Kerry Taste & Nutrition has released its ‘Art of Taste’ report providing a view of 2020 trends in the festive beverage market across brands in the UK and Europe. Looking at almost 100 limited time offerings (LTOs) across 7 European markets, the research shows gingerbread to be the most popular flavour, followed by salted caramel.
The top three trends identified in the report were: premium indulgence, nostalgia and plant-based products. Bakery-inspired beverages are the most popular, although the nostalgic flavours of gingerbread, eggnog and marshmallow are also popular in the UK, in addition to many outlets offering plant-based milks and vegan alternatives to their festive beverages.
Karl Buiks, VP for Foodservice, Marketing & Strategic Planning, Kerry Taste & Nutrition, said: “As the foodservice industry goes through a period of momentous change, this market analysis highlights the fantastic opportunities that exist for foodservice operators to unlock consumer demand during this unprecedented season.”
The report’s predictions for next year’s festive season include an increased emphasis on social media, with more visually appealing beverages gaining an advantage on image sharing platforms. It also suggests brand partnerships will be valuable to promoting seasonal offerings, and that nostalgia and comfort will continue to be important to consumers.
Conor Keville, Foodservice Assistant Marketing Manager at Kerry Taste & Nutrition, adds: “Available from the beginning of November, festive limited time offering beverages appear frequently on menus and they remain popular with consumers around the world.
“Given the opportunity the seasonal festive beverage market continues to deliver for foodservice brands, we really wanted to help our customers understand the favourite festive flavours and growing trends and in turn be able to evolve their businesses to meet consumers’ changing expectations.”
