Horeca undergoing change: sustainability and new experiences drive the future

January 2026

The future of food service between sustainability and innovation: SANA Food reveals the trends for the coming years.

Professional food service is undergoing a period of profound change, where responsibility, ethics and creativity are becoming key elements. The food service industry can no longer limit itself to simply serving a good meal: customers are looking for transparency, stories behind the ingredients and a taste experience.

Sustainability at the core

Today, sustainability is no longer optional: it is a standard expected by customers and B2B partners. Professionals are adopting practices aimed at reducing waste, optimising energy and promoting local suppliers. Low-impact menus, with more plant-based, seasonal and flexible dishes, help to reduce waste. At the same time, smart, compostable or reusable packaging and materials are designed to be functional and sustainable. Professionals are moving towards circular management, monitoring stocks, creatively reusing ingredients and reducing energy consumption. Transparent communication plays a key role in all this: clearly communicating choices, certifications and environmental results strengthens customer confidence. For producers and suppliers, offering eco-friendly solutions means positioning themselves as preferred partners for establishments that focus on efficiency, quality and responsibility.

The menu becomes an experience: conveying the value behind each dish

Food is no longer just food: it is an opportunity to surprise, excite and tell stories. Among the strongest trends, which will be explored in depth at SANA Food, are vegan dishes, designed to combine taste, creativity and sustainability. The experiential nature of the offerings becomes central, and chef's reinterpret street and comfort food in an intelligent way, using local ingredients to offer innovative and tasty experiences.
To win over increasingly conscious customers, restaurateurs must accompany food with authentic narratives: the origin of ingredients, short supply chains, cooking techniques and ethical choices become an integral part of the experience.
With an approach that combines taste and sustainability, professional catering in the coming years can transform every dish into an opportunity of value: for the customer, for the environment and for the business. At SANA Food, these trends will take centre stage, showing how the Horeca sector is paving the way towards a more responsible and creative future.