Speciality Food September 2025

8 @specialityfood I went to Latitude Festival this summer in Suffolk with around 40,000 people, featuring headliners from Elbow, Snow Patrol, Sting, and Basement Jaxx. Now festivals are often painted as the territory of Gen Z, but at Latitude, the crowd was distinctly middle- aged, and the headlining of Sting, well into his 70s and looking no older than 50, reflected this. It has been running for almost 20 years and has an established following, so the food vendors know what will work on the ground. In between sets, the numerous food stalls were pulling just as many crowds. The variety was staggering. I passed stands selling Japanese fried chicken, Mexican burritos that proudly claimed to be “banging”, ostrich burgers, trays of vegan sushi, and furikake-dusted fries that were being carried away in droves. Stalls were offering Italian arancini, and two vendors were serving up fragrant Sri Lankan curries and hoppers, which were a favourite with my wife and me. To be fair, a lone pie seller was holding his own and attracted quite a following, but beyond that, the food offering was unapologetically international. Adding to the mix was a fully functioning Co-op pop-up supermarket. It had all the essentials: £5.50 meal deals, iced coffee, fruit, sun cream, and even a live DJ in the aisles. However, even this reflected the trend towards evolving tastes: the only noodles they were selling came not from a traditional British brand, but from Japanese fast-food chain Itsu. Pallets of Itsu’s chick’n ramen were stacked high and being snapped up, which says something about where the mainstream noodle market now sits. This shift at a festival reflects something bigger in our national palate. The British public has grown used to food that is bold, colourful, and international. It is no longer enough to provide a burger and chips; today’s foodies want a burger with wagyu beef, spiced mayo, and OLIVER LLOYD CONSULTANT “Changing tastes” furikake fries (even if they don’t quite know what furikake is yet). The festival field has become a reflection of the supermarket aisle. One of the most striking examples of this shift is the rise of Japanese-inspired sweets. Matcha, mochi, and the now- famous strawberry sandwich, or sando, are becoming household names. M&S has launched its strawberry sando, while Ocado has reported a massive surge in sales of matcha products – up by more than 60% in the last year, with searches for matcha growing by nearly 100%. On TikTok, the hashtag #mochi has over 1.4 million posts, #matchacookies has 10,500, and videos of wobbly Japanese cheesecakes have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. This is no longer a niche interest for food nerds; it is a mainstream craving. What’s driving this? Part of it is visual. Social media rewards food that looks fun and different, and Japanese sweets deliver precisely that. Part of it is health. Matcha comes with an aura of antioxidants, energy, and balance – positioned as a more innovative alternative to coffee. And part of it is simple novelty. After years of relatively safe desserts, consumers want something playful, light, and a little bit surprising. Not only have we become braver with our plates, but our passports are feeling the impact, too. The UK’s “bravecation” trend has taken off – 62 % of holidaymakers are now choosing destinations and activities that push them a little out of their comfort zone, whether that’s zip‑lining, sampling exotic local cuisine or climbing to breathtaking viewpoints. Meanwhile, the lure of authenticity and affordability is steering many away from crowded Med resorts towards lesser‑known locations like Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania, where flights surged by 284 % last year. I, for one, am part of this, actually writing this piece from Kotor in Montenegro! The broader message for all retailers is clear: British tastes are not standing still. From festival fields to supermarket shelves, the appetite for global flavours and textures is stronger than ever. The pie stall will always have a place, but increasingly, it is sitting alongside mochi ice cream, wagyu burgers, and strawberry sandos. TheBritishpublic has grown used to food that is bold, colourful, and international. It is no longer enough to provide aburger and chips; today's foodieswant aburgerwithwagyubeef, spicedmayo, and furikake fries (even if theydon't quite knowwhat furikake is yet) Data fromOnePoll shows that the UK’s small retailers are leading the AI revolution in a bid to save time and money, with a third using the technology daily. The statistics, which polled 300 businesses, found 83% had adopted AI, with 33% per cent using it for marketing support, 26% for research tasks, and 23% for handling customer service enquiries. During a typical day, those polled estimated they saved just over two hours through AI use – more than 13 hours per week. Nearly three-quarters (73%) believe AI saves their business money (an average of £79 per day, adding up to thousands of pounds annual for those retailers using it daily). Twenty-one per cent of shop owners who’ve implemented AI believe it has the potential to save struggling high streets, and for 19%, it has led to an increase in sales. Kate Thompsett, owner of Happy & Glorious in Canterbury, said, “AI is a real time-saver for small business owners like me. Right now, it’s letting me juggle a massive website overhaul at the same time as I ramp up my customer emails.” Kate adds that she mostly uses AI to ‘sense-check’ and proofread marketing copy. “But it’s also brilliant for rewriting product descriptions, coming up with snappy email subject lines, and even telling me the best time to post on social media. This is helping Happy & Glorious to grow at an otherwise challenging time and I’m sure it will boost future sales.” However, not all independent retailers are as convinced by the power of AI. According to research commissioned by global wholesale marketplace Faire, one in 10 small businesses have ‘no interest’ in adopting AI - with a lack of understanding, worries over cost, and lack of trust among the biggest reasons. One in 10 don’t really understand the benefits of it, and the same number consider its use as ‘cheating’. Others fear becoming too dependent on AI (14 per cent) and worry it lacks the ‘personal touch’ (18 per cent). Charlotte Broadbent, UK general manager at Faire, said, “Despite tough economic conditions, many of the independent retailers we work with are embracing AI to save time, cut costs, and compete with bigger retailers. What’s exciting is that technology - and particularly some of the AI driven tools we offer our retailers - are helping to level the playing field, giving small businesses access to the same efficiencies and insights as much larger competitors.” Charlotte added Faire is seeing some resistance to AI amongst shop owners who don’t fully understand or trust the technology, or worry about losing many of the things that make independents so unique and important to their communities. “Of course, not every shop is there yet. Some are still wary, and that’s understandable because this tech is new. But the ones leaning in are showing how adaptable and innovative small businesses can be. I’m confident we’ll see even more creative uses of AI that allow retailers and small business owners to focus on what they do best: curating brilliant products and creating memorable customer experiences.” The push to adopt AI tools comes amid the ongoing cost-of- living crisis and the continued struggles facing high streets. Nearly half (41%) of small retailers say rising business costs are their biggest challenge, followed by reduced consumer spending (39%) and intense competition from eCommerce giants and major retail chains (31%). In response, a third (33%) are turning to AI to save time and automate manual tasks. Others see it as a way to boost overall efficiency (30%) and enhance customer engagement (24 per cent). Interestingly, 15% see AI as a way to future-proof their business against industry changes and avoid falling behind other retailers - both small and large. The data also shows 74% of independent retailers want more support and advice on the benefits of this tech. While 48% are worried they might get left behind if they don’t adopt AI soon. One in three British retailers using AI technology daily