Waitrose’s annual food and drink report has revealed the biggest trends set to shape shopper behaviour in 2026
Full meals are increasingly being substituted for snacking foods, according to Waitrose’s annual food and drink trends report, while potatoes are benefiting from a new interest in fibre-dense foods.
The report, which surveyed around 4,400 Waitrose customers in September 2025, found 57 per cent sometimes replace a meal with “snacky foods”.
Waitrose said the finding is a “fundamental change” in shopper behaviour, which it puts down to the rising uptake in weight loss jabs and concerns around ultra processed foods.
In addition to snacking, the freezer is now perceived as “a gourmet destination rather than a storage unit”, according to Waitrose, driving demand for anything from premium ready meals to cost effective pre-cut vegetables and fruits.
“The whole snacking scene is transforming. It’s still driven by the need for convenience to fit our busy modern lives, but now we’re seeing huge demand for ‘snacks with benefits’ and ‘natural indulgence’,” said Waitrose trend innovation manager, Emilie Wolfman.
Listed in the report’s ‘going up, going down trend tracker’, customers are actively supporting farmers by choosing British-grown produce, from berries to beef. Courgettes are also growing in popularity, while cauliflower is seeing a downward trend.
Elsewhere in produce, whole large potato sales are up by more than a third at Waitrose compared to this time last year, with jacket potato searches at waitrose.com are up 178 per cent.
The trend is nationwide, with the sandwich chain Subway launching a jacket potato menu this year and queues outside the social media stars Spud Bros in Preston and Sheffield.
A potato eaten with its skin on has about 5g of fibre, according to Waitrose, while if you add baked beans that goes up to 16g.
Sales of jarred beans have soared by 45 per cent this year thanks to the same awareness of fibre, as well as continued interest in gut health and plant-based eating.
“Fibre is the new buzzword in terms of nutrition,” said health and nutrition lead at Waitrose, Dr Joanne Lunn. “As people become more aware of the link between fibre, good gut health and satiety, they are also recognising its benefits as an economical and environmentally friendly option.”
Elsewhere, from ‘TikTok to table’ may be the new ‘farm to fork’, according to the report, which states social media is the new shop window, open 24/7, to influence customer cooking and buying behaviour more than ever.
Korean, Sri Lankan and Japanese-Italian fusion are among the cookery trends going wild on TikTok and Instagram, fuelling much of the innovation for the new Waitrose Cooks’ Ingredient range. Another viral hit is burnt butter, with one video of a burnt butter recipe by celebrity chef Thomas Straker gaining almost 15 million views.
Sweetcorn suppliers could benefit from another craze online for Mexican-inspired corn dishes, from cornbread to corn purée, corn ice cream and so-called ‘cowboy caviar’ (Texan black bean and sweetcorn salad).
Head of innovation at Waitrose, Samantha Angell, said: “Corn is everywhere on social media and it’s also coming through as part of the authentic Mexican trend.
“We want real corn tacos, elotes – the popular street food where corn on the cob is slathered in mayonnaise and sprinkled with cotija cheese, chilli powder and lime – and the salad version, esquites,” she added.
