From shiny hot cross buns and chocolate eggs of all sizes, to roast lamb Sunday lunches with all the trimmings; Easter is a short-but-decadent stint for foodies, with chefs and retailers once again set to battle for attention with seasonal showstoppers.

Easter is, more often than not, a family occasion, with those aforementioned eggs with their myriad gifting opportunities foundational to the season. Indeed, Easter weekend features the first UK bank holidays of 2024 - a prime reason for groups to come together and reconnect after Christmas.

And while the ongoing cost-of-living crisis will surely restrict some purse strings over the holiday, food and drink will again play a lead role for many, both in and out of home.

From a development perspective, it’s fair to say that Easter 2024 is very much done (for the vast majority), with our friends at Insights Lab now identifying and translating opportunities for UK food teams as they prepare for briefings on Easter 2025 in the near future.

This month, they’ve shared three thought-starters for early-stage Easter ideation, with the team highlighting potential routes with lamb while discussing a number of lesser-known global options becoming ripe for harnessing as limited-edition leads.

Sweet treats feature, with Insights Lab’s senior trends strategist Tom Gatehouse spotlighting Sicily as a potential port of call for developers.

“The word 'Sicilian' is a common sight on the UK food market, particularly during summer and the cross-category spotlighting of Sicilian lemons,” Tom says.

“Sainsbury's Sicilian lemon ice cream was one to join the fray last year, with Sicilian Citrus Pesto a subject we tackled in the summer as interest grew in the States.

“Beyond the lemon, Starbucks continues to roll out its Sicilian olive oil-driven 'Oleato' range; the traditional Sicilian pizza, Sfincione, continues to catch the eye; Sicilian almonds and pistachios remain widely sought after; and gourmet ice cream chain Amorino continues to push its brioche con gelato (known in-store as 'Sicilian').”

Suffice it to say that ‘Sicilian' is a safe bet for food and drink launches in the UK. But does the island hold any Easter sweet treasures to take inspiration from?

“How about the Sicilian Cassata Al Forno? A stunning baked pie filled with a ricotta cheese cream studded with chocolate chips; the dessert is an Easter sweet staple, particularly in the capital of Palermo.

“Then there's the Sicilian Cassatelle di Agira - sweet pastries stuffed with cocoa, cinnamon, lemon and orange zest, and almonds, baked in the oven until crisp and golden.”

Click here to read the free article on the Insights Lab website, with the Malaga salt cod spread, Ajobacalao, and the Italian Easter pie, Pizza Rustica, also spotlighted. 

Insights Lab by Egg Soldiers provides detailed reports and immersive workshops to drive innovation for F&B businesses, with the team producing a regular food trends newsletter and free insight deep-dives to inspire NPD teams and spark conversation.