Kerry identifies indulgence and health as autumn’s top season beverage trends

Pumpkin spice was the top autumn beverage flavour in Europe, followed by caramel and chocolate, according to research by Kerry

Reviewing nearly 200 limited time offer (LTO) beverages across 12 European markets, new research from Kerry reveals that for autumn 2021, pumpkin spice was the top seasonal beverage flavour, followed by caramel and chocolate.
 
The popularity of these flavours will come as no surprise to the foodservice market, with autumn seen as a transitional season from the refreshing fruity flavours of summer to the ultimate indulgent offerings of the winter months. 
 
Pumpkin spice has become renowned as the flavour of autumn, with its application universal across numerous new food and beverage product launches. Meanwhile, flavours like caramel and chocolate speak to the post-pandemic consumer’s increased focus on treating and indulgence when purchasing out-of-home.
 
Interestingly, the second major trend in the foodservice beverage market was health and immunity-focused flavours, with chai and cinnamon coming in fourth and fifth place in terms of top autumn beverage flavours. Both healthy harvest and spiced flavours were popular with outlets, which called out the health benefits of ingredients, such as turmeric, blackcurrant, raspberry, and ginger. Again, this trend focuses on the post-pandemic consumer’s increased awareness of health and immunity concerning food and beverages.   
 
Other key insights from the report included:
 
Increase iced beverage choice: Analysing data across the pan-European market report shows 9% year-on-year increase in iced beverage offerings. Kerry attributes this to the growing popularity of iced beverages among consumers and outlets launching limited time offerings (LTOs) earlier in the season.
 
Opportunity to elevate offering for Halloween: The spooky season has become its own seasonal LTO window for foodservice offerings. Consumers now expect coffee shops and stores to elevate their offering, with a focus on colour, texture and a 'fright and delight' approach.
 
Future trends into immunity and plant-based offerings: Leveraging the power of Kerry’s proprietary AI intelligence tool, ‘Kerry Trendspotter’, to uncover emerging autumn beverage trends, berry flavours with immunity benefits and creamy beverages with a plant-based twist came to the fore. Further tapping into the health and wellness trend seen globally. 
 
You can download and read the whole ‘Art of Taste & Nutrition’ autumn beverage analysis report from Kerry by clicking here.