands to highlight the advantages presented to farmers by new technological tools. Food and drink brands can therefore position themselves as intermediaries that can educate consumers on the benefits that technology brings to shoppers, the people who produce food and the environment.
We therefore believe that there will be more transparent food and drinks products that blend known and loved traditions with exciting new technologies. An example of a brand doing this is Thryve, who blend traditional middle eastern cuisine with the growing concern for sustainability. They do this by transforming loved recipes such as Shawarma and Kofta into 100% plant-based meat.
As you can see, 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year for foodies, and at Liquid we are excited to see how these trends might affect food and drink brands.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on these trends! Share your thoughts with us at info@weareliquid.com.