Christmas is one of the biggest opportunities in the foodservice calender, bringing customers together over food, drinks and a little festive indulgence. But as tastes continue to evolve, Christmas menus are moving beyond the traditional turkey dinner. In 2026, we can expect operators to put a fresh spin on familiar favourites, create more opportunities for sharing and embrace flexible menu choices.

Load it up

Loaded dishes continue to give operators a simple way to turn familiar menu favourites into something visually exciting. Think loaded fries, stacked burger, fully loaded hot dogs and generously topped sharing dishes.

The beauty of ‘load it up’ is its versatility. You can take an existing menu favourite and give it a Christmas makover without completely reinventing your menu.

Why is it trending?

Consumers are increasingly looking for food that delivers on value and experience. In a cost – conscious environment, a dish that looks generous and can make customers feel they are getting more for their money.

Sharing is the real christmas spirit

Christmas is all about bringing people together, and the food on the table should reflect that. Sharing boards, platters and small plates are a fantastic way to encourage customers to try different flavours while creating a more social dining experience.

A festive sharing board could feature bratwurst, Nurnberger sausages, pigs in blankets, pretzels, pickles and a selection of mustards and dips.

Why is it trending?

Sharing creates a more social dining experience. Bidfood found that 68% of consumers are likely to try new dishes as part of sharing platter, while 60% would try them as a group sharing dish.

NEWSTOLGIA

Take something customers already love and give it a modern twist. That is the idea behind newstalgia.

For example, Pigs in blankets transformed into a sharing dish, stuffing used as a topping or a traditional sausage and mash given a premium upgrade.

Why is it trending?

People still want the comfort of familiar Christmas flavours, but they also want something new. Booker identifies newstalgia as a Key Christmas 2026 trend, with consumers looking for familiar favourites presented in more exciting ways.

SWEET, SAVOURY AND UNEXPECTED FLAVOUR COMBINATIONS

Customers are open to experimentation! Research from Ocado found that 53% of Brits are open to trying non-traditional food at Christmas, while 25% said they planned to add trending foods or flavours to their festive menus.

For example, a pork Bratwurst paired with Apple and Cranberry relish can bring a festive sweetness to a traditionally savoury dish

Why is it trending?

Consumers are actively looking for new food experiences. Mintel research highlighted by Food Navigator found that around 70% enjoy food and drink that provides new experiences, while flavour experimentation and global influences continue to grow.

FLEXITARIAN BEHAVIOUR

Flexitarian eating is becoming increasingly mainstream, meaning customers aren’t necessarily giving up meat – they are simply eating more plant based food alongside it.

For Christmas menus, that could mean offering an exciting plant based bratwurst, festive hotdog or loaded fries alongside your meat options.

Why is it trending?

The number of UK consumers describing themselves as a flexitarian increased from 5% in 2021 to 8.5% in 2025. The trend is driven by a desire for moderation, affordability and more variety.