Leverage the top TikTok food trends for your food business
TikTok isn’t just shaping music or fashion anymore. It’s fundamentally shifting how consumers discover, crave, and buy food. For brands in the food and drink space, ignoring TikTok means missing out on a platform that’s influencing everything from supermarket shelves to restaurant menus.
The app has become a go-to for meal ideas, food hacks, ingredient trends, and kitchen inspiration. What starts as a short video filmed on someone’s phone can quickly turn into a nationwide obsession. From baked feta pasta to butter boards, we’ve seen simple ideas translate into major sales spikes. That’s the power of TikTok food trends and for brands who understand how to use them, the opportunity is huge.
Why TikTok food trends matter
Food trends on TikTok can create demand before a product even reaches retail. The immediacy of the platform allows users to connect with a food experience in a more visceral way than traditional media. Audiences want food that looks good, feels authentic, and offers something new. TikTok is where they go to find it.
What’s unique is the speed. Trends explode fast, and brands that respond quickly can position themselves at the centre of the conversation. Whether that’s by creating relevant content, tweaking messaging to tie into the trend, or developing a limited edition product that answers a viral craving, it’s about being part of what’s happening in the moment.
What’s trending right now
The trends change frequently, but some themes tend to repeat. Right now, we’re seeing a resurgence of “lazy girl lunches” – simple, no-fuss meals that look aesthetic but require minimal effort. There’s also a growing interest in frozen yoghurt bark, crispy rice bowls, and 2-ingredient hacks for popular desserts. These trends combine ease, visual appeal, and relatability, the perfect storm for virality.
TikTok food trends often reflect wider shifts in consumer behaviour too. The rise of budget-friendly meals, gut-friendly ingredients, and nostalgic comfort foods all point to how people are feeling and what they’re looking for from food right now. Brands that pay attention to these signals are better placed to meet their audience where they already are.
How to spot trends early
The key to success with TikTok food trends is timing. You don’t need to go viral yourself, but you do need to be aware of what’s gaining traction. That starts with making TikTok part of your research routine. Watch what creators in your category are posting. Pay attention to what keeps appearing on your ‘For You Page’. Use TikTok’s search tool to look for phrases like “food trend” or “viral recipe”. It also helps to follow platforms like TrendTok or Exploding Topics, which track emerging content.
Being early doesn’t mean jumping on every new idea. It means identifying which trends feel relevant to your brand, your product, and your customer – then responding quickly, while the conversation is still hot.
Turning trends into sales
Once you’ve spotted a relevant trend, the next step is execution. That doesn’t mean throwing budget at a big production shoot. The most effective TikTok content is usually raw, real, and fast. You can create it on your phone. The secret is to make the trend feel personal to your brand. How would your product feature in a “girl dinner” setup? Could you show how your snack works as part of the current crispy rice bowl trend?
Don’t overthink it. Share ideas, try things, and be willing to test different formats. Most importantly, add value to the viewer. Make it delicious, helpful, interesting or ideally, all three.
It’s not just about views
Going viral can feel like the goal, but what matters most is what happens next. Did people click through? Did they buy? Did they follow you? We’ve seen food brands achieve huge revenue lifts not through millions of views, but through consistent trend-led content that’s targeted and timely.
We work with brands like Popcorn Kitchen and The Cornish Cheese Co to craft digital campaigns that respond to real-time trends while driving long-term brand value. TikTok isn’t just a channel, it’s a cultural insight tool. And when used well, it can drive serious results.
A final thought
The pace of TikTok can feel overwhelming. But if you treat it less like a performance platform and more like a listening tool, you’ll start to see what your customers want before they even say it. That’s when things get interesting.
If you want to turn social trends into tangible growth, more traffic, more email signups, more sales, we can help. Take a look at our social media services or explore our paid social media management to see how we turn views into real results. And if email’s a focus, The Email Playbook shows exactly how one food brand turned TikTok-fuelled interest into £56.7K+ in revenue. It’s a practical case study you can learn from, today.
If you’re ready to turn scrolls into sales, get in touch with our team to see how we can help.
Further reading
Want to dive deeper into what’s working for food & drink brands online? Start here: