Best performing categories in UK grocery and 2025 tips as adventurous home cooking takes off

The best performing category in terms of volume growth in UK grocery last year was herbs and spices. That’s according to The Grocer and NielsenIQ’s review of the year. With an increase of £2.5m kg, the category increased volume sales by 14% over 2024.

UK consumers are taking to cooking more adventurous meals at home. East Asian spice mixes, meal kits and cooking sauces have grown strongly (Wagamama’s range of sauces increasing sales by over 100%). Ottolenghi’s sauces launch with Waitrose was also a big hit. And their next big thing we hear could be a Libyan paste called pilpelchuma – a blend of roasted peppers, garlic, cumin, and a fiery hit of chilli. Tipped as the next harissa, look out for that one.

Meanwhile Japanese cuisine is rising in popularity, especially with younger consumers. Mintel’s analysis reveals that 18% of all UK consumers have eaten at (or ordered takeaway from) Japanese restaurants, while double that number (36%) of Gen Z consumers have done so. Mintel’s tips for new flavours we will be trying over 2025 include yuzu kosho – a fermented paste made from yuzu peel, chilli peppers and salt – and miso caramel, a savoury umami + sweet blend for adventurous palates!

The covid pandemic may thankfully be well behind us, but it seems that the boost to home cooking in the earlier part of the decade has now taken hold, especially as consumers look to replicate quality eating out experiences with lower cost but still exciting flavours cooked at home while budgets remain tight.

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