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Fine Food Australia to give insights into emerging trends in foodservice industry
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Saturday, 01 August, 2026, 16 : 00 PM [IST]
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Melbourne, Australia
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From vibrant green lattes to hot-pink soft serve, Melbourne’s hospitality scene continues to cement its reputation as Australia’s trend capital, with three standout ingredients reshaping café and dessert menus: matcha, açaí and pitaya. All are on display at this year’s edition of Fine Food Australia, along with an ingredient tipped to be the next food obsession.
Returning to Melbourne in 2026 after a year hiatus, the country’s longest running food event will once again deliver insights and previews into what’s trending and emerging in the city’s foodservice industry. And this year, some of the biggest trends are serving up a veritable rainbow of what’s hot.
There’s no denying that matcha, açaí and pitaya are all in demand, and while each trend sits at a different stage of maturity, together they paint a clear picture of changing consumer behaviour. Wellness, visual appeal, premium ingredients and social media influence are driving purchasing decisions, with consumers increasingly seeking food and beverages that are as Instagram-worthy as they are functional. Whilst these three colourful candidates are staples for many consumers and hospitality businesses, another emerging flavour beginning to appear across the nation’s café scene is ube. The vibrant purple yam long popular throughout Filipino cuisine was once largely confined to specialist dessert venues, but ube is increasingly making its way onto café menus in the form of colourful ube lattes, iced drinks and desserts. The upward trend of ube on the heels of matcha, açaí and pitaya reflect consumers’ growing appetite for visually distinctive flavours beyond traditional coffee.
If there is one clear trend winner in Melbourne’s café scene, it’s matcha. Once considered a niche alternative to coffee, matcha has evolved into one of the city’s fastest-growing beverage categories, with specialist matcha cafés opening across Melbourne and an increasing number of traditional cafés expanding beyond a single matcha latte to offer ceremonial-grade teas, strawberry matcha, iced matcha and premium desserts. Industry data suggests demand continues to accelerate rather than plateau, with iced matcha among Australia’s fastest-growing café beverages and some CBD cafés reporting matcha now accounts for around one in every five hot and cold drinks sold. Hospitality operators are also seeing a shift in consumer expectations. The rise of matcha is also part of a broader shift in café culture, particularly among younger consumers. Rather than simply ordering a flat white, many Gen Z customers are increasingly gravitating towards colourful signature beverages—including iced matcha, strawberry matcha and now ube lattes—that deliver both flavour and shareability on social media. For cafés, drinks have become an extension of brand identity as much as a caffeine purchase.
At Fine Food Australia: The Alternative Dairy Co will be slinging ube lattes all day. Odaya Matcha will be hosting twice daily matcha demonstrations by a 6th generation Japanese tea master; beverage trends will be discussed at the panel discussion - Drink's Big Moment: Coffee, Matcha, Tea & the Beverage Revolution: Consumer rituals around beverages are changing fast. What does the modern drink program look like - and how do operators capitalise?
While matcha continues its rapid climb, Melbourne’s açaí market is entering a new phase. According to industry estimates, Melbourne now has approximately 20–40 per cent more venues offering açaí than it did a year ago, reflecting the category’s transition from emerging trend to established hospitality staple. This uptick has been driven largely by the growth of dedicated specialist bars rather than cafés simply adding bowls to existing menus. Established operators have expanded into new suburbs, national brands continue opening stores, and consumers have embraced açaí as much more than a breakfast option. Açaí is increasingly consumed as an afternoon snack, post-gym refuels, and even a late-night dessert. The category remains on a growth trajectory, although the pace of expansion is beginning to moderate as competition increases across Melbourne’s inner suburbs.
At Fine Food Australia, açaí products will be on display and available for tastings across the show floor including from Majors Group who will be demonstrating açaí machines and sampling product.
Pitaya quietly gains momentum
Perhaps the most intriguing trend isn’t the one currently dominating menu —it’s the one just beginning to emerge. Pitaya, more commonly known as dragon fruit, is increasingly appearing in Melbourne’s premium dessert and café scene, most notably as a vibrant pink soft serve and smoothie bowls akin to açaí’s early days. Although still far less common than matcha or açaí, an increasing number of hospitality venues are experimenting with pitaya than one or two years ago. Pitaya’s striking colour, tropical flavour profile and strong social media appeal are helping to position pitaya as one of Melbourne’s next emerging trends.
At Fine Food Australia: Nectar Fruits will be serving up pitaya and guava soft-serve alongside their premium acai.
Considered together, these trends reveal more than changing tastes—they highlight how consumers are increasingly rewarding hospitality venues that combine premium ingredients, visual appeal and memorable experiences. In a nutshell, matcha has become mainstream while continuing to grow. Açaí has successfully transitioned from health food to everyday indulgence. Pitaya is beginning the journey that both categories started several years ago, and ube is beginning to follow a similar trajectory, with more cafés experimenting with purple yam lattes and desserts as consumers continue seeking the next visually striking beverage trend.
For hospitality businesses, the message is clear: consumers are increasingly willing to pay a premium for products that deliver both quality and shareability. As Melbourne continues to influence food and beverage trends nationally, cafés and dessert operators that innovate with emerging ingredients while elevating the customer experience are likely to remain at the forefront of Australia’s evolving hospitality landscape.
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