Just Eat, the UK’s largest on-demand delivery service, today unveils its Food Trends Report.
The report takes a deep dive into the nation’s 2024 ordering habits to find the food crazes that have had the most impact on our cravings. It also features the Takeaway Trend Barometer, with food futurologist Dr Morgaine Gaye predicting ‘What’s Hot’ and ‘What’s Not’ for the year ahead.
The report reveals this year’s takeaway orders are heavily influenced by TikTok, with half of Brits (49%) admitting their meals are decided by what they see online. This is also true for when it comes to ordering groceries for delivery, with more than half of us (55%) confessing to purchasing trending ingredients or products for delivery because we saw influencers talking about them on social media. The viralTikTok cucumber salad trendalone made sales of cucumbers double on Just Eat, while sales of Co-op salad tomatoes have soared by 103% compared to 2023 thanks to theviral tomato toast.
From the Clean Girl Matcha to Britcore Sausage Rolls or a Boba for a Little Treat, here’s the lowdown on the social trends that have the nation hungry for Just Eat:
The Just Eat Food Trends Report – 2024
Britcore
2024 saw the long-awaited Oasis reunion, and Britcore quickly took over our social feeds. So much so that it made us nostalgic for British institutions like Greggs, as sausage rolls are a bestselling lunch item on Just Eat.
‘Clean Girl’
First came ‘cottagecore’, then ‘indie sleaze’, and now: ‘Clean Girl’. With this latest era taking TikTok by storm, it’s no surprise that almost two thirds of Brits (62%) admit that they’re trying to eat ‘cleaner’. The key components to the clean girl diet have taken off: orders of matcha on Just Eat have surged by 20% and salmon poke bowls by 56%, while brands such as Tossed have seen a 236% growth in orders.
Plant-Based Fast Food
The ‘Vegan’ TikTok tag boasts over 281M videos – so it’s unsurprising that more than half (64%) of orders on Just Eat are now vegetarian or vegan. While less than one in 10 of us (5%) are fully-fledged herbivores, a quarter (25%) of women have admitted to trying a ‘flexitarian’ lifestyle, ordering meat-free options where they can. Greggs’ vegan sausage roll, McDonald’s McPlant Burger, and KFC’s vegan burger are amongst the most popular vegetarian or vegan orders on Just Eat.
‘Little Treat’ Culture
Brits love a ‘little treat’, as we indulge in small sweet items such as coffees, pastries and cakes. Bubble tea brand Chatime has seen a 371% growth in orders on Just Eat since 2023, with both strawberry and black sugar flavours increasing in popularity. 55% of consumers think that coffee or a pastry is the perfect option for a mid-morning treat, while a third (36%) of us admit that having a sweet treat brightens up our day.
Claire Pointon, UK & Ireland Managing Director at Just Eat, says:
“The launch of our Food Trends Reports perfectly sums up what people have been craving and ordering from us this year. From poke bowls to sausage rolls, our customers can be confident that Just Eat can deliver whatever craving the latest trends are serving up.”
So what does this mean for the year ahead? Dr Morgaine Gaye, Food Futurologist, unearths what we can expect to see – and eat – in 2025 and beyond:
2025’s Takeaway Trend Barometer
Hot:
- Girl Dinner 2.0: Also called “Girl Dinner Deluxe” or “Fancy Girl Dinner”, this has emerged as an evolution of the original Girl Dinner trend. The new version maintains the casual, snacky nature but with more sophisticated ingredients and aesthetically pleasing presentation – a more intentional, treat-yourself approach; often presented as self-care rather than just a thrown-together meal. Think beautiful small bowls of artisanal nibbles, olives, gourmet cheeses, premium crackers and luxury deli finds.
- The nostalgia continues:Making the old new again will be a hit in 2025. The news agenda has been heavy in 2024, and nostalgia gives us the familiar ‘hug’ of the illusionary ‘good times’! We will see a revival of traditional puddings and biscuits with a modern twist. Think Black Forest Gateaux, Jam Roly Poly and Jaffa Cakes, as well as heritage recipes with local ingredients being revived such as gooseberries, cobnuts and black pudding.
- Immunity:Foods ‘with added protein’ have been all the rage in recent years, and came into their own in 2024. But next year our priority will be our immune status, and how resilient we are to deal with what’s coming. From yoghurts and smoothies to sweet treats and drinks, the addition of immune-boosting ingredients will be promoted in everything.
Not:
- Less is more: We’ve already seen the demise of the 3 meals a day as we opt for afternoon pick-me-ups, on-the-go snacks, and ‘girl dinner’, and in 2025 we will also see the decline of big meals. The grazing trend of eating little and often, seems to be a growing cultural preference. Smaller quality meals will be more desirable than super-sized consumption.
- Bye bye booze: Alcohol is becoming less popular with each generation, so we expect to see the continued rise of non-alcoholic botanicals, non-seccos and alcohol-free alternatives. Goodbye to big, boozy events for freshers and the under-40s!
- Demure desserts:Gone are the days of elaborate cakes and desserts, from sky-high scoops of ice cream to decadent chocolate puddings. With decreasing social media appeal, consumers are shifting towards more sustainable, and less wasteful, presentations. Quality is overtaking spectacle.
Food Futurologist Dr Morgaine Gaye said:“2025 is going to be a time to protect ourselves mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The main themes for the year ahead will revolve around wellness, as we lean into self-care and new ways to bring back nostalgic items from the past. We can expect to be eating smaller meals more often with a focus on making the everyday more luxe. As ever, we will get inspiration from the digital and share our own food-finds and aspirations through social platforms”.
