Food & Drink Trends Scavenger Hunt Tasks - 25 July 2026

Supermarket shelves, coffee shop menus, and restaurant queues tell the story of what the UK is eating and drinking right now. Snap a photo of the new Waitrose patisserie display featuring palm-sized tarts or mini croissants, Browse the frozen aisle at Asda and spot a product from the '400 new products' overhaul, such as the new crisp-coated chicken strips, 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. Snap a photo of the new Waitrose patisserie display featuring palm-sized tarts or mini croissants.

* Waitrose has launched a 16-product patisserie revamp this week, including UK supermarket firsts.

2. Browse the frozen aisle at Asda and spot a product from the '400 new products' overhaul, such as the new crisp-coated chicken strips.

* Asda has unveiled its biggest food shake-up with 400 new frozen and chilled products landing this week.

3. Locate the 'Coming Soon' signage for the new Popeyes restaurant in Slough High Street.

* Popeyes has announced the opening date for its new Slough branch, set to open soon.

4. Find the Dishoom restaurant under construction in Leeds – look for a traditional Indian-themed hoarding.

* Dishoom is opening a new restaurant in Leeds next month, with construction underway.

5. Capture the construction site of the new Chick-Fil-A drive-thru near Glasgow – look for the red-and-white brand boards.

* Chick-Fil-A is opening its first UK drive-thru near Glasgow, with construction starting this week.

6. Visit a local bakery and ask if they are baking a 'dot cake' this weekend – take a picture if they have one.

* The colourful viral dot cake recipe is being shared widely, with many planning to bake it this weekend.

7. Check the chalkboard outside your nearest independent café for a 'dumpling lasagne' special.

* Dumpling lasagne is trending on TikTok this week, and some adventurous eateries may be adding it.

8. Spot a Pringles display in a supermarket that includes a 'chocolate block' recipe suggestion card.

* A viral Pringles chocolate block recipe has been attempted (and sometimes failed), prompting in-store recipe cards.

9. Identify a new plant-based ready meal in Tesco with a 'Veggie Kitchen' label – reflecting the resurgence of plant-based.

* Plant-based food is back in growth for the first time in years, driven by veg-led scratch cooking trends.

10. Photograph a classic school dinner pudding (e.g., jam roly-poly or spotted dick) in a supermarket freezer aisle.

* School dinner recipes have gone viral this week, sparking nostalgia and likely increased sales.

11. Find the new Maggi ready meal range in your local supermarket – look for the distinctive red packaging.

* Maggi has just launched new ready meals, alongside Quorn and Ella’s Kitchen products.

12. Seek out Wildfarmed flour or bread in a supermarket or bakery – note the 'Food & Nature Resilience Fund' mention.

* Wildfarmed has launched a new fund to support food and nature resilience, promoting their sustainable products.

13. Find a pub with a chalkboard sign celebrating the 20% business rates cut – e.g., 'Rates slashed – so are our prices!'

* The new PM has slashed business rates for pubs, clubs and music venues, leading to celebratory promotions.

14. Capture a photo of a pub window sticker that says 'Business Rates Cut – Let's Celebrate!' or similar.

* Pubs are cheering the business rates relief and many are using signage to inform customers.

15. Spot an A-board outside a pub advertising a 'Rates Relief' special offer on drinks.

* Following the business rates cut, pubs are offering special deals to attract customers.

16. Identify a limited-edition summer drink in a supermarket, such as an 'Orange Cream' flavour from Coca-Cola or a new iced tea.

* July product launches are driving summer sales, with brands turning up the heat on new flavours.

17. Find a snack or dessert that uses 'ube' (purple yam) – a predicted 2026 trend, often in cakes or ice creams.

* Food trend predictions for 2026 suggest ube will replace pistachio as the trending flavour.

18. Locate a product in a supermarket that features 'gochujang' (Korean chili paste) – a trend for 2026.

* Six food trends predicted for 2026 include Korean gochujang, moving beyond simple ketchup.

19. Spot a comfort food product in a supermarket, like a new 'mac and cheese' with truffle or a sticky toffee pudding.

* Comfort eating is a huge trend for 2026, with retailers launching indulgent versions of classics.

20. Photograph a new Asda product from their frozen overhaul – e.g., the 'Zingy' range of frozen noodles.

* Asda has launched more than 400 new products in its frozen food overhaul this week.

21. Find a sample pack of Quorn's new product, like 'Quorn Vegan Fishless Fingers' – look for a 'Just Launched' sticker.

* Quorn has launched new products alongside other brands this week.

22. Capture a photo of an Ella's Kitchen pouch that is new to the market – perhaps a new flavour like 'apple & kiwi'.

* Ella's Kitchen has launched new products this week, part of a wave of baby food innovations.

23. Notice a new food waste caddy delivery in your area – typically a small green bin with a lid.

* Councils like Tamworth and Preston are rolling out weekly food waste recycling services this week.

24. Spot a sign outside a council property advertising 'New Weekly Food Waste Collection' with a start date.

* Several councils are launching new food waste services this week, with posters and caddies appearing.

25. Seek out a 'root-to-stem' or 'nose-to-tail' dish on a restaurant menu – a predicted 2026 trend.

* Restaurant trends for 2026 include zero-waste cooking approaches like root-to-stem.

26. Identify a product in a supermarket that uses 'date syrup' as a natural sweetener – a predicted trend.

* Food trends for 2026 highlight date syrup as a healthier sugar alternative.

27. Spot a limited-edition collaboration product in a supermarket, like a brand pairing for summer.

* Brands are turning up the heat with July product launches driving summer sales, including collaborations.

28. Notice a new food waste recycling bin in a public park or council building – often bright green with a lid.

* Recycling services are expanding across the UK this week with new food waste collection points.

29. Find a pub that has been named among the UK's best by Time Out this week and take a selfie outside.

* Time Out has published its list of the 22 best pubs in the UK for 2026 this week, generating buzz.

30. Discover a new product launch display in Asda highlighting the 'biggest food shake-up of the year' – look for yellow signage.

* Asda has unveiled its biggest food shake-up with 400 new products landing in stores this week.

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.