Specialty Food Spotlight: Sampling Year Ahead With Winter Fancy Food Show

Sunsetting the Winter Fancy Food Show’s dynastic 49-year reign, the Specialty Food Association event ended with a bang. Running January 19-21 in Las Vegas, thousands of food industry buyers, distributors, brokers, makers, and industry stakeholders came together to understand the latest specialty food industry trends and innovations.

Next year, SFA’s winter celebration will be replaced by Winter FancyFaire*, a forward-looking trade show that platforms innovation and the experiential aspects of the food & beverage sector.

The recent Las Vegas event proved that innovation and reinvigoration were already top-of-mind, offering a precursor to next year’s event, slated to open in San Diego in January 2026. A robust calendar of over 30 education sessions and nearly 1,100 exhibitors explored the state of the industry today while considering how stakeholders will adapt to the shifting consumer needs.

“What’s special about the Winter Fancy Food Show is that it’s the first food show of the year. It’s an opportunity to set the tone for the year in terms of trends, product launches, and understanding what consumers are going to be eating in the next calendar year,” Leana Salamah, SVP of marketing for SFA told The Food Institute.

Let’s look at some of the aspects shaping the future of food.

Authenticity, Above All

Session speakers waxed poetic about how consumers today want their favorite brands to be true to their mission, showcasing an authentic story and grounded flavors to go along with it.

“[Do] you want the big money, the big ticket, the glamour? None of those things exist without taking responsibility for yourself and being authentic,” said James Beard award-winning Chef Scott Conant during his Sunday keynote session on simplicity and success.

Monday keynote speaker, founder of mayonnaise brand Ayoh Foods and bestselling cookbook author Molly Baz, echoed this sentiment. She explained how her brand is true to the mission “to break down the barrier of entry for people to make cooking … more accessible.”

Baz noted that Ayoh is partnering with sandwich shops to get people to taste the product authentically without having to commit to a whole bottle.

Specialty Food Finds Precarious Footing

The show floor unearthed the palpable sense that brands are grappling with a tough climate characterized by funding difficulties and consumer reluctance to spend.

Conversations around Trump administration tariffs signaled another year of uncertainty, Panelists encouraged businesses to build resilience and redundancy into their supply chains and diversify wherever possible to avoid disruptions.

Tom Gellert, Atalanta president, noted in a conversation about the tariffs that the best businesses can do is be proactive about how one’s business may be affected when talking with clients.

“If you have products that go through multiple countries and undergo different manufacturing processes, determine what your country of origin is, because that can dictate whether it’s going to be subject to tariffs,” he explained. Importers and businesses dealing with imported goods are most threatened, and, as a result, should take more care to iron out their supply chains.

Mario Torrico, an associate at Arentfox Schiff LLP, added that these tariffs can also be “saber-rattling” – in the end, nothing to worry about.

Specialty Food Will Weather the Storm

On the other hand, the show chronicled the immeasurable hope, writ large.

“Walking the show floor, one thing was clear: this is the year for challenger brands,” said FI CEO Brian Choi. He explained that emerging brands, like those seen at the show, are out-innovating CPG juggernauts. The show was a celebration of this effort.

“This is an opportunity for specialty food to take hold of these trends, and, despite the economic uncertainty, appeal to consumers who want innovation,” Choi said.

He and MenuData CEO Sunny Khamkar led an education session titled “2025 Specialty Food Industry Outlook: Trends Shaping Retail, Foodservice, and CPG,” which evaluated the main tenets of CPG and foodservice’s go-to-market strategies today.

The duo shared four ways stakeholders across retail and foodservice can win in 2025:

• Lean into Specialty/Premiumization: specialty food sales are projected to grow 5.5% in 2025, signaling a strong desire for consumers to indulge in moments of luxury or opt for exceptional quality
• Understand Health & Wellness 3.0: the next generation of wellness-focused consumers are wanting to eat healthier and drink less alcohol heading into the new year
• Stay value-conscious: although price is an important motivator, businesses can win by offering value through value propositions including quality, uniqueness, and sustainability
• Offer a sensorial or flavor experience: consumers want bold, immersive flavor journeys that activate the senses; consider how your offering caters to smell, sight, taste, touch, and sound

Curious Consumption

SFA 2025 trend predictions abounded on the show floor, with unique mashups, globally inspired ingredients, and “vivacious vinegars” appearing across categories. The pickle craze is one example of an impactful trend that plays into myriad macrotrends, particularly among younger audiences.

On the foodservice side, pickling is gaining ground, with MenuData research showing pickled onions hitting a 33.1% share of menus, dill pickles reaching 30.3%, and kimchi being found on 15.2% of menus, according to Khamkar. On the show floor, brands like Foster’s Pickled Products, McClure’s Pickles, and Plucky Pickle Dip showcased the breadth of pickle offerings across vegetable, condiments, and drink mixers.

Additionally, Pacific Pickle Works launched Kimchi Meets Pickle at the show, an offering combining the fermented processes of both traditions into its product.

“Pickles are everywhere. … Pickles came out of social media and led to this renaissance,” said Samantha Rose, CEO at MVNIFEST, in a conversation about crafting a powerful brand, adding that many of these brands are leveraging the “craziness” of these strong, powerful flavors as a point of differentiation.

“Gen Z and Alpha really appreciate brands being unhinged. We’re all human. We’re not AI. So be yourselves,” she said.

From the perspective of the “chaos cooking” trend, it comes as no surprise that Asian-inspired pizza brand pi00a won the Fancy Face-Off Pitch Competition, earning a grand prize valued at more than $20,000 for its Frozen Miso Eggplant Pizza.

To learn more about the event and to subscribe for email updates, please visit winterfancyfaire.com.