Food & Drink Trends Scavenger Hunt Tasks - 29 August 2026
Supermarket shelves, coffee shop menus, and restaurant queues tell the story of what the UK is eating and drinking right now. Purchase a jar of Heinz ‘Marry Me’ pasta sauce and photograph the front label clearly showing the product name, Locate a supermarket shelf-edge label or promo bay that includes the words ‘Marry Me’ next to a pasta sauce display, and snap it, 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. Purchase a jar of Heinz ‘Marry Me’ pasta sauce and photograph the front label clearly showing the product name.
* Heinz has jumped on the viral ‘Marry Me’ recipe trend with a new pasta sauce hitting UK shelves this week.
2. Locate a supermarket shelf-edge label or promo bay that includes the words ‘Marry Me’ next to a pasta sauce display, and snap it.
* Retailers are spotlighting ‘Marry Me’ as a viral recipe cue after Heinz’s new sauce launch this week.
3. Find Tesco own-brand sausages that have switched to QR codes and photograph the back-of-pack where the QR code replaces a barcode.
* Tesco announced its sausage range becoming the first UK products to switch exclusively to QR codes.
4. Scan a Tesco sausage pack’s QR code in-store (or just outside) and take a screenshot of the product page it opens.
* Tesco’s move to QR-only codes is meant to link shoppers to richer product info than a traditional barcode.
5. Spot a supermarket aisle endcap or sign that looks newly standardised (clear category signage / layout guidance) and photograph it in Tesco, Aldi, or Sainsbury’s.
* New UK supermarket aisle rules have come into force, prompting visible changes to how aisles and signage are organised.
6. Browse Asda and photograph a ‘New’ shelf tag on one of Asda’s newly launched food lines (make the ‘New’ callout visible).
* Asda has launched hundreds of new lines as it tries to win back shoppers, driving lots of ‘New’ shelf labelling.
7. In Asda, find a newly introduced ready meal or convenience meal and photograph the front-of-pack showing its flavour name clearly.
* Asda’s big wave of new product lines includes plenty of convenience-focused options shoppers can pick up immediately.
8. Track down the new Lindt chocolate bar mentioned in this week’s coverage on a UK supermarket shelf and snap the full wrapper front.
* Lindt has launched a ‘first’ with a new chocolate bar arriving on UK supermarket shelves this week.
9. Buy one ‘swavoury’ sweetcorn snack/treat (sweet + savoury combo) and photograph the ingredient list where sweetcorn is clearly named.
* Sweetcorn treats blending sweet and savoury flavours have been highlighted as a current UK food trend.
10. At a café or bakery, find a Japanese milk bread item (often labelled ‘milk bread’ or ‘shokupan’) and photograph the menu card or price label.
* Japanese milk bread has been described as a TikTok-driven UK craze this week, turning up in more bakeries and cafés.
11. Taste a Japanese milk bread product and write a one-sentence review focusing only on the texture (e.g., fluffy, soft, stretchy).
* The current buzz around Japanese milk bread is all about its sweet, soft, playful texture.
12. Seek out a ‘super spicy’ limited-time snack or sauce in a supermarket or convenience store and photograph the front where a spice warning (e.g., ‘extra hot’) is visible.
* Super spicy food has been flagged as a UK trend taking off, with more products leaning into heat-forward branding.
13. Order something labelled ‘spicy’ and photograph the receipt showing the item name (no people in shot).
* With the super-spicy trend growing, more menus and tills are clearly tagging heat levels on items.
14. In a supermarket, identify a clearly labelled ‘flexitarian’ or plant-forward ready meal and photograph the front-of-pack where the claim appears.
* Flexitarianism is listed among major UK food trends right now, influencing what’s on shelves.
15. Find a nostalgia-themed sweet or snack that explicitly uses the word ‘classic’ or ‘retro’ on the front and photograph it.
* Nostalgia has been highlighted as a big UK food trend, shaping how brands package and describe products.
16. Spot a ‘viral recipe’ callout on a café chalkboard or supermarket magazine/leaflet near the entrance and photograph the words ‘viral’ + a recipe name.
* A survey says Gen Z are ditching traditional meals for viral TikTok recipes, making ‘viral recipe’ language more visible in food retail.
17. Visit a German Doner Kebab shop and photograph any in-store mention of ‘World Kebab Week’ (e.g., counter sign, window sticker, or digital screen).
* German Doner Kebab has launched a World Kebab Week half-price deal, making campaign signage likely this week.
18. Order a kebab (anywhere) and photograph the receipt showing the word ‘kebab’ on the item line.
* London being crowned the UK’s top kebab city has sparked fresh kebab chat and deals this week.
19. If you’re in Liverpool, visit Chick-fil-A on Lord Street and photograph the storefront sign from across the pavement.
* Chick-fil-A has opened a new Liverpool restaurant on Lord Street, making it a timely food-spotting target this week.
20. Find a Chopstix branch and photograph a ‘new opening’ or ‘now open’ message if displayed on the door or in the window.
* Chopstix has continued its rapid expansion with two openings in one week, often accompanied by fresh opening signage.
21. In Bristol, visit the Indian street food chain’s second branch and photograph the shopfront sign with the brand name clearly visible.
* A popular Indian street food chain has opened its second Bristol branch, making new signage and opening buzz visible this week.
22. At a motorway service area, spot the new South Asian street food offer at Sutton Scotney services and photograph the menu board headline (top line only).
* South Asian street food has arrived at Sutton Scotney services, making it a new, publicly visible food stop this week.
23. In London, visit Battersea Power Station and photograph a venue sign that includes the words ‘South East Asian Street Food & Bars’.
* Battersea Power Station is promoting a South East Asian Street Food & Bars offer, making it a timely destination this week.
24. In London, travel to Canada Water and photograph any KERB branding at/near the street food area (flag, sign, or stall header).
* KERB Goes East at Canada Water has been in the spotlight after serving thousands of dishes, boosting visibility of KERB branding.
25. If you’re in Sheffield, visit Meadowhall and photograph the ‘Feast Street’ branding for the Bank Holiday street food festival.
* A free ‘Feast Street’ street food festival has taken over Meadowhall for the August bank holiday weekend.
26. At a street food festival this week, buy one dish and photograph the stall’s printed menu (or price board) showing the dish name you chose.
* Street food festivals are a major late-summer draw this week, with high footfall and lots of visible menus and boards.
27. In Glastonbury (Somerset), locate Clarks Village and photograph any sign or banner advertising the returning street food festival.
* A popular street food festival is set to return to Clarks Village, making promotional signage timely and local.
28. In a fishmonger or supermarket, find a seafood product that is NOT mackerel but is being promoted as an alternative (e.g., a ‘new range’ or ‘switch’ message) and photograph the shelf label.
* Retailers are replacing Northeast Atlantic mackerel in ranges, making substitution messaging more likely in seafood sections.
29. In Lancaster, find a council or bin-collection notice about weekly food waste collections (look for ‘food waste’ + ‘weekly’) and photograph the notice.
* Lancaster City Council has announced weekly food waste collections launching, prompting local notices and guidance.
30. Find a café or takeaway offering a ‘10 course’ tasting menu (or a tasting menu with double-digit courses) and photograph the menu line that states the number of courses.
* A review highlighting the joy of a 10-course tasting menu has put multi-course tasting experiences back in conversation 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.