UK Food & Drink | 2026/27
Gen Z Food Trends: Not On Paper
The fourth of our Gen Z food trend spotlights for 2026/27 shines a light on viral hacks and ‘out there’ combinations, with concepts unusual on paper set to stick in the UK
Generation Z:
The New Food Challenge
The New Food Challenge
Gen Z remains the most compelling and creatively challenging demographic in food and drink.
Their influence isn’t just reshaping what we eat, it’s changing how ideas are developed, how menus are built, and how products earn relevance.
And, for a generation fuelled by digital discovery and cultural remixing, anything too predictable quickly gets left behind.
This is a cohort that moves fast, demands more, and embraces experimentation at every turn.
Their expectations are shaped by scroll-worthy discovery and a global flavour mindset - and sometimes that means what works on paper often isn’t enough.
Brands need to surprise, delight, and provoke curiosity through unexpected formats, joyful reinvention and bold sensory storytelling.
Their influence isn’t just reshaping what we eat, it’s changing how ideas are developed, how menus are built, and how products earn relevance.
And, for a generation fuelled by digital discovery and cultural remixing, anything too predictable quickly gets left behind.
This is a cohort that moves fast, demands more, and embraces experimentation at every turn.
Their expectations are shaped by scroll-worthy discovery and a global flavour mindset - and sometimes that means what works on paper often isn’t enough.
Brands need to surprise, delight, and provoke curiosity through unexpected formats, joyful reinvention and bold sensory storytelling.
Generation Z:
Solving the Puzzle
Solving the Puzzle
Developing Gen Z strategies is no simple matter, with Gen Z food trend insight vital to solving the puzzle.
At Insights Lab by Egg Soldiers, we're working well into 2026/27 with Gen Z food trend strategies, helping global brands confidently plan for the future.
That includes what we've dubbed 'Not on Paper' - the new wave of flavour that's about fun first and logic second.
We're talking a space where the weird, the wonderful, and the wildly flavourful take centre stage - the focus of our latest FREE trends snapshot on Gen Z food trends for 2026/27.
Insights Lab is the next generation of food trend service. That's why we get Gen Z.
At Insights Lab by Egg Soldiers, we're working well into 2026/27 with Gen Z food trend strategies, helping global brands confidently plan for the future.
That includes what we've dubbed 'Not on Paper' - the new wave of flavour that's about fun first and logic second.
We're talking a space where the weird, the wonderful, and the wildly flavourful take centre stage - the focus of our latest FREE trends snapshot on Gen Z food trends for 2026/27.
Insights Lab is the next generation of food trend service. That's why we get Gen Z.
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Gen Z Food Trends 2026/27: Not on Paper
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GEN Z FOOD TRENDS HANDBOOK, 2026/27
GEN Z FOOD TRENDS HANDBOOK, 2026/27
What to expect from our FREE whitepaper:
- Discover Insight Lab's top 10 food & drink trends for 2026/27, forecasted specifically for Gen Z
- Follow the foodservice, retail and manufacturing trend paper trails for each of our forecasted trends, featuring targeted examples and actionable recommendations
- Understand Gen Z motivations as they reshape the UK culinary landscape, and how we can help you nail bespoke strategy pivots
Gen Z Food Trend Insight.
Actionable 2026/27 Strategies.
Actionable 2026/27 Strategies.
Stay ahead with trend decks tailored to your brand, packed with real-time Gen Z signals, future forecasts and brand-ready food and format opportunities.
Co-create with our chefs and strategists in energising workshops designed to turn Gen Z insights into tangible NPD concepts, prototypes, and activation-ready formats.
Shape your Gen Z brand strategy with big-picture thinking — macro-level creative input and commercial planning built to drive relevance, resonance and results over time.
Industry-leading Gen Z food development - recipe creation and product innovation that’s bold, bespoke, and built to scale.
Supercharge your marketing with pitch packs, brand-building content and lead-gen tools designed to drive exposure and spark conversations with Gen Z-driven businesses
Experience Gen Z trends first-hand through curated food tours - exploring emerging hotspots, viral dishes and real-world Gen Z dining behaviour across key cities.
Ready to take your
food trend strategy
to the next level?
food trend strategy
to the next level?