‍As we look ahead to 2025, innovative food and drink brands continue to push boundaries in sustainability, health and convenience. 

From functional beverages to plant-based proteins, this year's fastest-growing companies are reshaping how we eat and drink.

Here are 25 food and drink brands worth watching in 2025:

‍1. Bay's Kitchen

Another beneficiary of the digestive health trend is Bay’s Kitchen, which produces Low-FODMAP, IBS-friendly, gluten-free and dairy-free foods, including cooking sauces, condiments and gravies. 

Founder Bay Burdett started the brand after being plagued by IBS symptoms and discovering how difficult it was to find FODMAP-friendly convenience foods. 

Bay's Kitchen recently secured six-figure funding to support its retail expansion strategy, which will include a rebrand and team expansion, along with the development of new products beyond the sauces and condiments category.‍

2. Biovit

Natural nutrients are transforming the fortified foods industry, and Biovit is one of the leading brands in this field. 

The startup's innovative approach centres on extracting micronutrients from plants and fungi, tapping into consumer demand for clean-label supplements. Biovit’s internal research has revealed that 90% of consumers would choose natural nutrients over synthetic alternatives.

Building on this momentum, Biovit has secured a partnership with the NHS for UK clinical trials in 2025. The company is also developing an AI-powered nutrition system that promises unprecedented personalisation in supplement recommendations.

‍3. Blue Stripes

As sustainability becomes a primary driver of consumer choice, Blue Stripes is changing attitudes to waste in the chocolate category through whole-pod utilisation.

While traditional chocolate processing wastes 70% of the cacao fruit, Blue Stripes creates sustainable products from the shell, fruit and beans, turning them into cacao water, bars, granola and trail mix. 

The brand’s commitment to sustainability and full-fruit utilisation resonates with consumers looking to make ethical food choices.

‍4. Botivo

Riding the wave of the rapidly expanding non-alcoholic beverage market, this aperitif startup recently secured £900,000 in funding from angel investors. 

Founded in 2021 by Sam Paget Steavenson and Imme Ermgassen, Botivo crafts small-batch drinks without artificial flavours or preservatives, targeting the premium end of the alcohol-free market.

“I think we’re moving towards what I call an ‘ABV-agnostic’ category,” Ermgassen recently told The Spirits Business. “It’s going to be much less about being defined as non-alcoholic and more about just having really interesting, well-made drinks.”‍

5. Boundless

Another beneficiary of the gut health trend, in 2024, Boundless completed a £1.5m funding round backed by notable investors, including Graze co-founder Ben Jones. 

Their “gut happy snacking” products – which include flavoured chips, nuts and seeds – are gaining traction in the better-for-you category, with sales value increasing by 110.2% year-on-year. 

Boundless has expanded its distribution through major wholesalers and retailers, increasing reach by over 2000% in the past 12 months.

6. Crosta & Mollica

Founded in 2010, Crosta & Mollica has identified a gap in various Italian food categories, offering authentic products that stand out against private-label incumbents.

Following its acquisition by private equity firm Perwyn in January 2024, the brand has expanded its range of snacks and sauces to include Neapolitan-style sourdough pizzas. Proved for 24 hours and fired on Mount Etna lava stone, their initial Tesco range showed over 50% growth in both value and volume sales year-on-year.

7. DASH Water

This premium sparkling watr brand is disrupting the soft drinks market with its inventive approach to sustainable drinks. DASH infuses water with "wonky" fruit that would otherwise go to waste, targeting the 40% of UK fruits and vegetables typically discarded in food manufacturing. 

Now a certified B Corporation, DASH is on track to generate £35 million in retail sales in 2024 from approximately 40 million cans sold. 

8. DONE

As time-pressed consumers seek simple ways to meet nutritional guidelines, ready meal brand DONE has launched a quick and healthy product range with backing from the Food and Drink Federation Scotland. 

Their products incorporate all five recommended portions of daily vegetables, addressing the growing demand for convenient, nutritionally complete options. 

Currently operating in Edinburgh, DONE is expanding the company’s reach with support from the Scottish government's Healthier Product Innovation Fund.

9. Farmyard Frozen

Another ready-meal brand ready to make waves in 2025 is Farmyard Frozen. 

Responding to consumers' desire for restaurant-quality meals at home, the gourmet frozen meal company offers Michelin-level cuisine using locally sourced ingredients. 

Farmyard Frozen recently completed a “game-changing” crowdfunding campaign, attracting £78,000 from investors to broaden its marketing reach.  

10. FieldGoods

The huge growth in the premium ready meal category is demonstrated by another premium brand making this year’s Hooley Brown food and drink brands to watch list. 

Founded by brothers Sam and Elliot Day, FieldGoods uses carefully sourced, sustainable suppliers to create luxury convenience foods in compostable packaging and has become the first ready-meal brand to be stocked by Fortnum & Mason.

The company has already secured £750k in funding following two consecutive years of 100% revenue growth. 

11. Freja

Freja is shaking up the stock cube category with its award-winning bone broths made from 100% natural ingredients. Founded by husband-and-wife team Ed and Jessica Leather, the brand addresses the lack of clean-label alternatives in a category "emblematic of everything that's wrong with our food today,” according to Grocery Trader. 

With 200% compound annual growth rate since its 2020 launch, Freja has sold over one million units and projects £10M revenue for 2024/25. Their gluten and dairy-free sachets contain up to 11g of protein and 7g of collagen per serving.

12. Good Guys Bakehouse

Healthy snacking has become a high-growth category as consumers prioritise nutrition and retailers adapt to regulations like HFSS, which will expand to ban volume price promotions in 2025. 

One brand stealing a march on this movement is Good Guys Bakehouse, which has raised £550,000 in funding from industry veterans, including former Pladis UK boss Nick Bunker. 

Good Guys Bakehouse’s wafer-based cheese and black pepper biscuit melts contain 50% less fat than regular savoury biscuits, and they contain just five calories per biscuit. 

13. Hapi Drinks

Started by a Nashville dentist concerned about dental health, Hapi Drinks offers sugar-free beverages that rival the taste of popular children's drinks. Their products contain zero sugar while delivering 90% of children’s recommended Vitamin C intake.

The brand has gained traction by targetting one of America's most pressing health challenges: childhood obesity, which affects nearly 20% of children, according to Global Pediatric Help estimates.

14. Hilltop Honey

‘Hot honey’ has been a big food trend in 2024, and one company taking this momentum into 2025 is the British brand Hilltop Honey. 

Hilltop Honey recently secured a £8.7m funding package from Santander UK to finance its international expansion.

The second-largest honey producer in the UK and fourth largest in Europe, Hilltop Honey is targeting new markets in the USA, Middle East and Australia.

15. Impossibrew

Capitalising on the booming non-alcoholic beverage market and increasing interest in functional ingredients, Impossibrew reached its recent crowdfunding target in under 10 minutes. 

The brand uses patent-pending technology to replicate the sensory and social relaxing experience of drinking without the associated hangover. Its products contain L-Theanine, ashwagandha root, plant extracts and vitamin B1.

16. JimJams

JimJams is disrupting the breakfast spreads category by cracking a major consumer challenge: creating a chocolate spread that's genuinely low in sugar. 

With up to 83% less sugar than market leaders and HFSS-compliant formulation, the brand has earned shelf space across major UK retailers. Fresh funding of £300k signals strong growth potential for 2025, as consumers continue prioritising healthier breakfast alternatives without compromising on taste.

17. Kirsty's

Meeting the growing demand for allergen-free convenience foods, ready meal producer Kirsty’s raised £2m in 2024 to fund future growth. 

Kirsty's is a pioneer in the free-from ready meal category, successfully combining multiple allergen-free credentials with a focus on health and nutrition. Among the brand’s recent product launches are free-from ready meals for children. 

Founded by Kirsty Henshaw after her son's food allergies diagnosis, the brand has expanded from frozen meals to chilled options, maintaining its commitment to gluten-free, dairy-free dishes under 400 calories. 

18. KoRo

This Berlin-based bulk snacking brand is redefining consumer expectations around packaging and pricing in the healthy snacks category. 

KoRo's distinctive approach of selling larger format products has resonated with sustainability-conscious consumers while delivering on value, helping the brand build a community of over two million customers across Europe. 

With fresh Series C funding of €35 million led by Coefficient Capital, B-Corp certification, and the strategic addition of former Oatly CEO Toni Petersson to its Advisory Board, KoRo is positioned for significant expansion in 2025. The brand is already present in over 10,000 retail stores and is projecting 50% sales growth in the next 12 months. 

19. PUR Company

As the number one selling aspartame-free gum and mints brand, PUR Company has achieved remarkable growth in 2024. Its sales increased by 80.6% to reach $8.6 million. 

Founded in 2010, the brand focuses on natural sweetening with 100% xylitol, offering products that are vegan, gluten-free and diabetic-friendly.

20. RYZE Superfoods 

Tapping into the functional mushroom trend, RYZE Superfoods has created a coffee alternative by blending six medicinal mushrooms, including cordyceps, lion's mane and reishi. 

Founded by Harvard graduates Andrée and Rashad, the brand has already attracted over 30,000 subscription customers with its promise of "calmer energy" and "sharper focus” by drinking RYZE products. 

21. Slicey

As air fryers transform home cooking habits, Irish startup Slicey is capitalising on the appliance’s popularity with a more convenient way to make pizza. 

The brand, created by Fulfil protein bar co-founder Niall McGrath, has developed what it claims is the world's first pizza designed explicitly for air fryers. Their rectangular, Sicilian-style sourdough pizzas have already secured listings across major retailers, including Tesco and Dunnes Stores, with fresh multi-million euro funding fuelling expansion plans for the UK and US markets. 

Given the massive adoption of air fryers and the founder's track record of scaling Fulfil into a major success, Slicey's strong early sales suggest they've identified a significant gap in the convenience food category.

‍22. The Happy Pear

Irish wellness pioneer The Happy Pear is bringing its plant-based expertise to the UK market, backed by €2.5m in crowdfunding raised in just ten hours. 

From their beginnings as a local fruit shop in Wicklow, twin brothers Dave and Steve Flynn have built a multi-faceted brand encompassing 70+ products, cookbooks and a million-strong social media community. 

The Happy Pear’s UK launch strategy starts with ambient lines, including high-fibre granolas and vitamin drinks, before expanding into their established chilled range. 

23. Trü Frü

Since its acquisition by Mars in 2023, this chocolate-covered fruit brand has experienced explosive growth, reaching $215 million in retail sales by February 2024. 

Trü Frü’s "hyper-chilled" frozen and "hyper-dried" shelf-stable fruit snacks resonate with consumers who want to feel like they’re indulging while still being healthy. 

The brand made its UK debut in March 2024 through Tesco, and with exotic flavour combinations like Piña Colada Pineapple in White Chocolate & Coconut in it product range, further international expansion could be on the cards in 2025. 

24. Tuggs

It's not just human food where impressive innovation is taking place. Tuggs is pushing boundaries in the pet food industry by tackling one of the sector's biggest challenges: pet food production accounts for up to 30% of food-related carbon emissions. 

Since its 2022 launch, Tuggs has redefined dog nutrition using insect-based formulas to maintain nutritional excellence while dramatically reducing environmental impact. Their formulations use 95% less land, water and carbon emissions than traditional dog food.

The company has experienced a remarkable growth trajectory, tripling its revenue in the last nine months. With a doubled headcount and new office expansion planned for 2025, Tuggs is well-positioned to accelerate its mission to reduce pet food’s impact on climate change.

25. Voyage Foods

Voyage Foods has developed groundbreaking technology that recreates beloved everyday staples without the ‘expected’ ingredient – think peanut butter without peanuts, chocolate without cacao, coffee without coffee beans - while maintaining the familiar tastes and experiences consumers love. 

With their recent $52 million Series A funding round bringing total investment to $94 million, the company has demonstrated strong market confidence in addressing sustainability challenges and allergen concerns in key food categories.

Voyage's next mission is to scale impact. Its proprietary technology not only creates more sustainable alternatives to commodity-dependent products, it does so at competitive price points - which sets them apart in the food tech landscape. 

Congratulations to every company that made this year’s list!

If you’re a fast-growing food or drink brand with big plans for 2025, Hooley Brown can help you scale your products globally. Schedule a call to find out more.