How to make TikTok trends work for you – and what’s trending now?

What do Dubai chocolate, pickle juice and tinned fish have in common? 

They’re all food trends that have gone viral on TikTok. 

TikTok and other social media platforms have revolutionised how many people think about food and drink, while boosting the exposure of once-niche global food products and flavours in the UK.

Whether it’s an influencer’s meal going viral and inspiring thousands of copycats, or a brand’s product promotion taking off in a big way, there’s no doubting that social media has a big role to play in what the nation is eating and drinking. But how do trends move from the app to the shop floor, and can – or should – speciality retailers capitalise on them more? Speciality Food finds out.

What’s trending on TikTok?

While ingredients and flavours vary, many of the recipes going big on TikTok today have something in common: they’re super simple. Perhaps it’s down to the endless search for food ‘hacks’ or this summer’s conveyor belt of heatwaves that has us wanting to spend less time in the kitchen.

There’s also a clear preference for cold treats.

Recent viral TikTok trends include:

- Frozen watermelon ice cream

- Frozen tomato grated over Burrata cheese

- Frozen chocolate-covered grapes

- Magnum-stuffed croissants

Tom Gatehouse of consultancy Egg Soldiers says the broad baseline of trends boils down to “highly creative, yet familiar flavours and formats”.

“Coffee slushies, mascarpone soft serve, chip bag sandwiches – just some of the latest in what is a seemingly endless procession,” Tom says. 

Elsewhere, international flavours like Birria tacos and Japanese milk bread are popping up on screens. In fact, searches for ‘Japanese milk buns’ on waitrose.com soared in the last month, up 617%, while ‘milk buns’ and ‘milk bun recipes’ were up 114% and 102%, respectively, in the last month.

“The obsession with milk buns and shokupan (milk bread) is one of the most exciting food trends we’ve seen cross over from social media into mainstream kitchens,” says Emilie Wolfman, world foods product developer at Waitrose. 

What makes food go viral on TikTok?

Retailers may wonder what it is that makes one trend take off versus the many brilliant food and drink products and recipes out there. “Colour, mess-factor, size and preparation are all high on the TikTok food trend ‘tick box’ from a visual perspective,” Tom says.

As Amanda Parker, TikTok Shop’s head of food, recently told Food Dive, the trends that take off on the platform need to be “visually compelling”. She continues, “If there’s something interesting in the texture of a protein bar that can be pulled apart on camera, that’s going to be compelling.

Extremes and interesting formats also help catch viewers’ imaginations. “Things like ‘candy salad’ and Dubai chocolate do well because people can capture them quickly on a platform,” Amanda says. “Anything with a unique form factor or an extreme flavour — super spicy, super sour — that elicits a reaction on camera. Products with benefits that can be easily articulated in a video also perform well, such as functional foods and beverages, which a creator can align with someone’s health and wellness journey. At the end of the day, products that stop your scroll are what work for us.”

There’s no single product type that is guaranteed to go viral, however. “From a consumer point of view, the pendulum swings wildly between the heights of health and accessibility, to the comforting depths of pure indulgence,” Tom says.

Should retailers make the most of viral trends?

Organic trends can offer sales opportunities for retailers as curious consumers look to get in on the latest flavour sensation. But is it worth investing in a trend that might be here today and gone tomorrow?

“What’s important here is that, due to the dynamism and relentless energy at the centre of modern social media platforms, we’re finding that food and drink trends on the likes of TikTok have a much shorter shelf life than trends gone by,” Tom says.

“However, on the flip side, those that make it through the early trend stages burn extremely bright.” Tom points to Dubai chocolate, which “exploded onto the scene, with the impact and reach of the trend prompting a surge of development across both retail and foodservice all around the world. But fast forward only a few years, and the hype has all but gone.” 

But it’s worth noting that while Dubai chocolate itself might be left in the dust, we’re still seeing pistachio flavours everywhere.

“Differentiating fad from future is the hard part,” Tom says. “Not least since the term ‘viral’ is desperately overused, with posts containing it not to be taken immediately at their word.”

If you see a trend that gets you excited, Tom says to consider if the trend aligns with your brand and consumer base “– even if a trend has real legs. It’s all very well just stocking matcha, but if you’re, say, an artisan Italian deli; it may not land as well as hoped,” he says.

For your first port of call, why not try out a trend in your cafe? Japanese milk buns could make for an excellent substitute for a typical burger bun. “One of my favourites is using them for a beef smash burger,” says Emilie Wolfman, world foods product developer at Waitrose. “I load two crispy-edged beef patties with melted American cheese, tangy pickle juice mayo, and a dash of hot honey. The softness of the milk bun absorbs all those savoury juices without getting soggy – it’s pure, indulgent comfort on a plate.”

So are TikTok trends worth your time? They could be – but as ever, it’s all down to your customers and your shop’s unique USP. With indie retailers’ ability to be agile and flexible, they are well positioned to capitalise on a trend should it fill a gap on their shelves.