From the internet’s obsession with Dubai chocolate to the continued rise of Asian ingredients like matcha and gochujang, 2025 was the year that our taste buds loved to travel. So, what’s next? As we step into 2026, food trends are leaning towards comfort, mindfulness, and creativity, with plenty of flavour along the way.
With an overwhelmingly worrying rise in colon cancer diagnoses in the past few years, gut health has been taking centre stage in both the wellness and food world. While we’re all familiar with fermented products rich in pre- and probiotics – how could you miss the explosive amounts of fermented veggies and drinks suddenly appearing in grocery stores – 2026 brings more focus onfibre. Eating a variety of fresh and fermented fruits and vegetables, and of course, getting a good amount of soluble and insoluble fibre, is the best way to maintain gut health and microbiome diversity.
And the 2026 food trends are starting to highlight this more and more. Classic comfort foods have always been on the radar, but seem to be making a major comeback this year. Expect elevated versions of childhood favourites, but reimagined.
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Most recently,Scooters Pizzahas reopened its first store in decades, serving steaming hot childhood pizzas in 30 minutes or less, whileBurger Kinghas launched a SpongeBob-themed menu, aimed at stirring up the best childhood memories of SpongeBob and Patrick’s underwater adventures. Expect a ton of refined puddings and updated savoury staples. When it was first introduced,cold foamwas a sort of novelty item only found on coffee menus.
But lately, thanks to cold drinks being favoured, cold foams have not only become mainstream, but have expanded territories. Today, cold foam is no longer just frothed milk; cold foam can be made withalmostanything. We’ve seen an increase in preference for bubble teas, and with it, cheese foams.
Made with cottage or cream cheese, these new and very interesting cold foams add depth, texture, and probiotics to otherwise mainstream drinks. Although this might be an ongoing debate (no doubt changing a few times throughout the year), many people have predicted thatdark, sweet cherries and blackberrieswill step into the spotlight to deliver bold colour, tart-sweet flavour and antioxidant richness. While berries in general make for a great snack and are filled with myriad health benefits, we’re sure we’ll be seeing loads of reimagined nostalgic recipes come through on the internet.
From nostalgic comforts to globally inspired plates and mindful ingredients, 2026 is shaping up to be a year of balance, where flavour meets function and tradition meets innovation. Whether you’re experimenting in the kitchen or keeping it simple, these trends promise plenty of delicious inspiration.
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