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Convenience cooking and group gatherings will shape 2025 Christmas food trends
Monday, 1 December 2025
Christmas 2025 promises a feast of flavour and innovation, as timeless traditions blend with modern convenience, according to our festive food predictions.
Christmas gatherings are expected to be bigger and better than ever, with 80% of consumers anticipating celebrations to be the same size or larger than Christmas 2024, and almost two-fifths of get-togethers are likely to include six or more people (AHDB/YouGov Pulse, November 2025).
Food remains a priority spend
Festive meals will continue to be a central focus for Christmas budgets.
Charlotte Forkes-Rees, Retail and Consumer Insight Analyst at AHDB, said:
“Despite nearly half of consumers planning to cut back on overall Christmas spending, food remains a ‘protected spend’, much like children’s gifts and Christmas trees.”
Meat centrepieces beyond Christmas Day
Turkey is expected to remain the protein of choice for Christmas Day.
However, Christmas Day isn’t the only occasion important to consumers over the festive period, with 75% of consumers planning on having at least one additional celebratory meal.
At these occasions, beef, lamb, pork and gammon are expected to increase their share on plates (AHDB/YouGov Pulse, November 2025).
A strong season for dairy
It's good news for dairy, as 8 out of 10 consumers plan to eat the same amount or more cheese than usual over the festive period (AHDB/YouGov Pulse, November 2025).
Christmas pudding, mince pies and Christmas cake are all top contenders for Christmas Day desserts, likely accompanied by custards and creams, which around a third of consumers view as essential (Sparkminds, November 2025).
Charlotte said:
“Convenience is set to play a bigger role this Christmas, with one in five consumers admitting they find festive cooking stressful.
“We expect growing demand for ready-to-cook options that save time without compromising on taste or quality, even if it means paying a little extra.
“Air fryers will also remain a kitchen staple, with 41% of consumers planning to use one for at least part of their merry meal to help ease the pressure on Christmas Day chefs.”