The Sweet and Savoury Showdown: Festive Food Trends of 2023
Christmas is a time for joy…and food of course! At Ipsos, we wanted to understand which Christmas treat reigned supreme among social media users in 2023, using social intelligence insights from Ipsos Synthesio. Unsurprisingly, each retailer leads a specific festive favourite, reinforcing their unique brand identities during the holiday season, but what makes these treats stand out on the crowded Christmas shelves?
Let’s unwrap the top three food categories and explore what captured consumers' hearts (and stomachs) this year!
Pudding dominated Christmas food discussions on social, with a share of voice of
28%
The Proof is in the Pudding
Pudding dominated Christmas food discussions on social media with a share of voice (SOV) of 28%.
This was largely driven by a viral post about two women fighting over the last Sainsbury’s Christmas pudding. The relatable incident prompted high engagement levels, with users exchanging their own hilarious holiday shopping experiences. Many were able to connect with the festive chaos, highlighting the power of humour and boldness in driving online engagement and virality.
However, not all pudding news was sweet - Walker's Christmas Pudding-flavoured crisps sparked divisiveness, revealing an 8% negative sentiment, with many hesitant to try the unusual flavour. Our GenAI tool revealed that beyond traditional Christmas flavours, sticky toffee and brandy puddings gained popularity.
Let's Talk Turkey
Turkey was the second most mentioned Christmas food, achieving a share of voice of 26%, led by Lidl, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco.
Negative sentiment (16%) was driven by mentions of Sainsbury’s turkey reportedly smelling “rancid” despite being in date, and Tesco’s small turkey sizes. Last-minute order cancellations by Sainsbury’s frustrated customers, prompting some to switch to M&S for its reliable, premium turkeys, which boosted positive brand reputation.
KFC’s cheeky Christmas ad, teasing a turkey burger but ultimately sticking to its signature chicken, struck a chord with audiences, reinforcing the brand’s playful yet consistent identity.
Through Signals GenAI, we found that classic turkey accompaniments, like stuffing, cranberry sauce, pigs in blankets, and gravy, continued to be festive staples, while some opted for more sophisticated pairings, such as fig, chestnuts, and mustard.
Turkey was the second most mentioned Christmas food, with a SOV of
26%
Have your Cake, and Eat it
Cake took third place (7% SOV), with M&S dominating thanks to the Christmas rebrand of the iconic "Colin the Caterpillar" cake. M&S posted about the cake on Instagram, which garnered 5.4k likes, reinforcing the brand’s appeal for building buzz around their indulgent treats. Some users said they were skipping homemade cakes in favour of M&S offerings.
Sentiment stayed mostly neutral to positive, positioning M&S as a go-to brand for desserts. Interestingly, cake overall had very low negative sentiment at only 11% versus positive at 61%.
GenAI identified a rise in nut-free alternatives, such as apricot kernel, as well as vegan options, such as vegan vanilla icing. The flavour profile of chocolate-orange dominated festive flavours, while international desserts, like German Lebkuchen and Stollen, also captured consumer interest.
In Summary
Christmas 2023 was a celebration of both tradition and playful innovation in the world of festive food. The pudding category was the icing on the cake (pun intended!) fuelled by viral moments and relatable humour, while turkey remained a holiday staple, despite some negative sentiment towards certain retailers. M&S dominated the cake scene with indulgent treats, proving that dessert innovation and nostalgia can go hand in hand.
Whether through cheeky social media engagement, new flavour twists, or premium offerings, retailers that embraced both festive fun and quality stood out, shaping the season’s most talked-about food trends.
Let’s see what will tickle the great British public’s tastebuds this year…
Source: Ipsos Synthesio. We analysed 31 brands (20 retailers and 11 superstores) between January 2023 to August 2024, to cover all Christmas food & drink related conversation on Instagram, X, Youtube.
