If, in recent years, food trends have been overly influenced by the cost-of-living crisis and the long shadow of the global pandemic, for 2025 there’s finally a sense of a return to fun. Whether this involves picking up expensive, overstuffed sandwiches for lunch, sipping craft limoncello or eating crisps in high-end restaurants, there are signs that diners are ripping up the rule books and enjoying themselves again. As always, chefs, retailers and influential food personalities have breathed new life into some unlikely old favourites, while social media, particularly Tik Tok, continues to have a significant influence on what we eat, with several trends directly traceable from platforms to supermarket shelves. So, from super-clear cocktails to Korean booze, here’s a snapshot of what we’ll be eating and drinking more of over the coming 12 months.

Supercharged sandwiches
While gourmet sandwiches aren’t new, supercharged sandwiches are currently taking over lunchtimes across the UK. One of 2024’s most hyped London openings was Sandwich Sandwich, which drew huge queues for its elaborate creations. Rogue Sarnies and Dom’s Subs have also gained cult followings for their restaurant-level sandwiches in London, while Manchester has Fat Pat’s and Leeds has Silver’s deli. The trend seems at least partly fuelled by social media, where OTT sandwiches play extremely well and new creations can instantly go viral. At the more novel end of the spectrum, New York deli Seven Brothers Gourmet created a storm last summer with its pickle sandwich, in which the bread itself was replaced with a giant sliced pickle, while chopped sandwiches have been a recent TikTok staple in the US. Looking forward, Sandwich Sandwich plans to open the ‘biggest sandwich shop in the UK’ in London’s Fenchurch Street in 2025, while Milan’s legendary De Santis paninis are also arriving in the capital.