Our annual Christmas seasonwatching report has now been published, covering all we've been tracking across global retail food and drink, as well as out of home food and drink this festive season.
Find out more about what seasonwatching is and how you can sign up to receive these bespoke reports, as well as many more, here.
It's the first Christmas with no social restrictions for some time, yet rising food and energy costs make for a different feel. Food inflation is high, and households are expected to spend 9.3% more on Christmas dinner this year (Kantar, 2022) and that's with a frozen turkey. It's a careful Christmas as value is sought, and attention turns towards giving back and making every moment count.
When it comes to food and drink, tradition is enjoyed. From traditional pastry topped mince pies to ube panettone and towering chocolate spice Christmas tree cakes, both simple touches and flavour fusions continue to trend. Even the divisive brussel sprout and Christmas pudding look set to make a comeback.
To give you a taste of what's covered in the full report, we've collated three key takeouts, listed below.
1. A Mindful Approach – Value is sought, and there's a bigger focus on giving back whether that's to people or the planet. Toasting with a glass of Exton sparkling rose as opposed to champagne can help to cut down on carbon, and a jar of woodruff sugar makes for a thoughtful stocking filler that utilises foraged ingredients.
2. Turkey Alternatives – The Avian flu outbreak combined with rising costs means that availability is impacted and cheaper alternatives are sought. Air fried cockerel also cuts down on energy costs, and different cuts such as pork knuckle or even a regenerative burger platter is shared.
3. Tradition – Nothing says Christmas like mince pies, puddings, yule logs and panettone. Pastry topped mince pies celebrate tradition, and there's also a fusion of sweet flavours which widens the appeal even further. Think ube panettone and mince pie crumble topped with pink Christmas tree marshmallows. Traditional shapes bring a fun twist to everything from a snowman burrata to a towering Christmas tree cake flavoured with pine oil mousse.
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