Christmas past, present and future

In this festive episode of Talking Food with Bidfood, we're joined by Chef Martin Eshelby, Culinary Director at Bidfood, and Chef James Brown, Executive Chef at Unilever, to explore Christmas food trends, festive menus ideas and the future of Christmas dining.

The episode explores how festive dining has evolved, the challenges shaping Christmas menu planning and changing customer expectations. Also, diving into the emerging trends and opportunities that could influence festive food in the years ahead. Along the way, the chefs share practical menu inspiration, product ideas and tips to help operators create memorable festive experiences while managing the demands of the busiest time of year.

In this episode, we explore topics such as:

How Christmas food and hospitality have evolved over the past decade
Festive dishes, products and trends that have stood the test of time
The biggest pressures facing operators when planning and delivering Christmas menus
Changing customer expectations and what’s shaping festive menu planning this year
New product ideas and how chefs can bring them to life on festive menus
Emerging trends and innovations that could shape Christmas dining in the future
Practical tips and inspiration for making the most of the festive season

Participants:

Chef James Brown – Executive Chef, Unilever
Imogen Hassard – Customer Marketing Manager, Bidfood
Amelia Russell – Senior Marketing Executive, Bidfood
Chef Martin Eshelby – Culinary Director, Bidfood

Time stamps:

00:00- Intro
00:12- What you’ll learn in this episode
00:52- Festive game: hit or miss
02:48- Can chef Martin and chef James guess the flavours?
07:17- How has Christmas changed over the last decade in hospitality?
08:31- How has social media affected operators within the hospitality industry?
08:53- What festive trend or dish worked back then and still works today?
09:21- What is a NPD product that is memorable to the chefs
10:30- What is the biggest pressure operators are facing in 2026?
11:21- What is a trend you’re seeing across festive menus in 2026 and has there been a change in consumer demand?
14:23- Where could festive dining be heading in the future?
16:35- Will there be a movement away from the traditional evening dinner at Christmas?
19:29- What is a opportunity operators are missing out on during the festive season?
22:58- Quick fire question round
25:24- Outro