From regional East Asian noodles to irresistible snacks, the UK's summer dining trends of 2026 are setting the stage for tomorrow's supermarket bestsellers. Trish Caddy, Associate Principal - Foodservice Market…
UK
Foodservice
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UK Menu Trends – Spring/Summer 2026
"From regional East Asian noodles to irresistible snacks, the UK's summer dining trends of 2026 are setting the stage for tomorrow's supermarket bestsellers."
Mintel’s bi-annual Menu Trends Report delves into the UK foodservice market, exploring menu trends across various eateries, including full-service restaurants, limited-service restaurants (QSRs like coffee shops, fast food outlets and takeaways), pubs and bars.
This edition identifies five key cuisine trends shaping the Spring/Summer 2026 season. We leverage a combination of data sources for these insights, including:
Consumer data from the UK foodservice market: this data focuses on people who have eaten out or ordered takeaway in the last month.
Social media trends: this data analyses online conversations to understand consumer preferences and emerging interests.
Google Trends: this data identifies search patterns related to food trends.
New food product retail launches: this data tracks new products hitting the shelves to understand the trends within the retail landscape.
Analyst observations of innovation and launches: our experts provide qualitative insights based on their observations of the market.
By combining data from both foodservice and retail sectors, along with social media trends and industry innovation, this Report provides a comprehensive view for both foodservice operators and food manufacturers.
Mintel’s Pick of the Trends
Regional Noodles: Chinese and Taiwanese cuisines already have strong penetration in the UK, creating a large platform for more regional and specialist dishes to emerge.
Regional Asian noodles are moving from authentic, specialist dishes into simplified, scalable formats for mass consumption in the UK, including instant noodles.
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Today’s menu board
REGIONAL NOODLES
Dan dan noodles: the next ramen?
How it’s showing up in the UK in 2026
How to activate this trend
How this trend will scale
RED HOT CRUNCH
Chilli crunch meets demand for layered heat, supported by hot honey growth and wider chilli flavour momentum
How it’s showing up in the UK in 2026
How to activate this trend
How this trend will scale
UMAMI GOLD
UK’s love for savoury snacks opens the door for new flavours like salted egg yolk
How it’s showing up in the UK in 2026
How to activate this trend
How this trend will scale
COMPLEMENT SANDWICH
People are choosing easy, familiar lunch foods
How it’s showing up in the UK in 2026
How to activate this trend
How this trend will scale
APPENDIX
Market definition
The consumer
Consumer research methodology
Supplementary data
Google Trends: dan dan and Sichuan noodles are seeing a steady rise in interest
Graph 1: Google Trends search activity, 2021-26
Graph 2: Google Trends search activity, 2021-26
Infegy Starscape: social media conversations about regional noodles are highly positive
Google Trends: chilli crisp and wider chilli formats show rising search interest
Graph 4: Google Trends search activity, 2021-26
Graph 5: Google Trends search activity, 2021-26
Infegy Starscape: chilli crisp is a popular ingredient in home cooking, especially with dumplings, onions and Furikake
GNPD: hot honey growth in retail launches signals rising sweet-heat demand within a broader expanding chilli flavour landscape
Graph 6: flavours landscape in sauces & seasonings
Google Trends: Salted egg, a niche but emerging flavour with future potential
Graph 7: Google Trends search activity, 2021-26
Graph 8: Google Trends search activity, 2021-26
Infegy Starscape: salted egg is a curiosity-driven trend in the UK
Other data source methodologies
Infegy Starscape coverage
Mintel Spark
Google Trends
Abbreviations
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