Celebrating the intrinsic health credentials of their authentic product will win over new users and buoy usage frequency for world cuisine brands. Authentic dishes healthy by nature would appeal to…
UK
Food
simple
UK Attitudes towards World Cuisines: 2026
"Authentic but healthy products, ones that facilitate tailoring of spiciness and positioning towards breakfast and social occasions will win favour."
Amy Bishop, Analyst UK Food & Drink Reports
Collapse All
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What you need to know
Outlook for world cuisines
Opportunities
Help consumers identify authentic, naturally healthy products
Help consumers navigate and personalise world cuisine
Expand occasions by bringing world cuisines into breakfast and socialising
THE MARKET
Market factors
Cautious consumer mindsets will bolster at-home meals, brands must justify purchase
Graph 1: financial wellbeing and confidence indices, 2019-26
Ready meals face pressure, but premium products can capture spend from foodservice
HFSS restrictions have mixed effects on world cuisines products
NPM defines HFSS status
Keen interest in healthy eating
THE CONSUMER
Usage of world cuisines at home
Nine in 10 people eat world cuisines at home
Graph 3: world cuisine eaten at home in the last three months and interest in eating world cuisines in future, by cuisine, 2026
Families hold the key to making emerging cuisines mainstream
Graph 4: selected world cuisine usage at home in the past three months to May 2026, by age, 2026
Help consumers identify authentic, naturally healthy products
Healthy-by-nature dishes have broad appeal
Highlight inherent healthiness to boost usage
Healthy positioning can drive engagement and loyalty
Combine authenticity and health to stand out
Help consumers customise spice levels and offer clear taste cues
Help consumers navigate and personalise world cuisine foods
Highlight tips for tailoring spice levels to taste
Make it easy to customise spiciness
Inspire consumers to use world flavours in new contexts
Help shoppers navigate unfamiliar flavours with clearer signposting
Look to new occasions
World cuisines at breakfast and when socialising appeal widely
Breakfast is a major whitespace for world cuisine innovation
World breakfast favourites can tap key UK trends
At-home socialising creates new opportunities for world cuisine food…
…and drink
Lean into fun to engage consumers
PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING
Retailers and brands explore new cuisines and convenient formats
Noodles, frozen and kids’ meals attract NPD
Launches aiming to bring the restaurant experience home continue in world cuisine retail segment
Pulse- and veg-led formats feature in NPD
Health-focused ranges expand and target specific consumer needs
Snacks explore world flavours for NPD
World cuisine brands position themselves as a route to confident cooking
APPENDIX
Report scope/Market definition
The consumer
Consumer research questions
Consumer research methodology – EMEA
UK generation groups
Supplementary data
Leading rice brands’ sales
Leading rice companies’ sales
Rice and noodle segment retail sales
Abbreviations
Abbreviations and terms
Celebrating the intrinsic health credentials of their authentic product will win over new users and buoy usage frequency for world cuisine brands. Authentic dishes healthy by nature would appeal to 80% of users, and healthy dishes would encourage more frequent use for many.
Ongoing pressures on household budgets will continue to curb foodservice spend in 2026 and into 2027, benefiting retail, including world cuisines foods. However, grocery spend too will face close scrutiny. This will favour home cooking, posing a threat for pricier convenience products. It will also keep the pressure on brands to justify their value.
Breakfast offers a clear whitespace opportunity for world cuisine brands. More than half (56%) of world cuisine users would like to see more world cuisine breakfast options, while the retail offering is limited retail. Convenience will be key to unlocking this occasion, with 70% of breakfast eaters prioritising quick and easy preparation. This creates opportunities across products like globally inspired breads and pastries and shortcut or RTE versions of authentic egg-based dishes.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
The impact on the market of ongoing pressures household finances and the outlook for the next five years
Key trends in recent launch activity and future opportunities
Usage of world cuisines at home
Opportunities to tap wider consumer interest in health by highlighting authentic products which are healthy by nature
Scope to support usage by enabling consumers to customise foods to taste, offering flavour guidance and showcasing how world cuisine products can play in everyday meals.
Untapped potential in at-home socialising and breakfast occasions
Instant delivery when paying by credit card, invoice orders may take longer
Save up to 20% when you purchase multiple reports
Save 10% when you purchase two reports together.
Save 15% when you purchase three reports together.
Save 20% when your purchase four or more together.
Discount automatically applied at checkout
Need help before you buy?
Our research specialists can answer your questions and recommend the reports that best match your business needs.
Mintel is really good for getting a handle on a particular category quickly. If we are working on a new business pitch in an area we don’t have much experience in, it’s a brilliant way to get up to speed with what’s going on, what’s changing and what the key trends are in any category.
It’s very rare now that anyone will plough through a 200-page report – that’s why the summaries are really useful. We know they are backed up by a lot of detail, so if you need to go into something in more depth you know the information will be all there for you.
Pauline Robson, Managing Partner, Mediacom
We have such a great working relationship with Mintel on lots of different levels. As an insight partner, they have helped us to develop our business planning in specific categories as well as supporting our creative process but they’ve also been super helpful with facilitating our events in their inspirational offices near St Paul’s.
They’re an innovative company, with a client-focused team that always delivers.
Abby Carvosso, Group Managing Director, Bauer Media Group
One of the biggest challenges we face is the need to get smart on a business or category real quick.
We are talking to clients who live and breathe their category every day and the expectation is that we will be able to get caught up very quickly, and bring the thinking that can help them.
We need to do that often in a matter of days, so it’s not a small ask. Mintel gives us a very articulate view of category conditions and does so at the speed we need it.
Jeff White, Business Development Director, Deutsch
Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.
When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.
The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.
Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave
We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.
Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.
Zac Steele, E-Commerce Trading Development Manager, Waitrose & Partners
Need help before you buy?
Our research specialists can answer your questions and recommend the reports that best match your business needs.