The hospitality trends for summer 2026, according to Catermonkey

Every year something shifts in what guests expect from an event, and summer 2026 is no different. Plant-based sits right among the mains, alcohol-free finally gets a decent price, and clients assume you still remember what they ordered last year.

These are the trends we're seeing most often among caterers and event venues. Not hype for hype's sake, but things you can actually use in your own business.

Plant-based isn't a separate option any more, it's just on the menu

A few years ago a vegetarian dish was still the alternative for people who didn't eat meat. Now it sits next to the other mains. No explanation, no excuse.

More and more guests deliberately choose a plant-based dish, even when they're not vegetarian. For you that mainly means factoring plant-based options into your portions and purchasing as standard, instead of treating them as an exception you sort out on the day itself.

In practical terms that also saves hassle on site. If you buy plant-based for 30 percent of the total, you won't need to improvise halfway through the evening because the vegetarian dish ran out first.

Sustainability has become the baseline, not the selling point

A few years ago you could still stand out with "local and sustainable" as your story. By now clients take that for granted, and their attention has moved to the details.

How much food is actually left over after an event? What packaging do you use when serving? And can you say where the ingredients came from if someone asks? The difference isn't in the story any more, it's in what you can show when a client asks.

Remembering client preferences, even for smaller events

Big hotel chains and caterers have been tracking what a client ordered before for a while now: dietary needs, favourite dishes, which menu went down well last year. That expectation is trickling down to smaller jobs too.

A client who had a gluten-free menu last year assumes you won't need to ask again this year. Keeping that information per client or per event lets you quote faster and more personally than starting from zero every time.

You don't need a big system for this. One fixed field on the client record noting what happened last time is already enough to change how the conversation goes.

Mocktails and alcohol-free drinks get the same price as everything else

Drinking alcohol-free hasn't been a compromise for a while now. A few years ago it mostly meant "having something without alcohol on hand". Now we're seeing proper mocktails and alcohol-free wine pairings at dinners, with just as much attention to taste and presentation as the alcoholic version.

That's good news for your margin. A well thought out alcohol-free package can earn just as much as a drinks package with alcohol, as long as you price it as a proper part of the menu and not an afterthought.

Experience in smaller portions that guests can share

Grazing tables, walking dinners with several small courses, and sharing platters keep gaining ground at the expense of the classic three-course sit-down dinner. Guests would rather taste five flavours than clear one big plate.

That also suits events where people want to walk around and talk to each other instead of sitting at a table all evening. For you it means more often serving smaller portions in greater variety, which asks something different of your portioning and presentation than a traditional sit-down dinner.

Everything in one place instead of five separate lists

Fewer and fewer caterers still run their events on loose WhatsApp messages, a spreadsheet and a stack of printed quotes. Clients expect a tidy quote and clear answers within a day, and that's hard to pull off when you're keeping track of everything by hand.

This shift isn't about one specific piece of technology, it's about how you work: requests, planning and work lists in one place, instead of spread across four apps and a notepad.

Frequently asked questions

Are these trends relevant for smaller catering businesses too?

Yes, smaller businesses can actually respond to this faster, because they have fewer fixed habits to undo. You don't need to change everything at once: start with the trend closest to what you already offer, for instance building plant-based options into your menu structure as standard.

Do I need to overhaul my whole menu to keep up with these trends?

No. Most of these trends call for a different angle on what you already offer, not a whole new menu. Making plant-based a fixed part of the menu mainly means giving it equal billing, not necessarily developing new dishes.

Is demand for mocktails really big enough to invest in seriously?

At events with a broad guest list, like corporate parties and weddings, there's almost always a group who doesn't drink, for health, religious or personal reasons. A well thought out alcohol-free package serves that group properly, instead of fobbing them off with just water or soft drinks.

How do I stay on top of trends without chasing every hype?

Pay attention to what your own clients actually ask for, not what's going round on social media. A trend that comes up three times in a row in client requests is worth picking up. A one-off request usually isn't a trend, just a specific wish.

Can I charge more for a plant-based menu than for meat?

That depends on what's in it. Buying vegetables is often cheaper than meat, but a good plant-based dish takes more kitchen time. Just work through the cost price per dish, and you'll see for yourself whether you can charge the same.

Which trend brings in the most extra revenue?

For most caterers that's the alcohol-free package, because that's where the biggest price jump sits without much extra work on your end. Guests who don't drink have often paid nothing extra until now, even though they're drinking along all evening.

Catermonkey keeps track per client of what was ordered last time and which requirements you had to account for. If that same client comes back next year, the dietary information is already there and you only need to update the quote.

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