Colours that tap into consumer desires
No matter the age or lifestyle, food and beverages are sources of comfort and connection that provide cultural links, moments of joy and happiness, they can even offer an escape from reality in challenging times, reveals new research from GNT Group and EXBERRY.
As people worldwide navigate instability and digital overload, the GNT Group/EXBERRY report finds that shared eating and drinking occasions are becoming a joyful way to come together, express identity, and feel grounded. (Family-owned and operated GNT Group offers plant-based, sustainable ingredients. EXBERRY® is a global provider of plant-based, sustainable colours for food and drink.)
This shift is transforming the look and feel of food and drink, putting colour at the center of experiences that feel more social, expressive, and emotionally resonant. The report, Gather Together, explains how consumer behaviour is changing and how natural shades can inspire new products that reflect their desire for shared, sensory-rich moments.
Dieuwertje Raaijmakers, marketing communications specialist at GNT Group, said in a statement: “People are looking to food and drink for connection, comfort, and creativity – and colour helps spark those moments. Gather Together shows how brands can tap into this momentum using plant-based shades that resonate with how consumers want to eat and share today.”
The analysis highlights four new trend directions, each supported by an inspirational colour palette to help guide new product development. All the trends are applicable to coffee and tea in some way:
- Joyful Unity celebrates communal eating in familiar or reinvented spaces, expressed through warm, hearty shades inspired by seasonal, nourishing, and comforting dishes. [A home-focused trend, but when away from home, this can be seen by consumers frequenting their favourite coffee shops and cafés for their daily or weekly coffee or tea.]
- Cultural Celebration reflects rising interest in regional authenticity and hyper-local flavour exploration, characterised by bold, saturated tones rooted in culinary heritage. Per the report, nearly 50% of global consumers say that honouring traditions with food choices that reflect their heritage is an important factor in their diet. [In terms of beverages, think cherry blossom matcha or green tea lattes, horchata or cardamom lattes, New Orleans-style cold brew coffee, and even coffees and teas from specific origins which remind consumers of their roots.]
- Sensory Escape showcases surreal, multisensory food experiences that offer a break from routine, with unconventional, mysterious, and futuristic hues. According to the report, 76% of global consumers agree that when something is magical it allows them to escape from the mundane. [This trend is evidenced by the growing popularity of drinks like lavender matcha/lattes in the spring and apple and maple lattes alongside the uber-popular pumpkin spice coffees and teas in the autumn.]
- Branded Bites highlights the rise of hybrid brand collaborations, from retail cafés (Ralph Lauren Café, Sabrina Carpenter’s collaboration with Dunkin’) to limited-edition snacks, using fresh citrus and floral tones to create uplifting visuals. [Although more focused on food, this trend can be seen in many emerging herbal/botanical tea combinations such as mint with lemon verbena or with ginseng and apple, hawthorn and hibiscus, ashwagandha and honeybush, and butterfly pea flower (paired with various herbals/botanicals).]
The Gather Together report reveals how colour enables communities to reconnect through shared experiences that create space for celebration, conversation, and a more collective future for food and drinks. For more information or to download the report, visit: exberry.com/en/gather-together-color-trends.
