The Sharp team saves you time by rounding up some of the latest trends and insights from the world of food and drink. It’s designed to help brand founders like you use trends, fine-tune your messaging and increase your brand awareness.
This edition is brought to you full of Spring energy: we’re jumping on new trends to make your brand relevant and fizzing with the latest food and drink launches.
Staying relevant and on trend
The best entrepreneurs and operators are those who aren’t afraid to pivot and are continually reinventing their marketing to ensure their brand is relevant to consumers.
Keeping abreast of trends is easy if you know where to look. Supermarket trend reports based on sales data are regularly reported on in the national media and social media platforms, particularly TikTok which thrives on viral trends, is often the first source for new product crazes – think Little Moons, Prime and Dubai Chocolate.
If you’re lucky, you might even be part of a consumer trend – could it be that you’ve noticed a surge in sales of a particular product? Could this be related to a social media movement?
Here are just a few of the trends we’re currently tracking:
Orange is the new Black
The Sunday Times Style Barometer headlined with this recently calling out the style set’s obsession with bright orange.
Our take? Matching your menu to your wardrobe with a curation of orange coloured or orange flavoured food and drink.
Fever-Tree’s new Blood Orange Ginger Beer is set to be the new sip of the summer for those wishing to go the extra mile and co-ordinate their outfit with their drink in hand for a truly zesty affair.
Who doesn’t’ love a bit of Orange? chorused the whole SHARP team.
Full Fat Milk rises to the top
We’ve noticed a growing popularity of “gold top” style Jersey milk among younger consumers and TikTok is helping drive renewed interest in richer, full-fat dairy drinks. Supermarkets like Tesco and Waitrose are reporting increased sales of full fat milk in the first few months of 2026.
Driven by the consumer recognition that minimally processed, whole foods are better for long term health and nutrition, full fat natural, high-quality dairy is now back in demand.
Rob Yates, Managing Director of Tom Parker Creamery, the premium dairy brand which recently introduced Unhomogenised Whole Milk, a traditional style of free-range full-fat milk where the cream naturally rises to the top, explains:
“For years milk was caught up in the low-fat conversation, but what we’re seeing now is a new generation rediscovering that milk is a natural, nutrient-rich food.
“Milk like Tom Parker Creamery Unhomogenised Whole Milk keeps its natural character. Because it’s unhomogenised, the cream rises to the top, giving it that richer texture and flavour people are now talking about online.”
He adds that social media is helping younger consumers reconnect with traditional dairy products valued for their quality and taste:
“Chefs and baristas have always appreciated whole milk because it performs better in coffee and cooking. What’s interesting is seeing a new audience discover that difference for themselves.”
The GLP-1 Effect
Smaller portions. Protein and fibre rich options. No Alcohol. Prioritising nutrition. All most definitely on the menu of anyone who is using GLP-1s to manage their weight.
Operators need to take note. Take the fish and chip industry, known for huge portions, and high fat, high salt laden offerings. Now chippies are noticing a fall in demand – Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers and chip shop owner, says that sales are down by a third after the pandemic and farmers are struggling to shift potatoes. He blames the appetite for smaller portions driven by the GLP-1 effect in addition to the cost-of-living crisis.
The industry will need to respond with recipe inspiration that serves up the right fare if they are not to go the way of the UK’s other cultural institution the pub. Inventive operators and suppliers serving up portioned, protein rich, nutritious options will be the ones winning customers.
Says Gavin McLean, UK General Manager of 555 Amanda: “Products such as our Cod Roe which is naturally protein-rich, high in Omega 3 oils and can be portioned to suit offer a great solution for chippies looking to make their menu more inclusive and appealing to today’s consumer.
“You can still offer flavour-packed bites that deliver on profit margins, it’s just about being clever with how you package your menu.”
What we’re loving this Spring:
Organic Loose Leaf Tea
Organic Yorkshire-based organic specialists Steenbergs have just given their much-loved organic loose leaf tea range a beautiful makeover, and it’s all inspired by Britain’s wild landscapes.
Already voted the number one choice for ethical consumers by The Ethical Consumer Society, their loose leaf teas are now dressed in new packaging that feels every bit as thoughtful as what’s inside: illustrated designs inspired by British wildlife, hedgerows, moorlands and meadows.
The refreshed collection includes 20 of Steenbergs’ best-loved teas, with plenty for herbal tea fans alongside classics like Organic English Breakfast and Earl Grey. Every blend is still created and hand-blended in rural North Yorkshire, using carefully sourced organic ingredients – nothing rushed, nothing overcomplicated, just tea done properly.
The UK’s Largest Beach Spa
The UK could soon be rivalling Finland and Norway for their sauna culture and Kent is leading the way with the UK’s largest beach spa opening its doors just a stone’s throw from the SHARP’s Kent office at Folkestone Harbour Arm.
We helped to host the media launch and were among the first to discover the magic of a first-class hot and cold contrast therapy set right on the shingle overlooking the English Channel. Complete with two saunas, plunges pools and hot tubs, there’s even a Japanese Onsen wellness café serving up warming, nourishing bowls of ramen and glass of prosecco to help you refuel.
Our top tip: Book in for an Aufguss ritual by a Sauna Master for the full sensory sauna experience. Aufguss is german for ‘infusion’ and involves a sauna master pouring ice balls infused with essential oils onto the hot coals and using towels to circulate the aromatic steam for maximum relaxation and sensory stimulation.
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