By Charles Passy
At the Fancy Food Show, the big trade event for gourmet fare, noteworthy products also included Indian-spiced potato chips and coffee in chewable form
What does the future hold for food shoppers with fancy tastes?
Think $400 pineapples, Indian-spiced potato chips and the sweet treat known as Dubai chocolate.
Those were among the tens of thousands of items on display at the recent Fancy Food Show in New York City . The trade event is where buyers from food markets big (think Whole Foods (AMZN)) and small (think your corner grocer) come to see what they should be stocking on their shelves. On the flip side, it’s where food companies – and there were nearly 2,500 of them at the show, representing more than 50 countries – make the case that their brands should be in those stores.
It all adds up to big business: Sales of specialty-food (aka gourmet) products are projected to total $231 billion in 2025 – that’s up 5.5% over the previous year. They represent 25.2% of total grocery sales, whereas just a decade ago, they accounted for 17.6%. In other words, we’re fancier than ever when it comes to our food shopping.
What are some of the biggest gourmet trends? Here’s what we found at the show.
Price is apparently no object
So much for concerns about the high cost of groceries. Some shoppers are willing to dig deep into their wallets if they feel a product merits it. These days, you won’t find any shortage of bottles of olive oil that cost $50 and up. Or tinned fish that goes for $40 a can. But perhaps the most telling example of this trend that we found at the show is the $400 Rubyglow pineapple offered by Fresh Del Monte (FDP). It takes its name from its red outer skin and it’s prized for what its sole distributor, Melissa’s/World Variety Produce, says is a “luxurious, smooth flavor with minimal acidity.” It’s available in limited quantities – so much so that it’s been known to sell out and potential buyers have had to put their names on a waiting list.
Quail eggs are the new chicken eggs
Chicken eggs have been in the news in recent years because of soaring prices. That may have folks seeking an alternative: Enter quail eggs. They’re smaller than the chicken variety, and as something of a “boutique” egg, they aren’t cheap per se. One prominent producer, South Carolina-based Manchester Farms, said its 15-pack of eggs typically runs $5.99 to $6.49 at retail. But producers said their sales of quail eggs are nevertheless growing significantly – in part because consumers like the fact they’re more nutrient- and protein-rich than chicken eggs. And some fans say they have a better, creamier flavor, partly because they have a high yolk-to-white ratio.
Not your parents’ potato chips
And you thought Pringles was the last brand (K) to change the way we think about potato chips. Several producers are coming out with next-generation versions – sometimes it’s about texture, as in the Folds brand of chips that are, well, folded over for added crunch, and sometimes it’s about flavor, as in the Beefy’s Own brand, which are fried in beef tallow for a rich taste (they’re also targeted at consumers looking to avoid products made with seed oils).
International flavors go mainstream
Speaking of potato chips, what about an Indian-themed example, such as the Bombay Spice flavor offered by Keya Snacks? Another noteworthy Indian product: Tandoori Veggie pizza from Sach Foods. Both speak to a boom in international foods that are being tweaked for the broader market. Examples of similar mainstream-targeted products from a variety of cultures abound. Consider the producers offering easy-to-prepare versions of tteobokki, a Korean rice-cake dish. Or Dar Baklava, a company that makes a bite-sized, less-sticky version of the classic Middle Eastern and Mediterranean honey-soaked pastry.
Dubai chocolate is everywhere
If there’s such a thing as a viral candy, it’s Dubai chocolate. It’s a chocolate bar filled with pistachio cream and strands of the filo pastry known as kadayif, so it’s sweet, crunchy and nutty all at once. It was easy to lose count of how many producers were featuring the chocolate bar at the show – along with everything from Dubai chocolate lava cakes to Dubai chocolate-filled cones. Most of these products are made outside Dubai, despite the fact that that’s where the treat originated (and this has led to some legal wrangling in Europe). But one Dubai-based producer, the Number One Chocolatier, is now bringing its brand to the U.S.
Coffee alternatives emerge
A cup of joe from Starbucks (SBUX) or Dunkin’ is no longer the only way to get your morning jolt of caffeine. Companies are touting various products with the equivalent boost. Take Dry Brew, which offers coffee in a chewy candy form. Or Goldholly, a brand of caffeinated beverage described as an “organic supertea” and made from yaupon holly, which is apparently the only caffeinated plant native to North America.
Brand extensions and licensing deals abound
If you have a brand, chances are you’re looking to grow it through extensions or licensing deals. Hence, the Fancy Food Show featured everything from Tootsie Roll-flavored hot-cocoa pods (TR) to a line of Hot Ones sauces tied to the popular YouTube series. And returning to the java front, maybe the most unique licensed product at the show was a coffee brand that comes via an agreement with a government body – specifically, the I Love NY coffee from the World of Coffee company. It features the iconic Milton Glaser-designed logo, complete with heart symbol, that the state of New York commissioned and has used for decades as part of its promotions.
-Charles Passy
This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
07-13-25 1116ET
Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.