Tomorrow's Top Trends

As we begin a new year, the top trends for 2025 are being rolled out. Here's a look at some of the trends that are expected to be hot this year.

Want more trends? Check out Catersource's 2025 food trend predictions.

Constellation Culinary Group’s Culinary Director Meg Grasso predicts that the following trends will come to the forefront of special events:

1. Globally inspired grazing tables

In 2025, grazing tables will replace formal dinners, offering guests a chance to explore diverse, international flavors at their leisure. Mediterranean mezze, antipasto boards, and sushi stations will create an engaging, dynamic atmosphere. Each table is curated to showcase global cuisines, providing both visual appeal and a social dining experience. This versatile option is perfect for weddings, corporate events, or private dinner parties. 

2. Ultra-luxe touches

Quiet luxury emerged as a major catering trend in 2024 and continues to grow in popularity. Driven by a demand for refined, upscale food moments that emphasize quality over extravagance. This trend features elevated, interactive event elements such as caviar carts, roaming oyster shuckers, and table-side carved tomahawk steaks, providing guests with a sense of exclusivity and engagement. Live-action culinary stations, like hanging shellfish paella, add a touch of theatrical flair while providing a beautiful visual of premium ingredients. Quiet luxury’s appeal lies in its subtle elegance, catering to discerning clientele who value craftsmanship and a more intimate, immersive dining experience.

3. Sustainability is staying on the menu 

Sustainability will continue to thrive, with zero-waste menus that use every part of an ingredient, from root-to-stem cooking to repurposing food scraps. Chefs are also focusing on sustainable sourcing through local farms, while plant-based and alternative proteins are gaining popularity. Eco-friendly event design, including reusable service ware and energy-efficient practices, is in high demand, pushing event and foodservice professionals to offer green alternatives at every stage of the process. 

4. The food is the photo opp 

Creative food displays have become a popular element of photo opportunities at catered events, with food displays now designed not just to satisfy taste buds but to capture attention on social media. These visually striking setups serve as both décor and conversation starters, encouraging guests to snap and share photos. As a result, food presentation has become an integral part of creating a memorable and Instagram-worthy event experience. 

5. Edible art displays

Catering in 2025 goes beyond taste with edible art displays that turn food into stunning, artistic presentations. From intricately designed hors d’oeuvres to elaborate dessert tables, these displays captivate guests while showcasing culinary skill. Picture hand-painted macarons or a mosaic-style charcuterie board as the event centerpiece. These edible creations add luxury and elegance, leaving a lasting impression. In cultural art venues like Philadelphia’s Barnes Foundation and Philadelphia Museum of Art, food and beverage displays are inspired by historical collections as well as rotating exhibitions.

Total Party Planner has revealed three major trends to watch:

1. Sustainability: going green in catering

Sustainability continues to grow as a priority for both clients and caterers. In fact, 46% of consumers say they are buying more sustainable products to reduce their carbon footprint. From eco-friendly packaging to locally sourced ingredients, more clients are seeking out caterers who emphasize green practices. In 2025, expect sustainability to be less of a trend and more of a standard.

For caterers, this means incorporating sustainable practices into every aspect of the business. Whether it’s reducing food waste, using energy-efficient equipment, or sourcing organic, local ingredients, sustainability is something you should be thinking about now.

2. Interactive dining experiences

Customers are no longer satisfied with passive dining experiences—they want to be engaged and entertained. In 2025, interactive dining is set to be a major trend, from live cooking stations to build-your-own meal bars. Think about how you can create immersive dining experiences that get guests involved, whether it’s a DIY taco station or a custom cocktail bar where bartenders craft drinks on the spot.

3. Experiential catering

Experiential catering is about creating memorable, multisensory events. In 2025, clients will continue to expect more from caterers than just food—they want unforgettable experiences. This could involve themed events, curated food-and-drink pairings, or even theatrical presentations of meals. The sky’s the limit when it comes to creativity.

For caterers, this presents an opportunity to stand out by offering unique services that go beyond traditional catering. However, pulling off these types of events requires detailed planning, from décor to timing to entertainment elements. Start thinking now about how you can build these experiential aspects into your offerings.

The National Restaurant Association has released its 2025 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast, which is based on responses from nearly 300 U.S. industry professionals and highlights the top trends expected to shape the culinary landscape over the coming year.

Now in its 17th edition, the annual Hospitality Trends Report, produced by af&co. and Carbonate, forecasts the biggest influences in food, beverage, hotels, travel, marketing, and social media that will shape the hospitality industry in 2025. The report provides actionable insights that inspire strategies for increasing relevance, capitalizing on trends, and boosting sales.

Flavor of the year: pistachio

Able to skew salty or sweet, pistachios are perfectly ambidextrous, and made for our Instagram age where color is compelling. They’re taking the place of almonds and hazelnuts in pastries, and playing a starring role in savory salads, sauces, drinks, and much more.

Dessert of the Year: kataifi creations

Kataifi, or shredded phyllo dough, is best known for its supporting role in a wide variety of desserts. It soaks up sweet syrup in Baklava, offsets the ooze of molten cheese in Knafeh, lends a crunch to creamy ganache—and is the unheralded star of the viral Dubai Chocolate Bar. Kataifi is an “it” ingredient that pastry chefs can play with, and is poised to add texture to both sweet and salty treats for years to come.

Drink of the year: freezer martinis

Yes, martinis have been trending for ages (and the espresso martini isn’t going anywhere…yet), but “Freezer Martinis” are the variation du jour, popping up on menus across the country. Rather than shaking or stirring it up with other flavors, this trend is all about about chilling it down, way down, and serving the drink ice cold. Martinis should always be icy smooth, but they often aren’t. Freezer Martinis are problem solvers—pre-batched, and stored in freezing temps, they help make service snappy, and ensure a properly cold and well-blended cocktail every time.

Cuisine of the year: simple seafood

The raw bar and the fried seafood shack share a lot of similarities: Concise menus, a small line, and simple food done really, really well. At a time when inflation, labor, and high food costs are having a big impact on the industry, these types of concepts with a small footprint, and a short (but craveable) menu that doesn’t require a lot of specialty cooking equipment, offer a lot of benefits. While the concept may be simple, the execution allows for chefs to add their signature stamp of creativity.

Thousand layer bread

Tissue bread, or 1,000 layer bread, is a soft, fluffy milk bread in ultra-thin layers with a crispy exterior.

Culinary-driven conchas

Pedigreed bakers are taking the classic shell-shaped Mexican pan dulce (sweet bread) from an inexpensive sweet snack to star status. Known for its crackly glazed top, conchas are escaping the confines of a panaderia, and bakers across the country are playing with new flavors borrowed from a global pantry, incorporating premium ingredients, and adding a variety of sweet and savory fillings.

Yemeni coffee

Yemen is believed to be the first place to cultivate coffee for commercial distribution, and was the heart of the first coffee trade. This led to an enduring coffee-house culture, with the coffee shop being a center for learned discussion, socialization, and entertainment, in addition to nourishment. Expect to find: Coffee spiced with cardamom and/or ginger; rose or pistachio lattes; iced drinks featuring citrus, fruit juices, or herbs; honeycomb-shaped bread stuffed with cheese and drizzled with honey; baklava, kunafa, rose milk cake, and more. New concepts aiming to recreate the feel and flavor of these shops are springing up across the US, offering both traditional Yemeni-style drinks and pastries, as well as modern interpretations inspired by Yemeni flavors and ingredients.

Sotol - the next tequila

With tequila and mezcal making up the fastest growing spirits in the US—recently surpassing American whiskey in sales by both dollars and volume—we expect to see more interest growing in the lesser-known Mexican spirit, Sotol. While tequila and mezcal are both made from agave, sotol is made from a spiky plant called the "desert spoon." Like Mezcal, the plant is roasted for a few days before being pressed to extract the sap, which is then fermented. Mainly bottled young (joven), it can also be sold aged (reposado or añejo). Bars and restaurants across the country are beginning to incorporate this bright, crisp, grassy, piney flavored spirit into a variety of cocktails.

Technomic has predicted the following trends in its 2025 Global Restaurant Trends Forecast:

Analogue alternatives

Plant-based meat alts had a moment in the spotlight, but 2025 will find new stars in the protein category. Ostrich made news as a beef alternative in Japan, and frog legs are trending up on chain menus in China. Consumer demand for new flavors and experiences coupled with the reality of rising costs for many everyday proteins in some cases has elevated the introduction of less-common meats, poultry and other animal-derived products. In 2025, expect more operators to go beyond standard beef, pork, poultry and seafood to explore a wider variety of animal proteins. At the same time, look for more chains to introduce milks not derived from cows or plants, particularly camel and buffalo milks.

“Inherivation”

The strategy of developing innovative new products based firmly on inherited cuisine traditions and standards is nothing new in the restaurant world, but this culinary approach is poised to gain traction across global markets at the chain level. Next year will see more and more operators leveraging the inherivation trend to bring new and differentiated products to the mass market—particularly to cater to local tastes and preferences. Take for instance the modern adaptation of traditional mix coffee emerging in South Korea, or how local brands in Mexico are rethinking traditional chiles en nogada and pan de muerto for contemporary diners. Other preparations getting the treatment include British fish and chips, Mexican birria, Japanese ramen, Hawaiian poke and Korean chimaek. Even traditions such as Japanese omakase will be taken into new and unfamiliar directions, such as the application to comfort foods like pizza, burgers and fried chicken.

Escapist themes

Restaurants will increasingly cater to consumers looking for reprieve from the stresses of daily life. On menus, expressions of this trend may include new products that reference outer space, fantasy and transportation to a far-off land. More experiential forms could be catered picnics in serene locales, immersive group dinners that transport guests back in time, and dining rooms that welcome pet parents and their fur babies.

Dessertified snacks

As much as brands have paid increasingly close attention to their sweet options in recent years—with pizza operators in particular revisiting their dessert pizza menus—operators are set to bring classic dessert ingredients to their sides and snacks. Look for global and local operators to introduce such selections as loaded fries topped with ice cream, dumplings filled with chocolate sauce or tteokbokki bathed in sweet sesame pastes as this trend matures over the coming year.

SupHerb Farms, a California-based supplier of premium culinary ingredients, has identified the following trends in its 2025 F&B Trends Report:

Third-culture cuisine

After years of debating what is authentic and what is not, chefs are redefining authenticity by blending their heritage, global training, and multicultural experiences into ‘third-culture cuisine.’ This approach combines nostalgic flavors with modern techniques, offering consumers both personal storytelling and innovative culinary experiences.

Saucy green

As consumers gravitate towards natural, clean products and embrace the “back to basics” and plant-forward movements, classic herbs and whole-ingredient green sauces are gaining popularity in diverse applications. Unique pestos, chimichurri, pistou, salsa verde, Thai herb-chili sauces, mojo, zhoug (zhug or s’chug), and many more green herbaceous sauces are adding visual appeal and vibrant flavor to menus nationwide.

Adjika

Spicy condiments are nothing new in the U.S., but adjika, a subtly spicy sauce from Georgia is emerging from the ongoing influence of and interest in Middle Eastern flavors. Adjika offers a unique flavor experience beyond just heat. Although unfamiliar to many U.S. consumers, its similarity to salsa, romesco sauce, and vegetable-based pestos make it more approachable and likely to gain broad acceptance.

Salsa Macha

This bold sauce is positioned for strong growth. Springboarding off the ongoing popularity of Chinese chili crisp, this Mexican chili and oil-based salsa from Veracruz leans into the moderate heat and broad versatility of its Asian cousin. The traditionally used peanuts and sesame seeds lend a nutty, earthy quality while the chilies create an approachable heat that makes this Latin American condiment appealing and applicable for a wide range of applications.

Changing color

While you can’t judge a book by its cover, the appearance sets expectations. By altering the color of familiar products, manufacturers and operators can reset those expectations, creating unique, unexpected experiences that consumers crave. In our visually driven, social media-centric culture, color changes in sauces like green or red harissa and salsa roja or negra (made with black garlic) are playing with consumer perceptions, earning intrigue on online menus and retail shelves.

Asian influence

Look for a proliferation of Asian flavors/ingredients in mainstream products and menu items like furikake, gochujang, chili crisp, sambal, miso, and ginger-forward sauces. Asian cuisines continue to expand and evolve, driven by strong interest across all age cohorts but particularly Gen Z and Millennials. Asian flavors are now impacting everything from pasta sauces to European-style pastries. Both retailers and operators are reaching further into less familiar Asian cuisines such as Filipino, Malaysian, and Vietnamese for new, compelling options to engage consumers.

Smoky

From BBQ and cocktails to desserts and other unexpected categories, smoke is expanding across menus and products through global cuisines and the ongoing interest in smoke-forward cocktails. As a result, smoke persists as an experiential, aromatic and flavor note at the forefront of innovation. Smokey notes are now showing up in desserts, plant-based entrées, seafood dishes and snacks.

Hyper-specific origin call-outs

Consumers already inundated with broad-based source of origin descriptors (e.g. Chinese, Italian) are now looking for the next unique option, and those options are drawing on hard-to-get-to-locations and micro-regional, hyper-local sources that are evocative and romantic. For example, emerging honey brands sourced from remote mountainsides and difficult to access islands in remote parts of the world. Tuscan sauces, Moroccan harissa and Calabrian peppers also skew toward this trend of more specific origin.

Gut health is whole-body health

The importance of gut health has moved beyond the gut itself with new products touting the importance of gut health to all systems, from immunity to cognitive function. Pre-, pro- and post-biotics lead the way and are now featured in a range of categories beyond yogurt, like the trending AG1® (pictured left). AG1 is a daily health drink with nutrients that claim to help alleviate bloating, support sustained energy and whole body health.

Whole Foods Market’s Trends Council has identified the following trends in its 10th annual Trends predictions report:

Hydration hype

Reusable water bottle culture is upon us, but consumers want more from their H2O these days, seeking added electrolytes and hydration in more innovative forms. It’s impossible to ignore the trend at food and beverage trade shows, where you’ll find popsicles with electrolytes, sparkling coconut water, chlorophyll water and even protein water. New players are emerging in the space, like cactus waters that contain antioxidants and electrolytes, and better-for-you competitors to sugary and artificially colored sports drinks. Even kids can get in on this trend with new and tasty beverages in fun formats like pouches and mini coconuts.

Next-level compostable 

Products that aren’t ditching packaging completely are going the compostable route, making some or all elements of their packaging compostable. Some brands, like Compostic, are even entering new territory with home-compostable products, meaning all components can compost in a home bin versus requiring a commercial process. In the produce world, Rainer Fruit is working on commercially compostable produce stickers.

More-sustainable sips 

Forward-thinking boozy brands are working to reduce their environmental footprints. Natural and organic wines may not be new, but brands are taking things a step further by embracing regenerative practices and lower-impact packaging. For example, the Sustainable Wine Roundtable (of which Whole Foods Market is a founding member), has a goal to drop bottle weights 25% by 2026. Meanwhile, beer and whiskey brands are embracing ingredients like drought-resistant fonio or regeneratively farmed kernza.

Don't forget to check out Catersource's 2025 food trend predictions.