A retailer’s guide to stocking pasta and rice in 2025

Like many pantry favourites, pasta and rice have been given a new lease of life in 2025 thanks to the growing consumer demand for higher quality, better flavour and sustainable credentials.
While premium options which demonstrate the above attributes necessarily come at an added cost, many shoppers do not consider this to be off-putting – indeed, if a pasta or rice product comes wrapped in premium quality, attractive packaging it can even be suitable for gifting.

Provenance plays a role, of course, with pasta hailing from – or inspired by – the grand heritage of Italy a delicious proposition for shoppers, who are coming to recognise the value of paying a little more for, for example, pasta made using bronze dies to improve its cohesion with sauce. Sustainability is also a key consideration for customers of Speciality Food readers; while cheap supermarket-shelf options are readily available, by checking out the options offered by delis, farm shops and food halls they are proactively seeking something beyond the basic – a product which will not only feed the appetites of their friends and family quickly, but will also support the environment and people from the place it hailed from.

Sophie Ziegler-Jones of Suma agrees that eco-friendly options are the way forward when it comes to pasta and rice. “We’re seeing a continued shift toward conscious consumption,” she begins. “Shoppers are increasingly looking for pasta and rice products that align with their values – whether that’s organic certification, sustainable sourcing, or ethical production practices. There’s also growing demand for products that support healthy lifestyles, including wholegrain, high-protein, and gluten-free options. Convenience is important too, but not at the expense of quality or provenance.”

Travel the world from your store cupboard

With social media, online content and television shows rich with culinary inspiration, it’s only natural that many shoppers are looking to expand their repertoires. Plus, the Covid-era trend for travelling from the comfort of your kitchen is still going strong, and levelled up for fine food with an interest in products from specific geographical areas. “Consumers are exploring beyond the basics. There’s a noticeable increase in interest in regional and heritage varieties – such as the ancient wheat varieties in our organic pasta range,” says Sophie. “They’re drawn to unique textures and flavours, especially those with a story behind them – including the people behind the farming co-ops we source from. The appetite for global food influences continues to grow, and pasta and rice are an ideal canvas for that experimentation at home.”

With rice a vital part of cuisines all over the world, it offers a valuable opportunity for some culinary exploration. “Ready to heat pouches remain popular due to price and convenience factors, however shoppers are looking to purchase rice types to match the cuisine rather than long grain fits all meal solutions, begins Claire Harcup, head of sales and marketing, Europe & Africa for Sun Valley Rice – a five-generation family rice farming and production business. “Medium Grain rice is growing in popularity, especially for Korean cuisine which is growing in popularity.”

As with many foodie trends, the seeds of shoppers’ rice experimentation began as a result of the pandemic. “Since Covid, travel has picked up and shoppers are wanting those dishes replicated when back home,” says Claire. “Pubs and restaurant chains are therefore increasing their offering across world cuisine, so menus have continued to expand away from traditional favourites.”

In terms of trending rice, Claire recommends stocking options that are traditionally used in Asian cuisine. “Short and Medium grain rices are increasing in popularity, often used as a base for Asian rice bowls, and Jasmine rice increasing with continued growth of Thai/Chinese dishes,” she says. “Basmati remains strong as the UK still loves an Indian curry!”
Foodies are increasingly aware of the potential for rice; rather than being a plain side dish to a star-player main, it’s deserving of its own time in the spotlight – and the challenges of cooking rice well are being overcome thanks to practice and new technologies. “More consumers are using rice cookers or are more confident to cook rice from scratch, whether it’s a side dish or main dish such as risotto, paella, sushi or fried rice.”

Shoppers are shape-shifting

Some cupboards are never without a pack of penne or spaghetti, but Sophie is seeing a boom in interest for more adventurous shapes. “While classics like penne and spaghetti remain firm favourites, we’ve noticed a surge in demand for more artisanal shapes – such as Orecchiette, Orzo and Strozzapreti. These are not only visually distinctive but also pair beautifully with premium sauces, which appeals to customers seeking a restaurant-quality meal experience at home,” she says.

“Pasta buyers in 2025 are becoming more adventurous with their choices,” agrees Sally Assinder of Garofalo. “The most popular pasta shapes continue to include long-standing favourites like spaghetti, penne, and fusilli, but consumers are showing interest toward more distinctive and regional varieties. Shoppers are showing a growing interest in distinctive, regional, or artisanal varieties such as Paccheri, Mafalda, Fusilli Lunghi, Spaghetti Alla Chitara, Orecchiette and Radiatori. Visual appeal and novelty, often driven by social media, play a big role, particularly among younger consumers who are interested in discovering something different.”

Sophie puts this down to the rise of picture-perfect pasta dishes on Instagram et al: “social media has also played a part in this trend – shoppers love sharing dishes that look as good as they taste.”
Sally has also found that the social media realm has impacted the tastes and inspirations of British shoppers when it comes to pasta dishes. “This shift reflects broader consumer trends, people are looking for inspiration, and social media has made unusual or photogenic shapes more desirable. TikTok and Instagram have played a major role in spotlighting pasta dishes that look and feel a bit different from the everyday.”

A healthy opportunity

While a steaming bowl of pasta has historically been seen – to those of us based outside of Italy – as a carb-heavy indulgence, good quality pasta offers health benefits as well as comfort. “In 2025 shoppers are seeking more from their pasta choices than ever before, says Sally, “and health is a top priority, with consumers gravitating toward options like wholewheat, high fibre and high-protein pasta.”

There’s a growing appetite for products based around legumes rather than the traditional durum wheat, particularly from shoppers keen to enjoy the taste and texture of pasta but wanting to up their protein levels or avoid gluten. “Legume-based varieties made from chickpeas, lentils, or peas continue to grow in popularity, especially among those following gluten-free diets or looking to boost their protein intake,” explains Sally. “There’s also rising curiosity around more unusual bases like chestnut, spelt, or even seaweed-infused pasta. This interest isn’t solely driven by dietary needs; it reflects a broader desire for variety and experimentation.

“Clean labels are also critical, shoppers want minimal ingredients, no additives, and full transparency from brands. At Garofalo we have just launched in Italy, soon to be coming to the UK, a high protein, high fibre pasta with no additives thanks to a groundbreaking production method using only the heart of the wheat.”
While health is a key factor in today’s consumers’ purchasing choices, that’s not to say that they’re happy to forgo inspirational meal ideas; fine food retailers would be well placed to position recipe cards in their pasta and rice sections, alongside other suitable products, to offer customers a one-stop-shop for a great pasta or rice-based meal in minutes. This POS also provides a chance for retailers to tell the stories of the products on their shelves.

“Beyond nutrition, consumers are looking for inspiration,” agrees Sally. “They want pasta to feel exciting again, turning to brands and retailers for pairing ideas, creative recipe suggestions and content that introduces new shapes, sauces and cooking techniques. Social media, food influencers and strong brand storytelling play a crucial role in guiding these choices and encouraging experimentation. Whether it’s exploring a unique pasta shape or discovering a regional Italian speciality, today’s shopper wants more than just a meal – they want an experience.”

How to stock better

The language used around better quality pasta and rice will be familiar to fine food retailers – provenance and traditional skills reign supreme.
“Nothing has changed here, fine food retailers should be looking for several key indicators when it comes to sourcing and stocking quality pasta, starting with the ingredient list,” says Sally. “High-quality wheat pasta should be made from 100% durum wheat semolina with a high protein content of 13% or above, which contributes to an al dente texture and the best cooking performance.”
“For both pasta and rice, provenance and process are key indicators of quality,” explains Sophie. “Retailers should seek out products made from high-quality raw ingredients – like Suma’s bronze-die cut pasta made with Italian durum wheat or traditionally grown rice varieties.”

Clarity around production is also appreciated by conscientious shoppers, says Sally. “The production method is critical. Bronze drawn pasta gives the rough surface that helps sauces cling better. Slow drying at low temperatures is another important factor, as it preserves the flavour and structure of the pasta. Garofalo pasta is both bronze drawn and slowly dried to keep the structure and prevent breakages. We wrap or pasta in transparent packaging inspired by the philosophy that there is nothing to hide and everything to share, and high-quality pasta is beautiful to look at!”

“Transparency in sourcing, certifications (Organic, Fairtrade, etc.), and environmental credentials are increasingly important to consumers,” concludes Sophie. “And of course, the story behind the product – its heritage, method of production, and the people who make it and their working conditions – can be a real point of difference in the fine food sector. We call it food done fairly.”

A taste of the future

Al Overton, UK advisor for IBIS Rice, explains how the brand is helping the category move towards a sustainable future for farmers

IBIS Rice is a conservation project based in Northern Cambodia growing heritage rice and creating a sustainable future for small-scale farmers while protecting threatened forests and endangered wildlife. Each pack of IBIS Rice sold has a measurable impact for both farmers and wildlife, is proving that a different food system is possible and that it does not need to cost more for customers.

IBIS farmers grow a heritage variety of long grain rice known locally as Phka Rumdoul, which has been voted best rice in the world six times at the International Rice Forum. It is a once-a-year crop, grown with the seasonal flooding from the monsoon, which means no artificial irrigation or the accompanying methane emissions and significant pesticide use that comes from intensive rice cultivation. This low impact growing method together with avoided deforestation means a net saving of 250g of carbon dioxide per kg of rice sold through.

The product development for its range started at the soil. By having their farmers intercrop with beans before and after the rice season, it regenerates soil health and supports the food chain of the forest ecosystem from the ground up. It also means that their farmers have three commercial crops a year, rather than just one, further improving farmers’ livelihoods and giving greater climate resilience. It then adds extra nutrition for IBIS Rice customers in additional plant-based protein in their rice cakes. It is a win, win, win for wildlife, farmers and customers, which is possible when a brand operates from paddy to plate and has a 360 view of their product impact.