Food Matters Live Podcast 588: Forecasting the future of flavour innovation
Dec 8, 2025
Derek Conlon, chef-turned-innovation lead at Keebak; Stephen Humphreys, hospitality culinary director in London; Audrey Crone, Unilever Food Solutions executive chef; Michael Kilkey, mycoprotein culinary head; Rory Boyce, stadium food executive chef. They explore borderless fusion, hot honey and sweet-spicy trends, mushrooms/fermentation and koji, hybrid proteins and microproteins, seaweed and creative upcycling of byproducts.
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Korean Cuisine Reached Mainstream in 2025
- Korean cuisine became the defining flavour of 2025 because it blends umami, crunch and dairy-friendly elements that suit Western palates.
- Derek Conlon traced the shift from a 2014 bulgogi brief to widespread K-pop-driven ubiquity that normalized gochujang and Korean snacks.
Nostalgia Desserts Came Back As Comfort Food
- Nostalgia desserts resurged across channels as comfort-driven choices after recent global shocks.
- Rory Boyce noted requests for schoolyard desserts and rhubarb crumble even in corporate and event settings, signaling demand for comforting familiarity.
Use Borderless Cuisine To Innovate Thoughtfully
- Embrace borderless cuisine by thoughtfully combining traditions, techniques and ingredients rather than crude fusion.
- Audrey Crone recommends melding dishes like Italian arancini with Asian twists to create meaningful cross-cultural plates.