Global tastes are becoming the new British food habits in 2026
Asian cuisine rose 20% in the UK over the past year.
Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Middle Eastern flavours have moved beyond being niche choices on UK menus, according to Tastewise’s report.
The report noted that they are now mainstream consumer preferences, with quick-service restaurant chains helping introduce these profiles to a wider audience before they reach grocery shelves.
Asian cuisine rose 20% in the UK over the past year, with Japanese cuisine increasing 36.9% and Chinese cuisine 38.9%.
These trends sit alongside continued growth in Indian cuisine (+14%) and South Asian cuisine (+10.3%), showing the wider influence of global flavours on what UK consumers cook at home, order out, and purchase in-store.
Chains such as Wagamama, Itsu, Wasabi, and LEON have normalised Japanese and wider South East Asian flavours on UK high streets, whilst Dishoom has helped build demand for a more premium Indian dining experience.
Ingredients once considered unfamiliar are now established. Searches and consumer interest around kimchi (+55.6% year-on-year), matcha (+158.4%), and gochujang show that these flavours have moved from discovery to expectation.
The report highlighted that the challenge for food brands is no longer convincing consumers to try them; it is finding ways to translate existing demand into retail products.
This creates an opportunity for ingredients that have reached mainstream awareness but are not yet dominated by major consumer brands.
Kimchi, matcha, sushi (+30%), and noodles (+18.8%) are examples of flavours with enough familiarity to support new product launches, whilst categories such as Korean-inspired sauces, Japanese-style snacks and Middle Eastern pantry staples still have room for growth in grocery.
Two areas are attracting particular attention: matcha bubble tea, which is expanding from specialist tea shops into ready-to-drink grocery formats, and brown sugar bubble tea, which is beginning to develop a stronger retail proposition.
