Summer 2025 food trends, what retailers need to know
- Lisa Dema
- Jul 4
- 6 min read
Seven consumer shifts shaping the season and the brands responding with confidence
Summer 2025 is all about conscious indulgence, bold global flavours, nutrient-rich sips, and snacks with real purpose.
As shoppers continue to blur the lines between health, flavour and ethics, retailers have an opportunity to meet that moment with products that feel exciting, satisfying, and just a little bit better. Whether you're curating seasonal shelves or refining your year-round offer, these emerging trends (and the brands leading them) are set to shape consumer choices this season and beyond.
1. Spicy & global flavours
Consumers are craving bold, internationally inspired taste, and Latin America is leading the way.
From chimichurri to rich, spicy sauces, spice has moved from niche to necessity in UK kitchens. In fact, 44% of Waitrose customers now use hot sauces regularly, and spicy-savoury snacks saw an 8.7% sales uplift year-on-year, proof that bold flavour is no fad, but a key driver of growth.
Chimi Love captures this momentum perfectly: “The taste of South America in a jar,” made from natural, fresh, plant-based ingredients. Their standout Aji Sauce balances dialled-up heat from red peppers and jalapeños with rich, slightly sweet notes, delivering bold flavour without overpowering. Its versatility makes it ideal for multiple occasions, enhancing vegetables, meat, and fish alike.
Retailers: Chimi Love offers a compelling opportunity to tap into the UK’s expanding appetite for authentic, globally inspired condiments. With growing consumer interest in adventurous but accessible heat profiles, stocking Chimi Love not only diversifies flavour options but helps retailers meet demand for quality, clean-label, and plant-based products, key factors driving purchase decisions in 2025. Chimi's product range
2. Fresh, healthy salads
Shoppers are seeking easy ways to eat well, and salad is having a serious glow-up.
Demand for fresh, nutritious, flavour-forward meals continues to rise, with UK ready-to-eat salad sales growing by 6.5% last year. But it's not just greens in a bag, consumers want simple ways to make everyday meals feel vibrant, satisfying, and special.
That’s where All Dressed Up comes in. Their range of naturally made dressings is refined sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, but never short on flavour. From the rich umami of their miso and toasted sesame blend to the standout Tahini & Lime (the “zesty one”), these dressings are designed to elevate grain bowls, salads, roasted vegetables or even slow-cooked lamb — all with clean-label credentials and premium ingredients.
Retailers: this means a dual opportunity: meeting the ongoing demand for better-for-you products while also encouraging more dynamic use of fresh produce. All Dressed Up’s products are a natural fit for meal solution zones, inviting shoppers to reimagine how they use dressings — not just as condiments, but as everyday meal enhancers. All Dressed Up, product range
3. The rise of umami
Umami, often called “the fifth taste”, is having a serious moment, and consumers are embracing its savoury depth in ever more creative ways.
Once niche, umami has gone mainstream. Its ability to enhance flavour without overpowering is driving growth across sauces, seasonings, and plant-based ranges, especially as health-led shoppers seek clean-label ways to add richness and complexity to meals. And with sustainability front of mind, naturally derived ingredients like MSG (made by fermenting vegetables) are gaining renewed recognition as flavourful, efficient pantry essentials.
Honest Umami Their standout products are made with MSG from sugar beets, it delivers deep, savoury flavour in a clean, accessible format. Designed to be used wherever you’d normally reach for salt, it’s a quick upgrade that keeps flavour big, ingredients simple, and waste low.
Retailers: Honest Umami ticks all the boxes: on-trend flavour, plant-based versatility, and a bold, design-led brand that stands out on the shelf and sparks shopper curiosity. It’s a smart addition to spice or condiment ranges — and one that keeps customers coming back. Honest Umami, product range
4. Functional drinks go chilled
Today’s consumers aren’t just quenching thirst — they’re drinking with purpose.
From gut-friendly kombuchas to calming botanicals and matcha-fuelled energy, the UK functional drinks market is now worth over £530 million. The shift is clear: shoppers want beverages that support energy, focus and wellbeing, without excess sugar or synthetic additives.
That’s exactly what OMGTea delivers. B Corp-certified and proudly sustainable, their matcha is crafted from premium first-harvest, hand-picked leaves. The star of the range — Green Gold Organic Matcha — is delicately sweet, smooth, and creamy. No bitterness. Just high-grade, organic matcha that tastes as good as it looks.
Whether served hot or as an iced latte, OMGTea offers a daily ritual that aligns with health, sustainability and taste. Its striking green tone and clean packaging deliver instant shelf appeal — a natural draw in wellness-led beverage zones.
Retailers: This is functional drinking at its finest: a premium, purposeful product with broad lifestyle relevance and a loyal following. OMGTea — the extraordinary tea for extraordinary lives. OMGTea product range
5. Snacking
Forget basic crackers — modern shoppers are grazing with style, and they're looking for snacks that bring serious crunch and flavour.
From aperitivo hour to picnic platters, consumers are embracing premium snacking and grazing boards as year-round rituals. In fact, the UK savoury snacks market grew by 4.5% in 2024, driven by demand for more sophisticated, flavour-forward options.
Olina’s Bakehouse meets that moment perfectly. Their hand-baked Fig and Almond Seeded Toasts are packed full of fruit and nuts, with no artificial flavours or preservatives, making them an ideal partner for cheese and dips. The range also includes keto-, vegan-, and free-from-friendly options, catering to the widest possible audience.
Retailers: can position Olina’s as more than just a snack — it’s a tool for basket-building. With visual appeal, cross-merchandising potential (think deli, cheese or seasonal gifting), and strong repeat purchase rates, it’s the kind of brand that levels up your savoury offering and your sales. Olina's Bakehouse product range
6. Mediterranean provenance
Consumers are prioritising quality ingredients with authentic origins, and Mediterranean products are leading the way.
As demand for natural, heritage-rich pantry staples rises, retailers have a golden opportunity to stock products that combine tradition with elevated taste. Portuguese foods, in particular, are gaining ground for their depth of flavour and commitment to sustainable practices.
azouro captures this movement with a range of premium, artisanal Portuguese products — from olives and extra virgin olive oils to beautifully packaged tinned fish. Everything is farmed, fished, and prepared in Portugal, using traditional methods and local expertise. The olives are indigenous varieties, preserved naturally for up to two years. The PDO olive oil hails from Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, an area famed for its nutty, complex oils. The fish — rich in omega-3 — is hand-packed in Matosinhos, using methods that honour Portuguese culinary heritage.
Retailers: Azouro offers more than a Mediterranean range, it delivers ethically focused storytelling, premium shelf presence, and cross-category appeal. It’s a natural fit for deli counters, ambient gifting displays, or premium pantry selections — perfect for customers seeking everyday luxuries with substance. azouro product range
7. Luxury that lasts
In 2025, luxury is no longer reserved for special occasions — it's woven into the everyday. For retailers, premium chocolate is where this shift becomes truly visible.
Discerning shoppers are reaching for products that feel indulgent yet intentional — beautifully crafted, thoughtfully sourced, and worth the experience. For retailers, this offers more than just strong margins; it’s a chance to stand out in gifting zones, seasonal edits, and premium food features.
Pancracio, Spain’s artisan chocolatier, is the definition of modern luxury. Their caramelised chocolate-covered pistachios — whole nuts enrobed in layers of white and milk chocolate, then finished with cocoa — reflect the sweet spot between texture, innovation, and on-trend ingredients. Bonus Trend: With pistachios topping 2025’s list of premium snacking ingredients, this product leads with flavour and follows through with visual impact.
Every detail of Pancracio is carefully considered, from the ethically sourced, world-class cocoa to the striking white box packaging that has become a design icon.
Retailers: it's a product that is perfect for gifting, draws repeat customers, and elevates the entire shelf. Pancracio, product range
Bringing It All Together: Why Staying Ahead of Trends Matters
As summer 2025 unfolds, consumers are more adventurous, health-conscious, and quality-driven than ever. By partnering with brands like Chimi Love, All Dressed Up, Honest Umami, OMGTea, Olina’s Bakehouse, Azouro, and Pancracio, retailers can confidently meet these evolving demands with products that deliver authenticity, innovation, and shelf appeal.
Staying ahead of food trends isn’t just about following fads — it’s about understanding your customers’ shifting desires and offering solutions that resonate deeply. These brands provide that edge, helping retailers build loyalty, increase basket spend, and position themselves as destinations for both everyday essentials and extraordinary experiences.
Retailers, let’s talk about how these trend-led, category-defining products can boost your shelves.
Gourmet Partners & Brand Builders represent a carefully curated portfolio of high-quality, speciality food brands — available both directly and through leading wholesalers — selected for their integrity, originality, and proven commercial potential.
We’re a trusted partner for retailers seeking products with real substance — brands that prioritise quality, ethics, and flavour.
Our range is deliberately curated: no fillers, no fads — just standout products with lasting appeal.
We offer independent retailers not only access to exceptional brands, but also the insights and long-term support to help them grow with confidence.
