As 2023 draws to a close, we look back at Grocery Gazette’s best bits. Today, we explore what supermarkets picked out as the top food and drink trends this Christmas.
Christmas is here but supermarkets picked out what we’ll be eating and drinking on the big day some time ago.
The likes of Waitrose, Tesco, Asda, Co-op and M&S showcased their festive food ranges in a flurry of ‘Christmas in September’ events and there were many big trends to pick over – from low and no alcohol beverages and plant-based food, to social media-inspired graze boards.
We look back at what was on the menu.
Tis’ the vegan season
Despite a raft of vegan food retailers struggling this year, the supermarkets still believe plant-food options will perform well this Christmas.
Waitrose, which has confirmed that 2023 will be its biggest year for vegan food yet with searches for ‘plant-based’ on its website is up 115% on last year, has an array of vegan festive fodder.
Highlights include a triple nut roast with sweet potato, lentils, chickpeas, almonds, brazil nuts and a clementine and apricot chutney graze, as well as a plant-based wellington, and ‘fruity stuffing Christmas trees’.
Waitrose vegan product developer Simona Cohen-Vida-Welsh says: “I love developing plant-based food as there are so many wonderful flavours and textures to incorporate.”
She describes the nut roast as “a feast for the eyes and stomach that everybody will love.”
Tesco will also offer more alternative options with over 100 Plant Chef and Free From products this Christmas.
Its centrepieces include a mushroom and chestnut festive wreath, and a ‘no-turkey’ crown with herb stuffing.
The UK’s biggest grocer will also roll out party food such as kimchi-inspired vegetable crystal rolls and paella-inspired arancini bites, as well as a variety of dairy-free desserts including a Free From tiffin bauble, chocolate yule log and Christmas pudding.
Tesco director of product development Breige Donaghy says: “There are two areas we are particularly proud of this year. The first is our innovation in plan- based party food where people will see inspiration from across the globe with enticing Italian, Spanish and Asian flavours, to name just a few.
“The second is in our flavoursome veg-led options. As part of our ‘plant forward’ strategy, we have put a huge amount of work into creating delicious veggie options with wholefoods, vegetables and dairy products at their heart, as we continue to see people look for meals that have more plants in them but that aren’t necessarily vegan.”
Asda has also expanded its vegan offerings with 57 new plant-based and 35 new Free From products with the addition of the Vegan Society approved OMV! range including a whole ‘no turkey’, mushroom pigs in smoky aubergine bacon and a strawberry trifle.
Social media-inspired grazing
While social media is often the source of the latest food trends, food boards of all varieties – from grazing to charcuterie and even butter boards – have skyrocketed in popularity over the past few months, with #bringaboardnight circulating on TikTok.
The term ‘graze boards’ now has over 57.5m views on the platform and the ‘charcuterie’ hashtag has a staggering 2.3bn.
Looking to tap in on the trend, Asda has launched an Extra Special Specialty Cheeseboard which comes ready to serve on a slate and a Charcuterie Ultimate Grazing Platter.
Tesco is also focusing on the trend with a festive Build Your Own Christmas Olive Tree twist, which features Mediterranean olives and sundried tomatoes arranged in a tower.
It will also be rolling out a range of new flavours in addition to its traditional cheeses, such as a wensleydale with cranberries, pomegranate and orange, and a sticky toffee cheddar truckle.
The year of the centrepiece
Turkey is the star of the Christmas Day dinner and this year Tesco is offering more than 40 options in its festive food range as over two fifths of shoppers opted for the staple in 2022.
The supermarket giant is also re-imagining centrepieces, having launched a pigs in blankets topped steak pie to place the nation’s favourite trimming centre stage.
Alongside its array of more traditional centrepiece options, Waitrose is focusing on fish this year with its Shimmering Salmon Mousse centrepiece made from MSC-certified Scottish smoked and poached salmon.
The mousse is also made using salmon trim in a bid to reduce food waste.
As well as its classic offerings, Asda will be rolling out a range of alternative centrepiece options, which senior director of food innovation and trends Jonathan Moore says is to “promote inclusivity for those preferring something a little less traditional”.
This includes its Extra Special British Monkfish Tails with a sundried tomato and lemon stuffing wrapped in prosciutto, as well as an OMV! oyster and porcini mushroom wellington.
Convenient party food
Co-op is looking to make Christmas as simple as possible for its shoppers this year by focusing in on party food, which head of delicious food, Nicole Tallant, says is “easy and convenient to cook for busy hosts.”
The retailer is rolling out products including Orange Bubble Tempura Prawns and Pizza Puff Dippers ranging rom £3.25 to £5.
There will also be exclusive member pricing across a range of lines Co-op lines this year such as ‘two for £5.50’ across its standard party food.
Iceland is also hopping on the trend with three for £5 party favourites including Christmas tree lollies, sweet chilli tempura prawns, melted cheese straws, mini pigs in blankets, cauliflower popcorn and jalapeno cream chesse.
Iceland Foods and The Food Warehouse group buying director, Andrew Staniland, said: “Our ‘Mix & Match’ offers are one of the ways we’re showing our ongoing commitment to help families across the UK eat well for less every day, especially Christmas Day.”
A teetotal Christmas
At Waitrose, no and low alcohol drink sales have grown by 20% over the past year and research by drinks giant Diageo found that two fifths of UK adults want to moderate their drinking.
Waitrose master of wine and head of beers, wines and spirits Pierpaolo Petrassi says: “Demand for low alcohol and alcohol free drinks is growing at a phenomenal rate. It’s now the norm for customers to buy both.
“We expect this year to be the biggest year to date for sales and are preparing for strong demand at Christmas.”
Convenience retailer Co-op has also said it will be launching several new branded no and low alcohol wines ahead of the festive period.
Showstopper desserts
Asda is pushing the ‘showstopper’ dessert trend this Christmas to offer consumers an “immersive experience at the dining table”.
The supermarket has launched a chocolate and honeycomb avalanche dessert featuring a salted caramel semi freddo with honeycomb pieces.
Customers can remove the products collar at the table to allow the milk chocolate sauce to cover the dessert.
Waitrose dessert product developer Emily Bundy says the grocer was “inspired by delicious trending flavours, as well as treats from French patisseries”.
The supermarket has over 20 new products across desserts and bakery for 2023, including a Golden Bûche de Noël, chocolate and hazelnut quenelle, and a florentine-inspired panettone.
M&S has also given its iconic Colin the Caterpillar cake a festive update with a Christmas jumper and hat for £12.
Signature flavours
Asda has also launched its first signature flavour – Brown Butter and Spiced Dark Rum – which Moore says has come from extensive trend tracking to ensure that we are delivering newness and innovation to our customers.
“We noticed an abundance of brown butter being used globally by top pastry chefs, accompanied by the growth in the use of dark rum by mixologists across the globe, and this instantly recognisable flavour of warming spices was the perfect pairing for brown butter,” says Moore.
The flavour has been used in the retailers brown butter and spiced dark rum mince pies, and slow cooked turkey with spiced dark rum and brown butter stuffing.
Co-op is offering a new signature twist to the traditional mince pie with its Irresistable Black Forest Mince Pies with a cherry flavour and kirsch frosting.
Ocado will also be offering alternatives including Chocolate and Hazelnut mince pies, as well as M&S’ All Butter Mince Pies and Iced Topped Mince Pies.
