Matt Preston predicts the food trends we’ll be eating in 2026 - Food Files

Mar 16, 2026

I’m just back from a whirlwind trip to Dubai and London – two cities that obsess over the latest trends – which got me thinking about the biggest food and eating trends for 2026. Here are my predictions.

Sustainable out, regenerative farming in

It is a big call, but ‘sustainability’ might be becoming less of the holy grail it once was. Along with a stalling interest for vegan options and ‘fake meat’, the new buzzword pushing out sustainability is ’regenerative’. Unilever, PepsiCo and Nestlé are pushing into the agribusiness space with regenerative projects, but what it means in measurable benefits in terms of soil health, agricultural practices and sustainable business is not yet carved in stone.

Experience over things

There’s talk of a shift in how the super-rich express their status, and it’s good news for the world’s best restaurants. Now that luxury brands have stores around the world and offer goods online to anyone who can afford them, this makes them seem less exclusive. Instead, the uber rich are spending big on exclusive luxury experiences. This could be a box at a World Cup or a Wimbledon final, a superyacht for Monaco’s Grand Prix, a suite at the latest White Lotus hotel, or a near-impossible booking at an exclusive restaurant.

Kids eating better

US pundits are predicting that parents will focus more on what they’re feeding their kids, spending less on junk food and sugary soft drinks and more on food that offers better nutrition, or is sold with added vitamins, minerals and protein. A recent report by Renub Research predicts the US kids’ food and beverage market will surpass $100bn value by 2033, up from $57bn in 2024.

Kids' bolognese

Nervous dining

Diners in a nervous world who worry about climate change, their health and supply chain disruptions from wars and tariffs are increasingly looking for reassurance from food. That’s the conclusion of MINTEL’s 2026 Global Food & Drink Predictions report. This is presenting in trends like the growth of ‘heritage cooking’, offering the reassurance of nostalgia and a perceived historical honesty people crave in uncertain times. US sales of chilli dogs and pot roasts are predicted to boom. We’ve seen this here with retro revivals like prawn cocktails, creamy chicken and prawn dishes and chow mein. Also expect to see more retro-style packaging.

Chow mein

In the UK, this has seen the rebirth of smart pubs like The Devonshire, and the Michelin-starred Kerfield Arms and Harwood Arms, offering modern takes on classic pub dishes. Maybe Manu Feildel is on to something with his bistro at the Red Lion Hotel in Sydney’s Rozelle. If he wanted to be sure, he should serve rotisserie chicken, as it’s the hottest item at two of the world’s coolest venues. The achingly hip Corner Shop 180 in London has it all juicy and golden in a chicken caesar salad. At LA’s cult natural food store Erewhon, in luxe locales like Beverley Hills and Santa Monica, rotisserie chook is generating more chatter than Leonardo DiCaprio’s love life or the store’s viral smoothies, created in partnership with the likes of Hailey Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter and Kendall Jenner.