With garden centres increasingly functioning as destination spaces, catering will continue to help drive footfall and expanding the business client base. Market sales updates continue to prove that restaurants and cafés can account for a significant proportion of garden centre turnover, counteracting subdued plant and core gardening sales, as food and beverage typically has a higher gross margin than retail.
Co-founded by Mark Sainsbury, the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) works to accelerate change within the global hospitality sector to make it environmentally restorative and socially just. Organisations that make the ‘cut’ are awarded the organisation’s ‘Food Made Good Standard’ – their holistic accreditation. This standard sets out what ‘good’ looks like in hospitality, providing chefs and restaurateurs with the tools to improve their business, share successes and inspire customers by serving good food, that does good.
The SRA published a compelling list of trends for 2025, highlighting what we can expect from restaurants this year which may provide inspiration for all those businesses in our sector that offer, or are planning to offer some form of food and beverage service.
Regenerative agriculture
An approach that in theory, allows the land, the soil, water, nutrients, and natural assets to regenerate themselves, as opposed to conventional approaches to farming, regenerative agriculture focusses on building resilience within the farming system – both for nature as well as production.
According to the SRA, whilst regenerative agriculture still lacks a clear (legal) definition, this concept of farming is fast gaining traction among industry, governments and customers. For restaurants, participation in the ‘regen’ movement provides an opportunity to work and support thoughtfully produced ingredients, whilst making a positive impact on nature.
No waste
According to SRA, the lines between “primary products and by-products are blurring” as more chefs plan menus to ensure using every part of each ingredient – across multiple dishes. With the concept of food waste becoming increasingly socially unacceptable, as well as facing the challenges of increased costs (especially post Autumn Budget) and tightening legislation on carbon emissions, businesses in the hospitality sector will need to be more exacting when it comes to waste.
The Simpler Recycling law, which comes into effect on the 31st of March will require all businesses in England to sort their waste differently for recycling. Anticipating this change, the SRA anticipates that the hospitality sector will become more innovative in terms of use of ingredients and (home compostable) food packaging designed with circularity in mind.
Automation & AI
From handling reservations to offering data-driven menu suggestions based on customer preferences, the SRA anticipate to see more AI and improvements in automation reshaping the dining experience. Enhancd automation will also been to revolutionise back-of-house operations and kitchen tasks such as waste segregation and stock control – all of which, say the SRA will assist the business in terms of its environmental responsibilities such as procurement, energy and water usage, waste and carbon footprint.
Health & wellness
Not a new trend, but health and wellness will continue to feature highly in 2025 – especially say the SRA with the “growing impact of GLP-1 weight management drugs like Ozempic”. Restaurants will be offering smaller, lighter, healthier options to cater for a variety of appetites. Wellness trends, superfoods, such as mushrooms for cognitive health and microbiome-friendly, fermented foods, plant-based dishes, high protein will be increasingly gracing plates.
Fast food
As well as healthy, sustainable, local, customers are increasingly looking for fast, “casual food”. According to the SRA, we’ll see more Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) – fast service, casual, limited seating, with a focused menu eateries. Modern (fast) versions of nostalgic food, the classic comfort foods for solace, will become favourites, says the SRA.
Flexibility
The most successful food and beverage businesses in the years ahead will be those who find innovate ways to become more flexible and adaptable. There is much value in the building short, resilient supply chains and working directly with small-scale local growers, fishers and producers to enable the provision of shorter, more agile menus that can adapt quickly to ingredient availability.
Restaurants themselves are also evolving, explains the SRA. Food trucks, pop-ups are becoming more propular and part of a restaurant’s armoury to test new offerings “without taking the financial leap of opening a physical, full-service site”.
So called ‘Ghost kitchens’ that only handle takeaway orders are also gaining traction, being more cost-effective.
Go your own way
Carving out one’s own path, individuality as opposed to serving (globally) standardised dishes, local ingredients, food that isn’t made everywhere is the name of the game for 2025.
“In 2025, we hope to see more rebel chefs carving out their own path, rather than regurgitating more iterations of the same tired dishes,” states the SRA. They advise for more diversity in menus, ingredients and culinary traditions unique to the area, heritage ingredients, invasive species that pose a threat to local ecosystems – but above all, make your menus your own.
The personal touch
To stand out from the crowd, the SRA advise restaurants to create memorable dining experiences by leveraging provenance, storytelling, and personalised touches. Arming front of house will the right information to ensure they can adapt and capitalise on sales opportunities by capturing “individual customer histories” on digital ordering systems. Small gestures such as noting that a regular client is a vegetarian and hence offering the vegetarian options without them having to ask, helps to make customers feel valued.
Community
In an increasingly isolated society, there a need for restaurants to act as community hubs says the SRA. “Fostering a sense of community by engaging with local activities, hosting events, hiring local people and working in collaboration with other local businesses will boost reputation and build customer loyalty, helping restaurants to thrive,” states the SRA. In addition the organisation of community events such as book club, cooking classes, donating excess food to a local shelter – all of which will benefit both the community as well as your cafe/restaurant.