Food: Unilever reveals top 4 innovation-driving food trends
- InsightTrendsWorld
- Mar 18
- 9 min read
Why it is the topic trending:
Expert Insights from a Major Food Solutions Provider: Unilever Food Solutions is a significant player in the food service industry, and their annual "Future Menus" report offers valuable predictions and insights into emerging culinary trends based on global data and the expertise of numerous chefs.
Guidance for the Food Industry: The report and this article provide crucial information for restaurants, food manufacturers, and other stakeholders in the food industry to understand evolving consumer preferences and innovate their menus and product offerings accordingly.
Highlighting Key Areas for Innovation: By identifying specific trends, Unilever helps businesses focus their efforts on areas that are likely to resonate with diners in the coming year.
Understanding Shifting Consumer Demands: The trends reflect broader changes in consumer behavior, including their desire for global flavors, elevated experiences, personalization, and nostalgic comfort.
Overview: The article highlights four key food trends identified by Unilever Food Solutions in their "Future Menus report 2025," based on the insights of 27 expert chefs. These trends are: Borderless Cuisine (blending global food traditions), Street Food Couture (elevating street food to gourmet offerings), Diner Design (personalization and immersive dining experiences), and Modernised Comfort Food (nostalgic dishes with a contemporary twist). The article elaborates on each trend with examples and insights into consumer motivations.
Detailed findings:
Borderless Cuisine: Driven by globalization and migration, this trend involves the integration of techniques, spice profiles, and presentation styles from diverse food traditions to create well-balanced, innovative dishes. It caters to consumers, particularly Gen Z, who seek authentic, diverse, and adventurous culinary experiences. Techniques include marination, brining, aging, sous-vide, curing, steaming, caramelization, smoking, and fermentation.
Street Food Couture: This trend focuses on elevating traditional street foods by combining authentic flavors and formats with high-quality ingredients and refined cooking techniques. It appeals to consumers' desire for discovery, accessibility, and global flavors, with a refined experience being particularly attractive to Gen Z who seek a reason to dine out. Top techniques include fermentation, grilling, steaming, wok hei, marination, and charcoal grilling. The Aleppo pepper is highlighted as an ingredient expected to gain popularity.
Modernised Comfort Food: This trend taps into the enduring appeal of comfort food but with a contemporary twist. It involves recreating classic recipes with modern flair while preserving authenticity and story. It resonates with consumers seeking nostalgia and depth, particularly during times of uncertainty. New product development should balance familiarity with adventurous and fusion elements. Top techniques include wood-fire cooking, stewing, infusion, slow cooking, charcoal grilling, marination, deep-frying, escabeche, pickling, and preserving.
Diner Design: This trend centers on allowing and encouraging customization of dishes, from interactive elements to personalization where consumers can modify their meals. It aims to drive immersion and appeal to multiple senses, catering to Gen Z's desire for curated choices and social media-worthy, hands-on experiences. Personalization options include toppings, flavor profiles, build-your-own options, seasonal specials, and feedback mechanisms. Top techniques include build-your-own setups, select-your-own options, sharing mains, foams, pureeing, 3D printing, fermentation, blowtorching, barbecue, skilleting, and grilling.
Key takeaway: The Unilever report highlights a culinary landscape in 2025 that is driven by a desire for global flavors presented in innovative ways (Borderless Cuisine and Street Food Couture), personalized and engaging dining experiences (Diner Design), and updated versions of familiar and comforting classics (Modernised Comfort Food), with a particular emphasis on catering to the preferences of Gen Z diners.
Main trend: The central trend is The Evolving Palate: Global Fusion, Elevated Familiarity, and Personalized Experiences.
Description of the trend (The Evolving Palate: Global Fusion, Elevated Familiarity, and Personalized Experiences): This trend encompasses a shift in consumer food preferences towards a more adventurous and globally-influenced cuisine, coupled with a desire for familiar comfort foods that are updated with modern techniques and flavors. Simultaneously, there's a growing expectation for personalized and interactive dining experiences that cater to individual tastes and are shareable. This reflects a consumer base that is increasingly knowledgeable, culturally diverse, and seeks both novelty and comfort in their food choices.
What is consumer motivation:
Borderless Cuisine: Desire for authentic, diverse, and innovative culinary experiences; seeking global flavors and cultural exploration through food.
Street Food Couture: Craving discovery and excitement in familiar formats; wanting accessible and global flavors with a touch of refinement and quality. For Gen Z, a reason to go out.
Modernised Comfort Food: Seeking emotional comfort and nostalgia through food, but also open to new twists and exciting updates on classic dishes.
Diner Design: Desire for control and personalization of their food; wanting interactive and engaging dining experiences that are shareable and unique.
What is driving trend:
Borderless Cuisine: Continued globalization, migration, and the influence of social media expanding culinary knowledge and awareness.
Street Food Couture: The enduring popularity and influence of street food globally, coupled with a consumer desire for elevated and convenient options. For Gen Z, a motivation to leave home.
Modernised Comfort Food: Consumer uncertainty (geopolitical and economic) driving a desire for nostalgic comfort; ongoing interest in adventure and fusion keeps innovation relevant.
Diner Design: Driven by Gen Z's expectation for curated choices, social media-worthy moments, and interactive, hands-on experiences; the increasing intertwining of technology and food.
What is motivation beyond the trend:
Borderless Cuisine: A deeper appreciation for cultural exchange and the stories behind different cuisines.
Street Food Couture: A desire for premium experiences in informal settings and supporting independent businesses.
Modernised Comfort Food: Seeking both emotional solace and new culinary discoveries within familiar frameworks.
Diner Design: A need for individuality and self-expression through food, as well as creating memorable and shareable experiences with friends.
Description of consumers article is referring to: The article primarily refers to global diners and specifically highlights the preferences of Gen Z consumers. Gen Z is characterized as desiring authentic, diverse, and innovative experiences (Borderless Cuisine), seeking elevated and refined experiences (Street Food Couture), wanting comfort with a twist (Modernised Comfort Food), and expecting personalization and social media-worthy moments (Diner Design). The article also mentions a general consumer desire for high-quality ingredients and affordability.
Conclusions: Unilever's "Future Menus report 2025" points to a dynamic food landscape where global culinary influences, elevated street food, personalized dining, and modern takes on comfort food will be key drivers of innovation and appeal to consumers, particularly the influential Gen Z generation.
Implications for brands (Restaurants, Food Manufacturers):
Embrace Global Flavors: Explore and integrate diverse culinary traditions into menus and product development, focusing on authentic heritage and stories behind the dishes.
Elevate Street Food Offerings: Consider how to refine and enhance traditional street food formats with premium ingredients and techniques to create more sophisticated options.
Prioritize Personalization and Customization: Implement strategies that allow diners to customize their meals and engage in more interactive dining experiences.
Innovate Comfort Food Classics: Look for ways to update and reimagine familiar comfort food dishes with contemporary flavors and techniques while respecting their provenance.
Cater to Gen Z: Recognize the significant influence of Gen Z and tailor offerings and experiences to their preferences for authenticity, innovation, personalization, and shareability.
Highlight Quality Ingredients and Techniques: Communicate the use of high-quality ingredients and skilled culinary techniques to justify potentially premium pricing for elevated offerings.
Consider Off-Premise Experiences: Tap into the "Posh Street Food" trend for at-home dining by offering elevated street food options for takeout and delivery, given Gen Z's preference for staying in on Friday nights.
Implication for society: The trends reflect a more globalized and interconnected food culture, celebrating diversity and culinary exchange. The emphasis on elevated experiences and personalization suggests a continued interest in food as a source of pleasure and social connection.
Implications for consumers: Consumers can expect more diverse and innovative menu options, opportunities for personalization, and updated versions of their favorite comfort foods. They will likely see a greater influence of global street food traditions and more restaurants focusing on creating shareable and visually appealing dishes, particularly for social media.
Implication for Future: The future of the food industry will likely see a continued blending of global culinary influences, a higher standard for quality and innovation in traditionally casual formats like street food, a greater focus on individual preferences and interactive dining, and a constant evolution of comfort food classics to meet modern tastes. Technology will likely play a role in enabling personalization and enhancing the diner experience.
Consumer Trend (name, detailed description): Experiential Eating: Consumers, particularly Gen Z, are increasingly seeking food experiences that go beyond mere sustenance. This includes interactive dining, personalized options, and visually appealing, shareable dishes that create memorable moments.
Consumer Sub Trend (name, detailed description): Global Flavor Fusion: Consumers are becoming more adventurous in their palates and are drawn to innovative dishes that blend diverse culinary traditions, showcasing authentic flavors from around the world.
Big Social Trend (name, detailed description): The Influence of Globalization on Culture: Increased interconnectedness through travel, media, and migration is leading to a greater exchange and appreciation of different cultures, which is significantly impacting food preferences and culinary trends.
Worldwide Social Trend (name, detailed description): The Gourmet-ification of Everyday Food: Across the globe, there's a trend towards elevating traditionally casual or affordable food formats, like street food and comfort food, with higher-quality ingredients and more refined techniques.
Social Drive (name, detailed description): The Desire for Novelty and Comfort: Humans are often driven by a dual desire for new and exciting experiences alongside the comfort and familiarity of the known. These food trends reflect this balance, offering both adventurous flavors and updated versions of classic favorites.
Learnings for brands to use in 2025:
Embrace Culinary Diversity: Actively explore and incorporate flavors, ingredients, and techniques from various global cuisines.
Think Beyond the Plate: Consider the entire dining experience, including opportunities for personalization and interactivity.
Update Classic Offerings: Don't be afraid to put a modern spin on traditional dishes while respecting their heritage.
Pay Attention to Presentation: Create visually appealing dishes that are "social media-worthy," especially to attract Gen Z.
Consider Affordability and Accessibility: While elevating offerings, remember that many consumers still value affordability and convenience.
Strategy Recommendations for brands to follow in 2025:
Invest in Culinary Research and Development: Dedicate resources to exploring global flavors and innovative cooking techniques.
Train Chefs on Diverse Culinary Traditions: Ensure culinary teams have the skills and knowledge to authentically execute borderless cuisine and elevated street food.
Implement Flexible Menu Options: Offer customizable dishes and "build-your-own" concepts to cater to individual preferences.
Use High-Quality, Authentic Ingredients: Emphasize the quality and provenance of ingredients, especially for elevated street food and modern comfort dishes.
Create Engaging Dining Environments: Design spaces and experiences that encourage interaction and create memorable moments.
Final sentence (key concept) describing main trend from article: The culinary landscape of 2025 will be characterized by a dynamic interplay of global culinary influences, the elevation of everyday food formats, a focus on personalization, and innovative takes on comforting classics, all heavily influenced by the preferences of Gen Z diners.
What brands & companies should do in 2025 to benefit from trend and how to do it: In 2025, brands and companies in the food industry should leverage these trends by:
Actively exploring and incorporating "Borderless Cuisine" concepts into their menus and product lines, blending diverse global flavors and techniques to appeal to adventurous palates, particularly among younger consumers.
Elevating "Street Food Couture" offerings by using high-quality ingredients and refined cooking methods while retaining the authenticity and accessibility that make street food popular, thus catering to consumers seeking both value and a premium experience.
Implementing "Diner Design" strategies that allow for greater personalization and customization of meals, providing consumers, especially Gen Z, with interactive and unique dining experiences that are also shareable on social media.
Reimagining "Modernised Comfort Food" by taking classic, nostalgic dishes and updating them with contemporary twists, premium ingredients, and innovative techniques to appeal to consumers seeking both familiarity and novelty.
Final note:
Core Trend:
Name: Global Culinary Fusion and Personalized Comfort
Detailed Description: Consumers in 2025 are seeking a blend of adventurous global flavors and elevated versions of familiar comfort foods, with a strong emphasis on personalized and engaging dining experiences.
Core Strategy:
Name: Innovate Globally, Personalize Locally
Detailed Description: Food businesses should focus on culinary innovation that draws inspiration from global food traditions while also prioritizing the ability for consumers to personalize their meals and enjoy updated takes on comforting classics.
Core Industry Trend:
Name: Experience-Driven Dining
Detailed Description: The dining experience is becoming increasingly important, with consumers, especially Gen Z, seeking interactive, customizable, and shareable moments alongside the quality of the food itself.
Core Consumer Motivation:
Name: Balancing Exploration with Familiarity and Control
Detailed Description: Consumers are motivated by the desire to explore new and exciting flavors from around the world, while also finding comfort in familiar dishes that are innovatively presented, and having the ability to customize their dining experience.
Final Conclusion: To succeed in the evolving food landscape of 2025, brands must embrace global culinary trends, elevate familiar formats, prioritize personalization, and create engaging dining experiences, all while understanding and catering to the preferences of the influential Gen Z demographic.
Core Trend Detailed (words on Core Trend): The core trend in Unilever's report highlights a fascinating duality in consumer food preferences for 2025. On one hand, there's a clear drive towards global exploration, with diners eager to experience authentic and innovative flavors from diverse culinary traditions, often blended in novel ways. This reflects a more interconnected and culturally aware consumer base. On the other hand, there's a persistent craving for comfort and nostalgia, leading to modern interpretations of classic dishes. Adding another layer is the growing expectation for personalization, where diners want to actively participate in shaping their meals and overall dining experience. This intricate interplay of seeking the new, cherishing the familiar, and demanding individual control defines the evolving palate that food businesses must cater to in the coming year.
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