What’s on trend in British cuisine?

A true taste of British – how can chefs create memorable menus that entice diners?

Whilst global food influences play an important role in attracting a wide range of consumers into your pub or restaurant, the interest in, and demand for British cuisine, continues to rise. One of the reasons for this is the focus on sustainability and sourcing with consumers keen to learn more about the stories behind ingredients whilst chefs are passionate about supporting local producers.

Consumers value the quality and authenticity they get knowing where ingredients have come from. Social media also plays a key role in driving British food trends with consumers being inspired to try something they have seen on Instagram or TikTok.

How can pub chefs maximise sales of their British dishes? We look to what’s on trend in British cuisine in 2025 to help chefs and operators create menus that drive sales.

Classic British dishes

Consumers and chefs are turning to classic dishes from the 60s, 70s and 80s as nostalgia plays an important part in dining choices. With day-to-day life challenges, food can play a key role in bringing comfort and joy. Looking back to happier times and fond childhood memories is often a way to bring comfort to someone, so as a result, menus are getting a retro-makeover. For example, hot puddings can provide a great source of comfort as they bring together basic and humble ingredients with warming, rich flavours.

Pubs are a great place to bring back some much-loved British classics as consumers look for value for money and wholesome, filling dishes. The trend for elevating classic dishes to a more gourmet level is a new way to entice diners looking for something extra special. You could serve up our McDougalls and Bisto Calamari with Chickpea, Lemon and Oregano.

Slow-cooking is another traditional British cooking technique that continues to be popular especially with roast dinners and stews and during seasonal events such as Easter and Christmas.

Modern British twists 

Whilst we are seeing a revival of traditional dishes, we are also seeing some more modern twists on much-loved classics. This involves creative and contemporary reinterpretations while maintaining key elements of the original dish. The trend for reviving and reinventing traditional British classics is also known as ‘Newstalgic’ where retro meets modern.

For a modern twist, chefs could include new ingredients, techniques, and presentation styles while staying true to the comforting and nostalgic aspects of the original recipe. Examples include a roast dinner in a wrap, shepherd’s pie reinvented with different meats or a variation of Eton mess which could see it deconstructed and created with the same flavours and ingredients but presented differently on the plate. Our Ambrosia Eton Trifle is a combination of two popular British classics fused together.

British fusions

British cuisine has historically been influenced by flavours and techniques from around the world but more and more we are seeing fusions of British classics with a global inspiration. This trend of blending British with popular flavours from other countries allows chefs to get creative with their recipes. In fact, the opportunities to come up with new ideas are endless and it’s these new styles that are often talked about on social media channels. One example of this is the Reggae Roast seen on menus in Turtle Bay for a Caribbean style take on the British classic.

Three of the most popular fusions are British-Chinese, British-Indian and British-Italian and we expect to see this trend rise even quicker over the next year. British dishes are often versatile making them easy to tweak with other flavours.  Our chefs created a crispy cod with sweet peppers and a sweet and sour sauce. This could be served with side of prawn toast, prawn crackers or spring rolls.

For more British themed recipes, head over to our website which is regularly updated with new ideas to meet the needs of chefs in all sectors.