The food trends of 2025

As a culinary entrepreneur, it's important that your knowledge of the latest food trends is fully up to date. It allows you to optimise your range and increase your customer satisfaction levels. You don't want to miss the boat on this. Certainly not in the competitive world of food service. Looking forward to a trendy 2025? The food experts at La Lorraine Bakery Group are here to help.

Trend 1: health food is the standard

Your customers are becoming more conscious of what they're eating. They not only want to know where their favourite bread is from but also how it was made and what's in it. They choose local, pure products with unprocessed, recognisable ingredients like honey, nuts, seeds etc. And that's great because La Lorraine Bakery Group specialises in these products.

Your customer wants to see healthier options on the menu. It's not just fiber rich breads but also breads with the following labels: organic, source of fiber, gluten free, lactose free, veggie or vegan. Tip: you can see each product's label in the online catalogue. This makes it easier to find breads that suit you and your customers.

Want to know more? Read our blog article about healthy bread.

Trend 2: international influences

Although we want our ingredients to be sourced locally, the trend is to take inspiration from global recipes and cuisines. The Mediterranean remains a popular source of inspiration since they know how to create exciting and healthy dishes with relatively few ingredients. How about focaccia with grilled vegetables? If you adapt the vegetables to the season, you can even put this sandwich on the menu all year round. Tip: this bread is also veggie and vegan!

Social media has introduced us to new cuisines like Indian, Korean and Mexican. These cuisines are loved for their spicy food — something that consumers are embracing more and more. We therefore developed a sandwich with chipotle mayonnaise and one with kimchi. Which of these winning sandwiches will we find on your menu?

Want to know more? Read our blog article about Italian concepts.

Trend 3: veganism on the rise

Trend 1 and trend 2 are resulting in the rise of veganism and plant-based dishes. Why? Plant-based products are often purer (healthier) and draw from many different cuisines (international). In addition, sobering documentaries on popular streaming platforms like Netflix are shedding light on the unsavoury realities behind the meat and fishing industries, which is driving consumers to opt more and more for plant-based products.

We'd like to emphasise that this increase is relative, as there are still many people who enjoy a nice piece of meat or fish but eat it in moderation and choose higher quality. Friday a smash burger with 100% beef, Saturday a sandwich with smoked salmon, Sunday a pumpkin sandwich with grilled halloumi and Monday a vegan sandwich with tandoori cauliflower and pea pesto. This is the menu of the flexitarian who eats meat or fish one day and a plant-based meal the next. The takeaway here? Make sure there's something for everyone on your menu. Label everything to make it easier for your customers to choose.

Want to know more?  Make a good impression with your menu.

Trend 4: no alcohol for me, thank you

A healthier lifestyle goes hand in hand with locally sourced, pure products and veganism but also reduced alcohol consumption. More and more people are opting for mocktails rather than cocktails, homemade lemonade rather than an Aperol spritz and tea and coffee instead of digestifs. Does this mean less sales? On the contrary! This trend opens new doors.

You can easily integrate this trend into your menu with little investment or effort. Mocktails often contain the same ingredients as cocktails, and you can charge a similar price for them. In addition, trendy drinks like lemonade, iced tea and iced coffee are easy to make yourself. Like to experiment? Try homemade kombucha or kefir.

Or go a step further. Create specific moments to serve alcohol free drinks like afternoon tea or gourmet coffees (after lunch or dinner). Combine with a sweet appetiser board to create a great experience for you and your customers. Tip: offer free water. A quick win to improve hospitality!

Want to know more?  Create a delicious appetiser board.

Trend 5: automation & personalisation

There were some upsides to the pandemic, such as the automation of your menu with a QR code on tables, a tablet on the counter or a touch screen at the entrance of your business. Why is this good? With the right approach, this can make your business more efficient. This means faster service with less staff and therefore more profit. Important caveat: your service should not suffer.

Ideally automation should result in opportunities for personalisation. The automation of the ordering process can make it easier for your customers to personalise their order by clicking certain options: eat in or takeaway, bigger or smaller portions, extra ingredients (e.g. + 1 euro for gluten free bread) etc. You can also promote your business/menu on online ordering platforms, which expands your reach.

Want to know more? Boost your turnover with ordering and delivery platforms.

Trend 6: authenticity

Automation has a downside, which you can ultimately flip into an upside. The many online options means that customers can switch from one business to another in just a few clicks. Why would they order their sandwich from you when they can order from your neighbour offering a more delicious sandwich of the month or an interesting promotion?

Differentiate yourself with hospitality, customer-friendliness and uniqueness, the holy trinity of each business owner in food service. Whether you're operating a bakery, restaurant or hotel, these three values can make or break your business. Eating and going out to eat are getting more expensive. That's why consumers want to know the advantages of your business and be fully taken care of. So re-read this blog. You're sure to find some tips and tricks that can help you differentiate yourself today.

Want to know more? Optimising hospitality at your business.