2025
9
UK Attitudes towards World Cuisines Consumer Report 2025
2025-07-31T12:05:44+00:00
REP1A7BD7AB_2452_4FC2_9F07_6E006A393C11
2600
185140
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Report
en_GB
Half of adults think world cuisine meals at home can feel as special as one from a restaurant/takeaway. This has buoyed the category as the income squeeze has fuelled the…
UK
Food
Consumer Attitudes
simple

UK Attitudes towards World Cuisines Consumer Report 2025

"The desire for as savvy alternatives to foodservice meals and the plant-forward trend remain key ones for world cuisines products in retail to align with."

Isabelle Shilling - Senior Analyst

Isabelle Shilling - Senior Analyst

Half of adults think world cuisine meals at home can feel as special as one from a restaurant/takeaway. This has buoyed the category as the income squeeze has fuelled the desire for good-value alternatives to foodservice meals. It remains a key strength to leverage while savvy spending mindsets endure.

Consumers’ love of newness poses a threat to long-standing cuisines and brands heavily reliant on them. Half of adults who eat world cuisines keep an eye out for less familiar cuisines. While brand extensions are a proven strategy for established players to tap changing trends, moving to new cuisines risks diluting their image of authenticity. Promisingly, many consumers prioritise taste and quality over authenticity.

The plant-forward trend is expected to grow as consumer spending regains momentum, making it a key one also for world cuisine products to align with. Views that world cuisine flavours make plant-based meals tasty represent a key strength for the category to mine.

This report looks at the following areas:

  • The impact of the income squeeze on the market and the outlook for the next five years
  • Key trends in recent launch activity and future opportunities
  • Usage of world cuisines at home and emerging cuisines of most interest
  • Behaviours related to world cuisines, including opportunities to tap interest in plant-forward eating
  • Attitudes towards world cuisines, including scope to capitalise on the image of these as making meals special.
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  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • Opportunities for the world cuisines retail market
    • Newness remains crucial to keep world cuisine lovers engaged
    • Strong image of making meals special remains a key one for world cuisine products in retail to leverage
    • World cuisine foods are well-placed to tap plant-forward trend
    • Market dynamics and outlook
    • Outlook for world cuisine food in retail
    • HFSS restrictions, UPF spotlight and sustainability focus
    • What consumers want and why
    • Nine in 10 people eat world cuisines at home
    • Graph 1: world cuisine eaten at home in the last three months and interest in eating world cuisines in future, by cuisine, 2025
    • Malaysian, Lebanese and Sri Lankan spark most interest among emerging world cuisines
    • Graph 2: emerging world cuisines most appealing to consumers, by type, 2025
    • World cuisine foods are well-placed to tap plant-forward trend
    • Graph 3: behaviours related to world cuisines, 2025
    • Strong image as special remains a powerful one for world cuisine products in retail
    • Graph 4: attitudes related to world cuisines, 2025
    • Innovation and marketing
    • NPD explores timely occasions, new cuisines and hands-on formats
    • Adspend fell in 2024
    • Graph 5: above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on selected world cuisine brands, by advertiser, 2021-25
  2. MARKET DYNAMICS

    • Market drivers
    • One in three see their finances as healthy
    • Graph 6: the financial wellbeing index, 2021-25
    • Cautious consumer spending lingers
    • Graph 7: the financial confidence index, 2021-25
    • Restaurant inflation bolsters the appeal of retail options
    • Graph 8: CPI annual rate, selected food categories and restaurant meals, 2021-25
    • Government confirms HFSS ad restrictions, delays implementation until January 2026
    • HFSS will have mixed effects on world cuisines category
    • Ultra-processed foods remain in the spotlight
    • Interest in sustainability expected to grow
  3. WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY

    • Usage of world cuisines at home
    • World cuisines are a regular feature in UK households
    • Nine in 10 people eat world cuisines at home
    • Graph 9: world cuisine eaten at home in the last three months and interest in eating world cuisines in future, by cuisine, 2025
    • Younger groups are core users…
    • Graph 10: selected world cuisine usage at home in the past three months, by age, 2025
    • …together with families
    • Graph 11: selected world cuisine usage at home in the past three months, by age and presence of children, 2025
    • Chinese and Indian cuisines remain most popular
    • Graph 12: overall usage of world cuisines, by cuisine type, 2019, 2022, 2024, 2025
    • Stalwart cuisines retain top positions, but usage falls
    • Seasonings, cooking sauces and ready meals vie for favour in world cuisines
    • Graph 13: types of world cuisine products eaten or used at home on an everyday occasion in the last three months, 2025
    • Interest in emerging world cuisines
    • Newness is needed to keep users engaged
    • Malaysian, Lebanese and Sri Lankan lead interest in emerging world cuisines
    • Emerging cuisines enjoy wide appeal
    • Graph 14: emerging world cuisines most appealing to consumers, 2025
    • Limited availability points to untapped potential for Malaysian, Lebanese and Sri Lankan cuisines
    • Malaysian sparks most interest among emerging cuisines
    • Lebanese favourites like shawarma and mezze can tap current trends
    • Curries and snacks provide a route into UK grocery for Sri Lankan cuisine
    • Spotlight new world cuisine products in supermarkets
    • Behaviours related to world cuisines
    • World cuisine foods are well-placed to tap plant-forward trend
    • Graph 15: behaviours related to world cuisines, 2025
    • Plant-forward meals hold potential for world cuisine products
    • World cuisine flavours are widely seen to elevate plant-based meals
    • Strong potential for world foods to tap interest in flavourful meat-free meals
    • Further opportunities for plant-based world cuisine meals
    • International products offer cues on vegetarian world cuisine meals
    • Spotlight sauces and kits’ ability to elevate vegetables
    • Reach shoppers in the produce aisle
    • World food flavours hold potential for plant-based proteins
    • Brand tie-ups offer a route for world cuisine brands
    • Attitudes related to world cuisines
    • Half of consumers say world cuisine meals at home can feel as special as eating out
    • Graph 16: attitudes related to world cuisines, 2025
    • Cost-conscious shoppers turn to meals at home
    • Tips for enhancing at-home meals will resonate
    • Indulgent flavours and textures can help elevate world cuisine meals
    • The strong image of world cuisine meals as special remains one to tap
    • Authentic snacks and desserts can elevate the world cuisine experience at home
    • International launches offer cues for bringing world cuisine desserts to retail
  4. INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS

    • Launch activity and innovation
    • World cuisine offering benefits from premium refreshes…
    • …and seasonal NPD
    • Established players launch new ranges
    • Tesco, The Spice Tailor and Jamie Oliver move into new cuisines
    • Recent launches invite home cooks to do more
    • Sharwood’s, Patak’s and Waitrose invite home cooks to be involved
    • Challenger brands drive innovation in condiments…
    • …stalwarts look to unlock wider occasions
    • Packaging refreshes aim to enhance shelf appeal and reduce plastic
    • Korean gains ground in recent NPD
    • Graph 17: share of launches in selected food categories that featured “Korean” (with word variants) in the product description, 2019-25
    • Meat and seafood explore world cuisine flavours
    • The rise of plant variety
    • Advertising and marketing activity
    • Adspend decreases in 2024
    • Graph 18: above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on selected world cuisine brands, by advertiser, 2021-25
    • Old El Paso supports ‘Street Vibes’ range
    • Old El Paso invites shoppers to ‘Turn It Up’ with Street Vibes
    • Premier Foods teams with Karate Kid: Legends
    • Lee Kum Kee highlights its chilli oil as versatile
    • Lee Kum Kee celebrates chilli oils and flavours that connect people
    • Itsu spotlights supermarket range and new Soup’dumplings
    • Patak’s brings magic to mealtimes with family-focused ad
  5. APPENDIX

    • Report scope and definitions
    • Report scope
    • Abbreviations and terms
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Nielsen Ad Intel coverage

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