Food & Drink Trends Scavenger Hunt Tasks - 18 July 2026
Supermarket shelves, coffee shop menus, and restaurant queues tell the story of what the UK is eating and drinking right now. Spot a council food waste campaign sticker saying 'Food's Not Rubbish' on a public bin or food caddy, Find Heinz Marry Me pasta sauce on a supermarket shelf and snap a photo of the jar, and more are among this week's 30 food and drink scavenger hunt tasks.
Each task is tied to a real story, trend, or cultural moment from this week. Grab your phone, head outside, and see how many you can tick off.
This Week's Tasks
1. Spot a council food waste campaign sticker saying 'Food's Not Rubbish' on a public bin or food caddy.
* After London boroughs launched the 'Food's Not Rubbish' campaign this week to reduce food waste.
2. Find Heinz Marry Me pasta sauce on a supermarket shelf and snap a photo of the jar.
* Heinz has just launched a bottled version of the viral 'Marry Me' pasta recipe trend.
3. Visit a Bill's restaurant and photograph the Poppy Cooks specials board featuring her comfort food dishes.
* This week Bill's launched a collaboration menu with viral 'Potato Queen' Poppy Cooks.
4. Locate the new McVitie's Digestive flavour in a supermarket aisle and try a biscuit.
* McVitie's has released a new limited-edition Digestive flavour described as an 'absolute game-changer'.
5. Find a bottle of hot honey sauce in a supermarket (trending table sauces) and photograph it.
* The Grocer reports that hot honey is one of the top table sauce trends this summer.
6. Spot a supermarket chiller with a 'fridge out of order' or 'temporarily closed' sign due to the heatwave.
* Supermarket fridges across the UK have been failing during this week's heatwave.
7. Scan a QR code on a pack of Tesco sausages – the first UK product to switch entirely to QR codes for traceability.
* Tesco's sausage range has just become the first UK product to replace printed labels with QR codes.
8. Visit a food hall and photograph a bustling counter to capture the optimistic mood of the UK's food hall scene.
* The Guardian reports that UK food halls are bucking the downbeat hospitality trend and shining hope.
9. Find a street food vendor offering 'fricy' (fried chicken and chips combo) and order one.
* BBC is calling 'fricy' the next big food trend this summer – a fried chicken and chips fusion.
10. Sample a super spicy item such as a Carolina Reaper sauce or a spicy chicken challenge at a fast-food outlet.
* Speciality Food Magazine reports that super spicy food is taking the UK by storm this week.
11. Photograph a pub displaying a 'Best Pub in UK' award from The Telegraph's newly published guide.
* The Telegraph launched its UK Pubs Guide this week, listing 44 London pubs and others across the country.
12. Attend a street food event like Street Food Circus at St Donat's Castle and capture a picture of the fire pits.
* Street Food Circus returns to St Donat's Castle this weekend with fire, flavour and festival magic.
13. Find the Sri Lankan street food vendor at Bradford Market and try something fresh.
* A new Sri Lankan street food vendor has launched at Bradford market this week, bringing fresh flavours.
14. Visit Dave's Hot Chicken at Westfield Stratford and photograph the queue or order a Nashville hot chicken slider.
* Dave's Hot Chicken has just opened a new restaurant in Westfield Stratford, East London, bringing Nashville-style heat.
15. Visit the new Korean street food brand in Plymouth (on Armada Way) and order a dish.
* The UK's No.1 Korean street food brand has launched its first Devon location on Armada Way this week.
16. At a supermarket (e.g. Aldi or Lidl), photograph a branded product that is priced cheaper than at Tesco or Sainsbury's.
* This week the cheapest UK supermarket for branded products was named, beating Tesco and Sainsbury's.
17. Find a pub in London that is listed in The Telegraph's 44 best pubs and take a picture of the pub sign.
* Time Out reports that 44 London pubs were named the best in the UK according to The Telegraph's guide.
18. Spot a poster or chalkboard outside a pub advertising wedding packages or civil ceremonies.
* New government plans announced this week allow couples to marry at the beach or in pubs.
19. Find a menu offering a 'Yorkshire Burrito' at the Roundhay Festival and snap a photo.
* The Roundhay Festival this weekend features 'Yorkshire Burrito' among its street food options.
20. Visit a restaurant on Liverpool's 'chicken street' and photograph the queue outside.
* A new restaurant on Liverpool's famously competitive 'chicken street' has been drawing huge queues this week.
21. Spot a 'Food's Not Rubbish' campaign leaflet or sticker on a park bench or community noticeboard.
* London boroughs are distributing campaign materials this week to encourage food waste reduction.
22. Try the new McVitie's Digestive flavour and share a short video review.
* A new McVitie's Digestive flavour has been spotted on shelves this week and is being called a game-changer.
23. At a supermarket, compare the price of Heinz ketchup with a cheaper own-brand version and note the difference.
* Following the report on the cheapest supermarket for branded products, this task highlights cost-of-living choices.
24. Photograph a pub with a sign reading 'We're going to knock your socks off' – the promise of a newly listed best pub.
* A pub near Oldham made the Telegraph's best pubs list and the landlord made that promise this week.
25. Find the new Indian restaurant that just opened in an Oxfordshire village and photograph its exterior.
* A brand new Indian restaurant announced its opening in an Oxfordshire village this week.
26. Visit the Peak District restaurant named in the top 10 UK restaurants and snap a photo of the menu board.
* A popular Peak District restaurant was named in a list of the top 10 in the UK this week.
27. Try a dish at the Italian trattoria in London that was named the sixth best local restaurant in the UK.
* An Italian trattoria with 'heart and soul' was named the sixth best local restaurant in the UK this week.
28. Visit the Liverpool Thai restaurant that was ranked one of the UK's best just one year after opening.
* A Liverpool Thai restaurant has been ranked among the UK's best this week, only a year after opening.
29. Locate the new Southbeach Street Food venue under construction in Blackpool and photograph the building site sign.
* New pictures show Blackpool's ambitious Southbeach Street Food venue taking shape this week.
30. Visit the Street Eat event in Rochdale Town Hall Square and try one of the street food stalls.
* Street Eat returns to Rochdale Town Hall Square this week with food, drinks and fun.
How to Play
These tasks are designed for BucketRace, the UK's favourite scavenger hunt platform. You can play solo or in teams, and each task is meant to be completed in the real world. Snap a photo as proof, share it with your group, and see who can complete the most.
New tasks are published every week based on what is actually happening in the UK, so no two weeks are ever the same. Follow us for next week's challenges.