As consumers elevate everyday moments, food is emerging as a meaningful way to create hospitality, connection, and celebration at home.

As a follow-on to our recent webinar with Harris & Hayes, we’re turning our focus to the flavours and festive rituals shaping how people gather at home this season.  

Drawing from our 2025 Festive Forecast, here are three standout food trends set to influence how people cook, host, and celebrate the holidays this year. 

What’s influencing food and beverage trends for 2025? 

A central theme for 2025 is rediscovering a sense of ‘awe’. Not only through the drama and luxury of the festive season, but also in the gentle balance of the natural world and the changing seasons. 

Householders are seeking a lower-impact festive season – not only in terms of sustainability, but also in reducing personal overwhelm. The focus shifts toward eliminating pressure and excess in favour of quietness, contemplation, and restoration. As this mindset grows, softer, more humble design cues will hold equal weight to traditional glitter and glamour, signalling a broader move toward celebrations that feel meaningful, mindful, and emotionally sustainable. 

1. Frugal Feasting 

Families embrace a waste-free approach in our 2025 Festive trend, Humble Cheer, in the hope of conserving energy, finances and natural resources. This drives a focus on nutritious one-pot meals, hearty broths and batch cooking to harness seasonal produce and reuse leftovers.  

Vegetables are celebrated as the star of the show at Christmas dinners. This is inspiring vegetable-shaped decorations and art prints for the home. Serve ware is designed for sharing with groups of friends and family. Explore ‘bring and share’ festive containers and recipe gifting as product development opportunities.

2. Little Luxuries  

With consumer confidence expected to remain fairly subdued in the coming years, our 2025 trend, The Soirée, explores the rise of quiet luxury and treat culture. This festive season, householders opt to temporarily set aside their frugal mindsets.

For the perfect dinner party host, everyday ingredients and tools are elevated. Kitchen accessories become gift-worthy with stunning decorative details, while foodie culture drives themed gifts that include ‘luxury’ basics from salt to olive oil for fine dining at home. 

3. Alcohol Alternatives 

Our 2025 trend, Winter Refresh, sees January resolutions brought forward into November or December by consumers looking for a sense of relief from the traditionally indulgent Christmas period.

There is an opportunity for gifting that is responsive, designed in tune with individual needs as they fluctuate throughout the season and even throughout the day. Specialist non-alcoholic drinks are created to suit energy levels and mental state, depending on the time of day. 

Planning your seasonal ranges for 2026 and beyond?

If you’d like deeper insight into how these shifts will evolve festive celebrations in 2026 and beyond, explore our full Festive Forecast and other seasonal reports with our premium Seasonal & Celebration trend subscription.