What trends can we expect and how will they influence each other? What opportunities will they open up for the food and gastronomy industry? Trend researcher Hanni Rützler provides exciting answers and solutions to issues that affect chefs, hoteliers, restaurant owners and guests alike.
To cut straight to the chase, there will be no radical innovations or changes in 2025 compared to the food trends of 2024 or 2023. But there will be shifts, synergies and interconnected effects that are no less exciting for the entire hospitality industry.
HEALTH, SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE PROTECTION
The first major food trend is unchanged from previous years, namely health, sustainability and climate protection. For a food trends researcher, the combined effects around the meat product of the future are almost classic. It's not just about replacing meat with plant-based protein innovations - at least not yet. Regardless of individual point of view, the trend shows that the meat industry needs to evolve. The old paradigm of “faster, cheaper and more” is long outdated. „The question now is where the meat industry makes sense and which geographical and climatic zones are less suitable. This development is particularly evident in the changes in menus and restaurant concepts that are follow vegetarian and vegan food trends.
WHAT NEXT FOR PLANT-BASED FOODS?
Despite the fact that some large companies, such as Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods, have seen declines, a trend that will be with us for a long time. In general, alternative protein or plant-based substitute technologies are getting better. The choice of raw materials is becoming more diverse and sustainable. In terms of taste, texture and organoleptic qualities, they are becoming more and more similar to meat, seafood and dairy. This is particularly true for complex branded products, which are correspondingly more expensive.
THE FATHER OF THE MEAT
There is huge competition for high-quality meat substitutes. Similarly, in the meat “grown” in a laboratory in the development of. It has already been approved in the US and Singapore and may be introduced in the EU, Switzerland and the UK in the future. While consumer scepticism appears to be declining, companies still face many challenges in some countries. These challenges include economic costs or political resistance. Furthermore, it is not yet clear to what extent and when this type of production will offer climate benefits due to high energy consumption.
In the medium term, the future is therefore likely to be plant-based protein products (including mushrooms and algae). They are treated as a food in their own right, thus expanding the range of products rather than being merely protein substitutes for meat, Seafood and milk instead.
REGIONALITY AND GLOBALISATION
The second major trend node of the Food 2025 Report covers two topics that at first glance seem contradictory: regionality and globalisation. The latter is actually a megatrend that has been growing for decades. This is rather unusual and people have been wondering for some time when globalisation will slow down, without which there would be no food security. Consumers are no longer just international flavours, products and dishes are important. They now focus on the quality of food they can expect and where it comes from. And the two biggest drivers behind this are war and climate change.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GASTRONOMY
Whether we're talking about cities or rural areas, many restaurant owners, chefs and restaurateurs nowadays take the time to work with local producers and make it visible on the menu. It's an opportunity to differentiate yourself from other, more price-oriented competitors and create your own profile.
Because guests appreciate this, they are willing to spend more on quality and sustainably produced food, despite inflation. Hanni Rützler attributes this to the fact that more and more people are cooking at home, which has raised expectations. „Guests no longer go out to eat just to get full as quickly as possible. They are looking for inspiration, a sense of community and experience. This doesn't always mean eating the most expensive meat - a plant-based dish, an exciting side dish or a unique use of spices can be just as appealing.” This also opens up huge opportunities for the foodservice sector. Regardless of whether de-globalisation or re-globalisation occurs in the future, ecological sustainability in professional kitchens and supply chain transparency will remain in the long term.
FOOD PRODUCTION AND FOOD WASTE
„Waste is an invention of the industrial age,” says Swiss Professor Tilo Hühn of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) in the Food Report 2025. Indeed, food was treated very differently in the past than it is today. Back then, it was important to use everything because of poverty. Today, food trends such as Zero Waste or Circular Food encourage people to take an environmentally friendly approach to eating and cooking, and to correct the huge amounts of food waste and packaging material that have been thrown away in recent decades.
GASTRONOMY AS A PIONEER
Today, there are also completely waste-free restaurants that put this trend at the heart of their concept. But it's not all about saving money and efficiency. The issue of food waste can also give a culinary boost to the kitchen. Waste is no longer seen as waste, but as a starting product for something new. Sustainable food trends and concepts such as nose-to-tail and leaf-to-root are having a big impact on gastronomy, especially in the higher end sector.
Hanni Rützler believes that fermentation also has great potential for the future. So too do restaurant owners who are implementing circular, sustainable food concepts, especially in can score red points among their guests.
The demand for environmentally friendly cooking and eating is growing, and it is no coincidence that gastronomy is leading the way. Chefs are generally characterised by being very conscious about what they cook and with what. Above all, they need expertise, craftsmanship and creativity to stand out from the crowd.
