Six months into 2023 and we’re seeing plenty of trends emerging and continuing into the second half of the year. Now summer has really started, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing a surge in outdoor cooking trends, healthy eating and BBQs. It all goes hand-in-hand with the warmer weather and holiday season. Some of these trends we see year-on-year, however there are some new ones that we are seeing this year.
BBQs, ‘Picky Teas’, gut-healthy foods and a decline in meat free products are all on the cards for June, so let’s dive in.
Picnics, Picky Teas & BBQs
Alfresco dining is in full swing in the UK – any glimpse of sun and Brits are ready to whip out the BBQ, picnic basket and freezer food. This year, the warm weather means we are turning to outdoor dining more and more.
Research by The Cocktail Co, producers of ready-to-drink cocktails which can be enjoyed anytime and anyplace, revealed that over the last five years, on average, searches for ‘picnic’ reach their peak on 1st June.
Alongside this, the research also revealed that the number of people talking about ‘picnics’ on social media was highest at 4pm on this day. This is no surprise as 4pm tends to be the best time for warm weather and when we’re all ready for some food & drinks in the sun.
The 1st June sees an average temperature of 20°C, which is the ideal weather for UK summer – with research showing that Brits think 26°C is too hot, citing 22°C as the perfect British summer’s day.
Picnics aren’t the only British summer food trend that we’re seeing right now – BBQ is still one of the highest trending food and drink hashtags on TikTok, with 67M views for #bbq in the past month. Google Trends data shows that similar to picnics, June is the most popular time for people search for ‘BBQ’.
The same goes for ‘BBQ recipes’ which sees year-on-year peaks in June, before tailing off through July and August, with a few increases through the summer.
Another dining trend we are seeing this summer, is the surge of ‘picky teas’. As soon as the temperature rises in the UK, we all know it’s ‘too hot to cook’ and out comes the freezer food. Whether you prefer potato smileys, garlic bread, chicken nuggets or fancier meats and cheeses on your picky tea, it really is a British summer staple. Google Trends data shows us that searches for the iconic British dinner are up 160% in the last five years.
Gut Healthy Foods
When it comes to food & drink, there is always a new health trend – this time it is focused on gut health. We are always learning more about our bodies, and looking after them from the inside out – and it turns out one thing that is important is your gut health.
You’ve probably heard snippets about your gut health for a few years – but we’re likely more used to thinking about it in terms of probiotics such as live yoghurts and supplements. However, with more and more research being done into gut health, more insight is being revealed.
Fermented foods such as kimchi and sauerkraut are being searched for, but also drinks such as kombucha are still on the rise. On TikTok, #applecidervinegar is trending again, a health trend that has been circulating for some time.
In the news, ultra-processed foods are a talking point, and searches for this term are up 200% in the last 12 months and still rising.
This could signify a shift in many people’s mindset around healthy eating – with people making moves away ‘low-fat’ processed foods, to whole foods that are good for the gut.
It’s not only food that people are focusing on too, gut drink searches increased 50% YOY and top trending drinks keyword for food & drinks on Google in the final week of the month.
Decline in Plant Based & Meat Free Alternatives Demand
Following on from the shift in mindset towards ultra-processed foods, comes a shift away from meat-alternatives.
Google Trends highlights that searches for ‘meat free’ have decreased 16% in the last year, and has been slowly declining since 2019.
Meatless Farms, a meat free brand, announced in June that it was ceasing trading and making staff redundant. Since, the brand has been bought by VFC, a meat alternative brand in a deal worth £12M but the collapse of the popular brand has led to a larger conversation about the future of the meat-free industry.
Within the plant based market, it has sparked fears that the industry is on a downhill trajectory – however, this isn’t necessarily because people are switching back to meat products, they are instead switching to whole foods and vegetables.
It goes hand-in-hand with the conversation around processed foods and how healthy they actually are for consumers.
It shows an opportunity for brands to shift their focus, and consider how they can evolve with the market to focus on less processed food options and change with their customer base.
If you’re interested in learning more about what is trending in food & drink, and how to utilise this for your brand, get in touch with hello@hatch.group
