Ahead of our annual Christmas seasonwatching report going live on the tfp trendhub for subscribers, taking a look at all the trends we've been tracking across the food and beverage industry in 2023, we've pulled out 12 interesting highlights from the report.
From new innovations and flavour combos to consumers adding their own twists to some old school favourites. In no particular order, here's our 12 trends of Christmas, with one being added here and on our social media channels each day up until all 12 are live on Friday 22nd December.
1. Flavoured hot choc – the days are cold, and nothing hits the spot like hot chocolate – but now we are seeing 'next level' takes, think gourmet 80% dark choc, gingerbread spiced, whiskey infused or baklava hot choc from Koukli - https://www.instagram.com/p/CzoxVVsPR7v/
2. Trifle twists – good old fashioned trifle is back in vogue, but with a twist! For example check out this trifle tart - https://www.instagram.com/p/C0I_VRNPAyX/?img_index=2
3. Egg nog is enjoying a renaissance – both in its traditional drink form, but also with modern twists and mash-ups aplenty – e.g. truffled egg nog https://www.instagram.com/p/C0ZJmWNL9iA/?img_index=1
4. Move over mince pies and Christmas puddings, the chocolate craze is taking over! Think steamed chocolate puddings, milk chocolate baubles, chocolate custard and more… And things will only get more chocolate-y with the release of Willy Wonka this festive season - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7fnyPWhfcs
5. Because not everyone fancies turkey at Christmas, show stopping Wellingtons are taking pride of place on some tables – stuffed with everything from turkey to salmon to beef. For example this stunning Beef Wellington from Maison Marunouchi - https://www.instagram.com/p/CzTP_uqy-Ss/
6. Croissant hybrids. We can't get enough of croissants, and since Christmas is the time to treat yourself, people are taking them to the next level with indulgent fillings, toppings and mash-ups. For example, check out this delicious looking sugar cookie twice baked croissant - https://www.instagram.com/p/C0Z2M4ARO9L/
7. Charcuterie 'trees'… Yep, that's right, charcuterie boards are being reimagined to look like Christmas trees ... also known as 'charcu-tree' like this one from Cooked by Tayta - https://www.instagram.com/p/CzvJ5nnSgKs/
8. Sprouts reimagined. Who needs plain old roasted sprouts when you can have miso sprouts, sprout slaw, deep fried sprouts or even sprout ribs, as created by POPL in Copenhagen - https://www.instagram.com/p/CzV-NqHMxMB/
9. Indulgent burgers and loaded Christmas sandos with all the trimmings whet our festive appetites in the run up to Christmas day - e.g. check out chef Tom Kerridge and his three bird patty of Chicken, Turkey and Duck with Wensleydale, bacon, parsnip, creamed sprouts and brown sauce! https://www.instagram.com/p/C0V9rKoswdK/. And don't forget to turn all those Christmas day leftovers into a burger or sando on boxing day, too!
10. Turkey with a global twist. Some cooks are giving the traditional bird a global twist this year, with the help of fragrant spices, bold condiments and vibrant stuffings and sides. For example, check out this Indian-inspired turkey dinner with makhani sauce and Kashmiri rice from Goodwood Park Hotel - https://www.instagram.com/p/C0DgkDPKVmR/
11. Who says you can't eat ice cream in winter! There's festive ice cream galore, flavoured with chocolate orange, sticky toffee, mince pie, custard, candy cane and more. And for ultimate Christmas appeal, finish yours with a fun garnish - e.g. pretzel ears and a cranberry nose, for a reindeer-inspired scoop from Morwick Dairy https://www.instagram.com/p/C0Hvs2eIH2g/
12. Cranberries, beyond sauce … There's everything from pickled cranberries to cranberry aioli, to amp up everything from a festive cheeseboard to a turkey burger. For example this cranberry mayonnaise from Primal Kitchen: https://www.foodbev.com/news/primal-kitchen-introduces-cranberry-mayo-flavour-to-portfolio/
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The 12 Trends of Christmas come from the full 112-page Christmas seasonwatching report which is live on the tfp trendhub for subscribers. If you're a subscriber you can access the report here. If you're not, but are keen to find out more about receiving our regular, in-depth trend reports then get in touch using the form below.