Learn how to whip cream to use in pies, tarts and puddings
Want to make homemade whipped cream? Fresh whipped cream is the perfect finishing touch to a key lime pie, strawberry tart or sundae, or you can use it to fill a cake. It's also the base for some ice creams, parfaits, mousses and tortes. The mechanics of whipping cream are relatively simple – you're simply encouraging the fat molecules in the cream to join together and trap air – but there are a few rules to apply to make it as easy as possible, and to ensure you don’t end up with butter. Lulu's tips for whipping cream: The cream should contain enough fat – at least 30 per cent. Single cream won’t whip up, but whipping cream (36 per cent) and double cream (48 per cent) will. Thick cream and clotted cream don’t need whipping; they have a heavier, smoother texture. Whipping cream will result in lighter, fluffier whipped cream than double cream. You can whip cream along with another creamy ingredient, such as crème fraîche or mascarpone – just make sure it has enough fat content, or it won’t whip up properly. For best results, the cream should be very cold, as should the bowl and whisk – chill the bowl in the fridge first (use a glass or metal bowl, if you have one), if you have time. You can use an electric whisk, stand mixer, food processor or balloon whisk to whip cream, but adjust the timing accordingly. If you're using a balloon whisk, the bigger the head of the whisk, the less effort you'll have to put in – and one with a wire ball inside will work even more efficiently. You can use a flat whisk or, at a pinch, a fork – but it will take much longer. Cream whipped in a food processor won’t be as light and fluffy as whisked cream – it will be thicker, so it's a good method if you want to cover a cake in whipped cream. Whip the cream slowly and in a controlled way to prevent over-whipping it – once it just reaches stiff peaks, stop. Over-whipped cream will first become grainy, then turn to butter. When whipped properly, cream will roughly double in volume.
Whether you’re new to baking or a seasoned pro, there’s always lots to learn. Here are the tricks, tips and techniques we swear by
At Good Food, we spend lots of time talking about the tips we’ve learned, whether they’re from years ago or yesterday. Cooking is a lifelong learning experience; there are recipe books to enjoy, skills videos to watch, bakery items to eat and social media feeds of flaky, custardy joy to (doom) scroll through. The food world is teeming with ideas – good and bad. As a food team, we have about 73 years of experience between us. We’ve done a lot of baking and learned many things, some of which we hope you’ll find useful. 1. Follow the recipe Unless you are a free-range, ‘I’ll take the result as it comes’ baker, it’s usually best to follow instructions… provided you trust your recipe supplier. Just be sure to measure everything carefully using scales, measuring spoons and measuring jugs. 2. Room temperature ingredients Should your butter be soft or hard and cold? You can cream the former and grate the latter, but not vice versa. If you’re creaming butter and sugar, soft butter is more effective. Softened butter holds its shape but sinks into an indent if you push a finger against it – any softer won’t create a good bake. Put an upturned hot bowl over butter to soften it more quickly, but don’t use a microwave – you’re likely to end up with a puddle. Eggs also work differently when cold or at room temperature. Take chilled eggs out of the fridge an hour or so before use so the whites achieve more volume. However, eggs are easier to separate when cold, so chill them before embarking on meringues. 3. Check your expiration dates for things that matter Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) won’t activate if they are old and lack oomph. That cute old tin on the shelf? Dump the contents and keep the tin. 4. Pastry ratios The quantities for basic pastry are half fat to flour, so weigh your flour and you’ll need half the amount of fat to make a very easy-to-use pastry. A splash of hydration may be needed to bring it all together — a tablespoon or two of water, milk or beaten egg, which also helps to enrich the pastry. The more you increase the fat in this equation, the ‘shorter’ the pastry will be, meaning it will be harder for you to roll out or to line your tin with. 5. Ditch throwaway baking equipment where you can Put Silpat or similar silicone mats or rolls of non-stick liner cut to fit your cake tins and baking trays on your Christmas/birthday list, and you’ll not need baking parchment again. If you do need parchment, look for recyclable and compostable brands. Many people like ready-cut parchment liners; if you’re baking lots of cakes at once, you may need them. Likewise, if you bake and freeze cakes with the liners between them, you don’t want to lock your reusable liners in the freezer for months. Wash parchment carefully after you’ve used it; you should be able to get four or five uses out of each liner and they dry well in the residual heat of an oven. But don’t forget they’re in there. While on the subject of lining, you don’t need to waste butter under a lining when using baking parchment. Technically, you don’t need to butter a non-stick tin unless the lining is damaged. A selection of mob-cap-like bowl covers that fit over your bowls (and can be oiled if you are proving dough) will help cut out plastic wrap. That shop of usefulness, Lakeland, has a very handy set that are microwave- and mould-proof and can go through the dishwasher. We prefer the looser ones to the silicone stretchy ones that can ping around a bit. At a pinch, you can use shower caps though these aren’t labelled as food-safe. 6 Learn visual clues… For example: you can check if your dough is ready to be baked by pressing it with a floured finger. If it springs back immediately, it needs longer; if it springs back slowly, it’s ready to go in the oven. Once baked, cakes should start to pull away from the sides of the tin, and a skewer should come out clean of cake mixture (a few residue crumbs are fine) when inserted into the middle. …Or aural ones You can listen to cakes to check whether they are cooked – there should be a faint crackling noise emitting from the surface, which is moisture escaping. Too much noise and the cake is underdone; no noise and it’s probably dry. Oops. 7. Liquid measures Modern-day scales often have a liquid measure function. Unfortunately, different liquids have different densities, and this means the scales are inaccurate unless you’re just measuring water. 8. Ovens and their settings Read the recipe and pay close attention to the oven temperature, remembering to go for the lower temperature if you only have a fan setting. Fan ovens add 20C and can ruin your bake if you don’t take that into account. Home ovens vary, so use the visual signs in the recipe as well as the timings – don’t hold the timings to gospel. If cooking in a different country to the one where your recipe was written, it’s useful to know if the ovens are different. American ovens are often bigger and without fan settings; in a UK oven, your bake will cook much quicker. 9. Better batter The secret to perfect Yorkshires is equal volumes of flour, eggs and milk. Barney Desmazery (our skills editor) has a foolproof recipe based on this ratio. He measured the volume zof a 12 yorkshire pudding tin and then calculated the ingredients to fit. So whether that’s big or little ones, ensure equal volumes for your batter and you’re set. 10. Chocolate Only use chocolate chips for melting to a liquid if they are labelled for cooking with, or ‘melts’. Other chocolate chips are formulated to not melt as easily, so they retain their shape in muffins and cookies. This is why chunks of chocolate are used for some cookie recipes – the meltiness of chopped bars gives a different effect. Choose a 60-70 per cent chocolate to cook with – the lower percentage with more fat and sugar in it is better behaved in all weathers. If you’ve ever tried to make a ganache on a hot or very humid day, you might have discovered this the hard way. High percentage chocolate can be dry and grainy when cooked with. Cocoa plus chocolate gives you a better chocolate flavour – cocoa amps up the taste withut adding more fat. 11. Sugar science for cookies Brown sugar adds chew, whereas white sugar brings crispness. A combo gives you balance, but a heavier brown sugar ratio (say 70/30) can give you that molasses-rich softness some of us dream about. Then there’s the curveball: icing sugar. Yep, icing sugar in the dough provides a melt-in-the mouth texture. It dissolves quickly into melted butter and gives you a cleaner, less gritty bite. 12. Fresh or dried yeast Barney (our sourdough expert) says using fresh yeast makes no difference to baking compared to dried/fast active yeast. The latter keeps for longer and is so much easier to use. The equation for converting to dried from fresh is to halve the weight stipulated; if you want to convert dried yeast to wild yeast (starter), use 10 times the weight. What does make a difference is a slow prove versus cold prove. Barney says that a method that’s only used in artisan baking can be employed in all yeast baking – the longer and colder you leave something to prove, the more flavour it develops. Hot cross buns, cinnamon buns, pizza dough and any bread dough will have lots more depth of flavour if they’re given a minimum of 8 hrs (or up to 48 hrs) cold proving before you bake them. More baking inspiration Top 10 most popular cake recipes Best birthday cakes for kids 10 best ever apple cake recipes 7 moreish mug cake recipes 15 best-ever chocolate cake recipes
This warmly spiced Mexican roasted poblano pasta sounds like an unusual combination but the peppers and creamy sauce are delicious.
Add some shrimp, chicken or chorizo sausage for an even better rendition. Poblano peppers have a deep flavour but aren’t too spicy.
The smell of steaming corn masa and smokey salsa verde will make your kitchen smell like a Mexican restaurant. Tamales are fun to make and although they take some time to prepare, it’s worth every minute.
Learn how to prepare and cook salmon with this simple recipe – we've focused on cooking salmon in the oven but also included other methods below.
Salmon is the easiest of fish to cook – pieces of fillet tend to be relatively thick and this makes them robust enough to move around and turn over halfway through cooking, should you want to. The skin also comes off easily, so if you cook pieces with the skin on, you can lift it off when the fish is cooked before serving. You can buy whole salmon (especially good value at holiday times), sides of salmon (half a fish), large pieces of fillet and individual pieces. Choose what suits you best. Follow this guide for tips on how to cook salmon, then put these skills to use with our salmon recipes and salmon recipes for kids. Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to support heart health. You can read more about the health benefits of salmon in our nutritionist's guide. What is the best way to cook salmon? Salmon can be baked, roasted, pan-fried, stir-fried, cooked ‘en papillote’ (wrapped in foil or paper) and steamed. The easiest way to cook salmon is in a baking dish in the oven. This causes the least mess and also – if it bothers you – less of a fishy smell in the house. You will, however, need to add a little oil to stop it sticking to the dish. If you’d prefer not to use any oil then steam the salmon by putting it on a plate with any flavouring you want to use inside a steamer, or wrap it in foil or baking paper, then steam or bake it. If you want a crisp skin then pan-fry the salmon skin-side down. If you need a speedy method, pan-frying salmon is much quicker than baking. To make your salmon juicy and full of flavour, cook it ‘en papillote’ (wrapped in foil or paper) in this recipe for ginger & soy salmon en papillote. Stir-fry your salmon and combine with vegetables such as pak choi and sugar snap peas for a high-protein dish that's ready in 25 minutes. For a speedy fish supper that's low-calorie and low-hassle, try this steamed salmon & veg rice bowl. Roast your salmon in this brilliant all-in-one dish that's perfect for a Friday night fish supper.
8 top chefs on how to turn your tin of beans into an easy gourmet dinner
Cheap, sustainable and endlessly versatile, eight famous faces share chef-approved ways to make a tin of beans shine. Perfect for a quick lunch or comforting supper
Beans are a storecupboard hero, and the benefits of adding more into your diet are plentiful. A nutritional powerhouse, beans are full of fibre, a valuable source of plant-based protein, are low in fat and have a blood-balancing, low glycaemic index (GI). Beans are also associated with helping us stick to a healthy weight, supporting gut health and reducing our risk of several chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. Swapping some of your usual proteins for beans can also help cut your food bill (to replace more expensive protein). Beans are not only good for you and your purse strings, but also for the planet. Beans and pulses fix nitrogen in the soil as they grow, improving soil health and reducing fertiliser use. They also help increase microbial diversity in the soil. But what happens when top chefs are asked how to take a humble tin to new heights? From curry twists to nostalgic comfort food, eight chefs below reveal their favourite ways to elevate a can of baked beans. Jeremy Pang "Best served with fish fingers, a runny fried egg & crispy fried salami on top. This was the first successful meal I ever made for myself when I was growing up. I think it was a nostalgic thing when we moved to Singapore, as I clearly missed a good old British fry up, but sausages in Singapore weren't great, so I swapped them out with fish fingers for the ease of a good quick meal!" Nadiya Hussain "I would start with a good amount of butter in a pan, as soon as the butter has melted, add some cumin seeds and chilli flakes, warm through, add the beans and then some curry powder, heat through and then fresh coriander at the end. Best curried beans." Becky Excell "As good as a tin of beans is just 'as is', it's just too much fun to jazz them up while you're warming them up in a saucepan. My go-to would be a dash of gluten-free BBQ sauce, a smidge of tomato purée (if the sauce is particularly watery), a decent amount of smoked paprika and some finely chopped fresh chives. In my mind it's the same... but better! Or… did you mean literally elevate?! In which case, just chuck the tin as high as you can in the air." Matt Tebbutt "Stir through sweated onions, a little tamarind to lose the sweetness, cumin seeds, hot smoked paprika and thick-cut braised belly pork." Si King "Add fried lardons or streaky smoked bacon and chorizo, splash of tomato ketchup and a dash of soy sauce." Claire Thomson "I would make my own baked beans, using tinned or jarred beans. I am chef and food writer though, so in addition, some chilli, and/or various spices, plus grilled cheese to serve." Barney Desmazery "Big spoonful of mild curry powder and a large knob of butter stirred through them at the end. Always surprised just how well the curry flavours work with a fry up or a jacket potato topper." Cassie Best "Stir in some smoky chipotle paste and cover them in a mound of cheese." Handy cooking tips for perfect beans You will need about 100-120g dried beans to make the equivalent of a 400g can of cooked beans. Quick-soak by bringing to the boil, boil for three minutes, then leave for an hour with the lid on. To speed up your bean cooking time, use the same liquid to cook the beans and you’ll have a better flavoured liquid. Overnight soaking isn’t necessary. Experimentation by US cooking site Epicurious showed that it doesn’t cut the cooking time by enough to worry about. Food science writer Harold McGee says four hours is enough to complete a soak. This amount of time does help stop beans making as much foam as they cook, and can help with making them more digestible as they’re activated to start germination. Add bicarb to the soaking water if you want to soften the beans. Just note if you use it, you’ll have to rinse them and throw out the water rather than use it as a stock. Red and black bean varieties like kidney beans must be boiled for 10 minutes to bring lectin levels down. Lectin can inhibit nutrient absorption. The minimum cooking time on a hob for beans that have had a quick soak is 10 minutes boiling, plus 35 mins -1½ hours depending on the size of the beans. Don’t add too much water to soaked beans; it should be 4cm above them in a pressure cooker and 2cm in a casserole. If the lid isn’t tight on the casserole, you can add more liquid while cooking. Adding salt is fine; it can help with the cooking. Don’t add very acidic ingredients until your beans are soft; it inhibits the cooking of beans and they will take longer to soften, if at all. This includes tomatoes. How to pick the right bean for your dish Creamy: Cannellini, butter beans, borlotti Nutty: Chickpeas, carlin peas, fava Meaty: Black beans, pinto, kidney Firm: Chickpeas, black-eyed beans/peas Starchy/floury: Haricot, many white beans Let both flavour and texture guide your choice. Butter beans are silky in soups, cannellini are creamy and mild, and black-eyed beans add meaty depth to curries. 10 of our favourite bean recipes Beans are endlessly versatile and these ten recipes show just how crowd-pleasing, quick and comforting they can be. 1 Double bean & roasted pepper chilli One of our most popular recipes on the site, this warming vegetarian chilli is low in fat and high in fibre and protein. Packed with beans and roasted peppers, it's a real crowd-pleaser and ideal for batch cooking or freezing for busy weeknights. 2 Vegetable & bean chimichanga An oven-baked alternative to the deep-fried classic. These veggie chimichangas are filled with a hearty bean mix, veg, cheese and coriander, then served with soured cream. It's great for using up leftovers and perfect for a relaxed family-friendly dinner. 3 Creamy cannellini beans with lamb Make this speedy supper for two that feels special enough for a dinner party. Cannellini beans become creamy without any dairy and pair beautifully with tender lamb for a quick yet elegant meal. 4 Pancetta & white bean stew Helena's low-calorie stew is a comforting one-pot that makes the most of any veg lurking in the fridge. Pancetta adds a savoury depth, while white beans provide satisfying substance. Mop up the juices with crusty bread. 5 Italian garlic chicken with white bean & rosemary mash A Milanese-inspired chicken schnitzel is served with a creamy cannellini bean mash and plenty of fresh lemon. This dish is easy, high in fibre and perfect for a weeknight treat. 6 Confit tomatoes with creamy beans Confit cherry tomatoes are served on a bed of garlicky cannellini beans and toasted sourdough, making a warming, vegan supper for two. It is a simple yet impressive. 7 Prawn, black bean & avocado salad with hot sauce & lime dressing A zingy, no-cook summer salad that’s quick to assemble. King prawns, black beans, avocado, cucumber and cherry tomatoes are tossed in a hot sauce and lime dressing for a high-fibre supper that's ready in less than 20 minutes. 8 One-pan fish with nduja & butter beans A one-pan wonder where chunky white fish is nestled into a rich tomato and butter bean sauce, topped with nduja butter. With minimal washing up, this is a great choice for a fuss-free weeknight meal. 9 Creamed corn, bean & chorizo gratin Creamed sweetcorn and butter beans are baked in a sauce with chorizo, then topped with cheddar and panko for a golden, bubbling gratin. Serve as a main or side; it’s a hit with both kids and adults. 10 One-pot sausage, beans & peppers The smoky, rich flavours of sausage and harissa in this one-pot are ideal for nights when you crave something hearty with minimal clean-up.
Take the faff out of making marmalade with this treacly dark, thick-cut version using Seville oranges, which provide the ideal level of bitterness
Beans, bar seats and bulk buying - inside the food trends of 2026
Good Food's managing editor predicts what's in and what's out for 2026
Forecasting trends is a dark art at the best of times; they are either based on the past, in the ‘everyone is eating this’ vein, or punted into the future via food industry R&D, hopeful PR planning or plain wishful thinking. Covid, various wars, and weather events have shown that nothing is ever certain and, actually, who the hell knows what 2026 will bring? However, we must prevail. By the time you read this, we’ll be working on the Easter print issues, so we’ve already needed to look ahead and try to second-guess what’s coming in terms of food trends/social media madness/exciting things. We know there’s a World Cup next year and that America will celebrate 250 years of independence, so it’s likely the USA will shine brightly through food (I recommend you read Peach Street to Lobster Lane — Felicity’s eating tour of the US). The Winter Olympics and Paralympics will be in Northern Italy, so that will be stylish and aperitvo adjacent. Perhaps The Flo will be the new labubu. On the health front, it’s all about maxxing; last year’s protein is this year’s fibre, which is good news for eating more beans and legumes and veg in general. Pinterest are calling cabbage the cauliflower of 2026. I suspect the varied green colours have as much to do with the choice as the veg itself. Cue headlines referencing school dinners that no one in Gen Z or Alpha will understand. I asked Emma Hartfield, our health editor, for her take; her thoughts are below. You get my drift. Here are some ‘in’ and ‘out’ food-based themes that we think will play out in 2026, whether they are a good or bad thing appears to be irrelevant to a trend, perhaps we should make a list of the horrors of the last few years. Anything that encourages food waste is at the top. For a tongue in cheek look back, I recommend penknife. Do let us know what you’d add to our list. Food trends for 2026 In: Fresh spins on old favourites Take any dish and reinvent it. Fusion is back, mash-ups are cool, budget and gourmet are bedfellows. I’ll have a hot honey fried catfish sub with aji dulce chillies, coleslaw and Kraft single slices from Good Hot Fish in Asheville, North Carolina (good tip from food forecasters The Food People). In: American food World Cup + 250 years of Independence = American food in depth. Think regional, nostalgia, and diaspora. Yes to Michigan bumpy cake (thanks to <a href="https://open.substack.com/users/357824-anna-ansari?utm_source=mentions" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-attrs='{"name":"Anna Ansari","id":357824,"type":"user","url":null,"photo_url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!19uM!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F31597579-c335-4502-9c7d-d649eae09cbe_1176x1177.jpeg","uuid":"95dbc4a1-a654-4cc4-83f5-385278e2789b"}' data-component-name="MentionUser">Anna Ansari for sending this link), ‘blue plate’ specials, hushpuppies, tacos, succotash and spoonbread. The football will also bring in Mexico and Canada, so add those to the rota. Frijoles con veneno (beans with ‘poison’, aka fat), pozole, peameal bacon and butter tarts are incoming. I am looking forward to the recipes coming through Substack. Please do recommend yours in the comments. In: Made-to-order mindset People want creative choices. Food spots that allow customers to choose their own main ingredients and sauces to personalise meals will suit both the rise in Gen Z (52 % YoY rise) made-to-order interest and those with dietary requirements. Win-win. Hello Farmer J. In: Casual solo dining You need to please only yourself in what you eat and drink (so refreshing not having to deal with group dietaries), so venues with seats at the bar or counter, tables for one or cozy nooks will be go-to hotspots. Good wifi is obligatory. In: Bulk-buying on subscription to save £s From online meat orders to drinks and snacks, ordering in bulk is on the rise, driven in part by the ease of doing so via social media shopping. From Bold Beans to Northern Pasta and Sea Sisters’ canned fish subscriptions, delivering good food made by disruptor companies at better value than the brand on-shelf pricing makes life easier. In: Deconstructed dishes Call it easy or lazy; dumpling wrapper laid flat to make a lasagne or layered in a bowl with the filling, or Polish cabbage rolls served unrolled in a soup with their filling bring all the same flavours in a quicker time frame; and puff pastry baked as sheets instead of rolled around filling is achievable for all (yes, skills are important, this is entry level and we need more cooks in this world). Home cooking relies on deliciousness and eatability first. Deconstruction delivers this. In: Flavour first Your choice of protein or carb is no longer the main hook for a recipe or meal choice. Korean fried chicken could just as well be tempeh-based, carbonara can be made with butter beans instead of pasta, and just about anything can be made ‘marry me’. Flavour is the most important thing as it drives the anticipation of a meal. The market is awash with flavour enhancers from Shedletskys pickle dust and Lucky Mi small-batch chilli crisp to Poon’s wind-dried Chinese bacon and Lamiri harissa, all bought and used with enthusiasm. Choose your flavourings with care and the rest of the meal will fall into line. In: Plant protein The Grocer reports that the conversation around ultra-processed food has had an effect on how people think of meat-free proteins and this has made way for plant-based ingredients with fewer ingredients to step (quite rightly) into the spotlight. Tofu and tempeh are having a moment; brands like Tofoo and Tibah with small ingredient lists are good value for money, and they can be used in many familiar and favourite recipes. Other ‘veggie’ meat brands like La Vie wear their ingredient lists on their sleeves, making a virtue out of what their lardons are made from. Emma Hartfield, editor of @GoodHealthByGoodFood says, “There was huge interest in adding more protein into diets in 2025 but, while protein is important, most of us were already reaching our daily recommended amount with ease. There’s also been concern around the amount of ultra-processed protein (in the form of bars and powders) that is being consumed over more nutrient-rich options such as beans. Plant protein is likely to take over from processed protein next year.” In: Loaded dishes Take a budget base (nachos, fries, rice, chickpeas, baked potatoes or beans etc) and pile it high with different toppings. Layers of taste and texture allow creativity and flavour pairings all in one dish. For a hot dish, either use an air fryer or arrange everything on a parchment-lined oven tray. A salad will look good on a platter, and on the dessert front, smashed meringue or pastry shards make a good bottom layer. In: Fibre Good Health’s launch campaign in 2025 focused on fibre, which 96% of us aren’t eating enough of. Emma Hartfield says, “As fibre reduces your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and bowel cancer, health experts are really promoting its benefits. From aiming for 30 plant foods a week to reducing the amount of UPFs you’re eating, there are easy and effective ways to reach your recommended 30g a day.” In: Chicken Absolutely everywhere. High end, low end, rotisseried (welcome Twirly Bird), hibachi’d, tandooried and grilled. You can’t move for chicken. In: Status symbol packaging Food packaging needs to look as good on the counter as the food tastes. From canned fish to olive oil, chocolates and chilli crisp, wrappers and bottles, designs need to spark emotions and bring joy. If it’s in a squeezy bottle, then apparently it’s even better (no, it isn’t). In: Beans, pulses and legumes Good for you, good for the planet and very budget-friendly. All-round heroes. If you only do one thing this year, eat more beans. In: Not chocolate You may have noticed the descriptions on chocolate bars slide from ‘chocolate’ to ‘chocolate flavour’ in 2025. Chocolate has become expensive (see Out: chocolate that isn’t ethically produced). This isn’t all bad because with scarcity comes innovation. These ‘chocolatey’ products don’t even need a cocoa bean to taste chocolatey; there are some real innovations in the tastes-just-like-it space. On a smaller scale than what’s used by ‘big cocoa’, THIC (this isn’t chocolate) is the brainchild of Danish start-up Endless Food Co. They make a coating that has the same flavour and texture but from upcycled spent grain from the local beer industry — and without the human and environmental costs. In: Thriftiness Excess is uncool. Making your own packed lunch, loving your leftovers, eating messy-looking food that’s not for the ‘gram (how much stuff gets chucked away because it isn’t photogenic?) and not peeling your veg are all good things. In: Swicy, swavoury, swalty and swot Sweet + something else will be everywhere. In: Single dishes (still) Hashbrowns and a martini, a plain-ish burger and champagne, scrumpets and a pint. Pies. Out: Tallow on EVERYTHING Tallow technically comes from rendering suet, the fat surrounding internal organs in animals like cows and sheep. That nice flavoursome fat that drips off your roast? That’s dripping, though confusingly it can also be called tallow. By all means use tallow for frying and roasting; it has rich flavour and a high smoke point. On the plus side it contains fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K and is a nose-to-tail choice when it comes from a sustainable farming source. But, it is primarily composed of saturated and monounsaturated fats, and it does have a meaty aroma. Pick when and where you use it. Ideally, not on your face. Out: Blue food So, Pinterest is calling cool blue IN, but we say hold your horses when it comes to food, because blue doesn’t match the unprocessed direction of travel for other trends (yes, we see you, butterfly pea flower, blue corn nachos and red cabbage cooked without acid). Dress your table and yourself in blue, leave the food in its normal hues. As for drinks, do as you will. Out: Curated dishes with low value nutrition All that fancy slicing and arrangement is out, macro-nutrient but unaesthetic ‘slop bowls’ are in. We always knew brown food was the GOAT. Out: Pistachio We love pistachio but we think it needs a year off due to overuse. The Dubai original is so last year. Angel hair and black sesame are the hot kids now, as is Phil Khoury’s cashew-based Beruit bar. Out: Cooking on gas There’s a worldwide effort to stop using gas to cook with, because it is inefficient (it heats the air as well as your pans), not good for the planet (a fossil fuel) and not good for health (unburnt gas contains pollutants). Using gas comes at a cost beyond the monthly bill. The phase-out of gas is a long-term project backed by many governments worldwide and will take time. If you cook with gas, then the next time you truly need a new hob or oven, that’s your timeline. Out: Chocolate that isn’t ethically sourced Chocolate is rife with human and environmental costs and the importance of giving cocoa farmers a chance at making a living has never been higher. A living would mean no need for child labour or the need to grow increasing amounts to make ends meet, because the knock-on effect of more farms is deforestation. Transparent supply chains and ethically produced chocolate (like Tony’s Chocolonely) sells at a price that chocolate should cost. It’s worth it. Out: Purpose washing Gen Z says ‘no’ to saying things that brands and eating establishments don’t mean or follow through with. Fact-checking is in. Out: Buying lunch every day See thriftiness as being in. Save spending for when you’ll love what you buy, because a meal deal isn’t always the answer. This isn’t an exhaustive list. Please add your thoughts in the comments below. Happy New Year to all! -- Lulu Grimes is currently the managing editor at Good Food. She has wide experience in magazine editorial (olive magazine, Food and Travel and Sainsbury's Magazine), worked as a food editor for Murdoch books in Sydney where she researched and worked on a series of internationally published food and travel books covering China, India, Thailand, Italy and France. She has also written for The Sydney Morning Herald, has taught a course on Food Writing at City University and then at Leith's School of Food and Wine and has published a number of cookbooks. Read more from Lulu on Substack.
Discover how to plan greener holidays in 2026, from off-algorithm escapes to low-carbon travel and food-focused adventures that support local communities
10 greener holiday planning tips 1. Off-algorithm places Over-tourism and fighting through crowds doesn’t deliver a restful holiday, nor does queuing to see an Instagrammable view. Travellers are opting to skip the obvious and find more real, sustainable experiences elsewhere. Travel company Intrepid publishes a ‘not hot’ list, which suggests places that are both less visited and tourism-ready. Popular destinations are leaning into off-season visits, such as Scandinavia in February (take thermals), promoting sustainable development and helping local communities gain a better quality of life. Sometimes all you need to do is move one or two roads away from the madness to a different neighbourhood, or opt to stay in a nearby town, area or city – for example, Le Marché instead of Tuscany. The same goes for picking where to eat. Social media is full of must-visit lists, but give yourself time to explore, ask locals for advice, and follow your nose to cafes, street-food vendors and restaurants. If something smells good, it probably tastes even better. 2. Sustainability No longer a niche interest, travel that has a positive impact – or at least minimises negative impact – is what travellers increasingly want, along with all the personal benefits that travel brings. According to Booking.com, 93% of travellers say they want to make more sustainable travel choices, and 53% are aware of the impact tourism has on the environment and local communities. Mintel reports that 71% of UK holidaymakers are interested in seeing information about the sustainability of a holiday before they make a booking. In 2025, growing concerns around overtourism have made headlines, prompting more people to consider where and when they travel. Tourist taxes that support local infrastructure – many of which have existed for years – are now being joined by small environmental levies, such as Hawaii’s Green Fee. Travellers increasingly recognise the importance of protecting the places they love. After all, if we plan to return to a place, we want it to be just as beautiful as on the first visit. When booking a holiday, knowing that a tourist fee contributes directly to environmental care and community wellbeing is becoming a meaningful advantage. UNESCO has a network of biosphere reserves across 136 countries that are worth looking up – Slovenia’s Julian Alps can be found in one of them and, closer to home, there are the Brighton and Lewes Downs and the Isle of Man. 3. Transparency Hotels and venues no longer put their sustainability efforts in the small print. All businesses have impact targets and they should be shouting about them. Whether it’s an impressive local food initiative, an on-site farm, refillable water bottles and drinking water taps dotted around, or the simple reminder that you can use your towel more than once, businesses should be telling you what they offer. 4. Family adventures and group travel Travelling with older children, multiple generations or groups of friends offers opportunities for one person to do less heavy lifting and spread the organisational (and financial) load. TV shows like Race Across the World have shown that this kind of travel experience can be rewarding in many ways, especially when the confines of the school holiday dates have been left behind. Whether it’s one last trip before college or a shared bucket-list dream, a holiday that will leave lasting memories is increasingly on the table. Travellers are finding inspiration through social media platforms like Reddit, and lived experience is more sought after and valued. 5. Low-carbon travel Travel by battery-run trains, buses, cars and ferries – rather than planes – is an increasingly available option. Many travel booking sites allow you to check carbon scores, or you can use a carbon calculator like sustainabletravel.org. 6. Supermarket sweep According to Skyscanner, almost three-quarters of travellers always or often visit local supermarkets abroad. We at Good Food always try to – it’s where you find a window into the modern food culture of where you are. Exploring everything from snacks, drinks and confectionery to sandwich fillings and ready-to-cook food is always a voyage of discovery. Packaging aficionados may get lost among the aisles for hours. You only have to cross the channel to find a whole new world of crisp flavours, from bolognese to jamon and kebab. Mexico offers the wonders of salchichoneria (if you see a City Market or La Comer, then pop in) and as many different tostadas and salsas as you can imagine. In Japan, your nearest konbini may well be your breakfast, lunch or dinner venue. This doesn’t mean that markets are out. They’re just as worth visiting alongside the museums to catch a glimpse of local food, and depending on where you are, the butcher, baker and corner shop may be equally exciting. 7. Positive impacts Look for local initiatives around keeping the environment as you found it. Volunteer litter picking – whether that’s for free food and activities in Copenhagen, or the chance to enjoy a spotless beach in Ostend – or joining a Waves of Waste initiative in Yorkshire, are popular ways to meet both locals and other travellers. 8. Impactful experiences Experience holidays often include activities like safaris, food festivals and sporting events (the World Cup takes place in the US, Canada and Mexico in 2026), building a holiday around a few hours, a day or a week. In 2026 and 2027, this could include something that simply isn’t available in most other years – a holiday centred around the solar eclipses that will be experienced by Iceland, Spain and North Africa. 9. Mountains in summer If busy beaches no longer offer the serenity some travellers want, then the mountains often can. Whether that’s ski areas off-season, hiking trails or places with accessibility afforded by warm weather, the need to holiday out of the range of sweltering heat in summer is pushing the popularity of higher-altitude holidays. The views are also epic, and the communities and cultures often tightly knit. The Jura Mountains are a hiker’s paradise, only half an hour’s drive from Geneva. Plus, it’s Comté cheese country, which is an excellent reason to go in itself. 10. On your bike Think slower, more leisurely pedalling, with frequent stops, plenty of good food along the way, and usually, someone else moving your luggage for you. This isn’t about whizzing past scenery and through towns and villages, it’s about experiencing the places you are travelling through. Electric bikes have been a game-changer, allowing for hills without pain and distances to be effectively shrunk. Companies like The Slow Cyclist offer trips all over the world, and can accommodate both solo cyclists and groups. Discover more travel content... Winter sun destinations for food holidays Best UK city breaks for food lovers Best all-inclusive resorts with great food Seaside city breaks for foodies
The gifts foodies definitely DON'T want this Christmas
Find out what to avoid buying for a foodie this year - and what they want instead...
Every year, I try – nicely! – to remind my nearest and dearest that I am thoroughly spoilt for food via work and do not need anything of that ilk for Christmas. This includes recipe books. I know that seems a bit bah humbug, but I’m sure that there are beauty editors and gardening editors who feel the same about work-related gifts. A discussion amongst the Good Food team shows that I am not alone in my ungratefulness, and protracted discussion did come up with some common themes of gifts people do not want: Sets of anything are not necessarily good; three hot sauces is not as good as an excellent one to the same value. Unless it’s curated like this Sous Chef Cult Chilli Faves set. Ditto salt, vinegar and flavoured oils. Strangely flavoured liqueurs or gins are also a bit of a shot in the dark, though Ming Tang-Evans is the master of finding an interesting gin, and last year gave me a fabulous bottle of Peddler’s salted plum gin. Oven gloves that are all looks and no substance, which can actually be dangerous. There’s also split between favouring single gloves or a joined pair. I don’t care either way, but others do. Mugs. This is caveated: some people have very strong options on the look, feel and heft of a mug. Anything that doesn’t fit their aesthetic isn’t going to make it onto the shelf. Clutter. If you wouldn’t give whatever it is you have alighted on counter/drawer space, would they? Side note: does everyone but me use salad servers? Anyhow, onwards to the gifting feedback (I hope our families are avid subscribers to this newsletter) and, more importantly, the gift list of dreams. Please do add your own suggestions, both for and against, in the comments. Things foodies absolutely DO NOT WANT for Christmas: Me: any food-scented bath products – that includes vanilla. I have no wish to smell like a strawberry. Barney Desmazery: any form of cocktail-making kit. I don’t cocktail. Lucy: branded glassware! Those gift sets of minis that come with a free glass engraved with the name of the gin/vodka/brand. Sometimes they’re pretty, but still no. Sarah: any gadget/appliance I didn’t specifically ask for – space is at a premium, so I only want a gadget if it can do multiple things and/or I know I will DEFINITELY use it and have room to store it, not just whatever is the gadget gift of the year. Cassie Best: another apron… Emma: mugs or tea towels (these are the gifts you buy people you don’t really know and are NEVER the ones you’d buy yourself). Keith Kendrick: an air fryer. My wife bought me a double-decker air fryer for Christmas last year, and it’s still in the box in the living room. Issie: I do not want any more spices. My tiny kitchen can only take so much – I’m at risk of an avalanche anytime I open the cupboard. Tamarah: any serveware – stunning, but I don’t have space in my teeny kitchen. Anna: flavoured salt sets. (I agree pointless and often taste of dust). Lydia: any alcohol-making kit, rubbish-quality tea towels or miniature hot sauce sets. Rachel: “fun” flavoured coffee or tea. It isn’t fun. Janine: champagne – don't like it, so I regift it. And the gifts foodies DO want for Christmas... Here’s what we are saying yes to, plus some extra suggestions because we are all coverts of nice things: Barney: high-grade soy sauce or mono floral honey. We’ve had soy sauce on our minds for some time; it’s one of those things that such a game-changer if you really start tasting them. Then, once that rabbit hole has been opened, you’ll need an entire library for different uses. Cassie: any fancy chocolate-covered nut – ideally Charbonnel & Walker sea salt chocolate pistachios. Keith: a set of Victorinox knives and a very good knife sharpener. (The jury is out in the office as to what makes a good knife sharpener – it seems to be a very personal choice. Suggestions for Keith Kendrick most welcome.) Issie: unusual scented candles – especially if they’re on the savoury side (tomato leaf is my favourite). Tamarah: another Chef’s Press. It’s just nice to have and a bit pricey if you want a set, so wouldn’t buy them for myself – which is the sweet spot for gifts, I think. Anna: fancy tinned fish! (This is niche, as are pickles – I’m on board with both, but you’d have to know your giftee well.) Lydia: An Hasegawa chopping board please. Rachel: High quality coffee, tea or matcha. Emily: Nice socks with a fruit & veg theme. Janine: Wants a red wine to them same value of the champagne she doesn't want. A perfectly acceptable call. Me: A new preserving pan because marmalade season approaches and I loaned mine to someone and I can’t remember who. It’s also useful for making lots of mulled cider for a party.