By: Sally Kemkers, founding partner at Untapped Innovation

Google searches for 'easy comfort food recipes' reportedly rose by 1,450% during this summer's heatwaves, while searches for 'what is the best comfort food' increased by 900%. At first glance, this might seem surprising, particularly when we associate comfort food with hearty winter meals. But perhaps it tells us something about what consumers are looking for from food in an increasingly uncertain world.

Economic pressures, geopolitical instability, climate anxiety and the demands of everyday life are influencing consumer priorities. For food manufacturers and R&D teams, the opportunity is to understand how these pressures are shaping consumers' needs and how they might evolve.

From nostalgic childhood favourites to indulgent ice creams and convenient meal solutions, manufacturers are finding new ways to deliver familiar pleasures.

Understanding what consumers really need from comfort food

There is growing evidence that consumers are turning to food for emotional as well as functional benefits. FMCG Gurus reports that 68% of global consumers turn to snacks for comfort, with 52% of those who comfort snack saying it helps them relax and unwind.

This reflects what we hear in our own qualitative consumer research. People describe moments when they feel stressed, overwhelmed or that life is a little out of control. In these moments, a familiar flavour, a rich, satisfying texture or a small indulgence can provide an opportunity to switch off and regain a sense of calm.

But comfort means different things to different people, and at different moments. Someone struggling through a demanding day may want a small indulgence to help them reset. Another person, feeling financially constrained, may want an affordable treat that still feels special. For others, preparing and sharing a favourite family meal may provide a sense of connection and togetherness.

Understanding these deeper emotional needs, or Jobs To Be Done by target consumer, is critical. Each creates a different opportunity for product innovation, requiring different product attributes and experiences.

The desire for comfort may also sit alongside a growing need for convenience. Mintel's 2026 analysis suggests convenience is increasingly about reducing mental effort and decision fatigue, as well as saving time.

Both needs may reflect a wider desire to make everyday life more manageable. For some consumers, cooking is itself comforting. For others, the same emotional reward needs to come with minimal preparation or decision-making.

Familiar favourites, reimagined for modern needs

We're already seeing manufacturers respond to these needs through nostalgia-led innovation.

This summer, M&S identified 'New-stalgia' as a key food trend, reimagining familiar favourites for contemporary consumers. Meanwhile, Waitrose partnered with Ottolenghi to launch ice creams including Strawberries & Cream with Sumac and Salted Malted Chocolate, combining recognisable flavours with unexpected ingredients.

Asda also embraced nostalgic dessert flavours with ice creams inspired by Strawberry Trifle Cheesecake, Raspberry Eton Mess and Sicilian Lemon Meringue. Its product development team highlighted sensory excitement through biscuit pieces, sauces and contrasting textures.

These examples show how familiar flavours can provide a starting point for innovation, while new textures, ingredients and formats offer something different.

There are several interesting tensions for manufacturers to explore.

Familiarity and discovery: Sometimes consumers want the reassurance of something they recognise. At others, a familiar favourite with an unexpected twist can provide excitement and a break from routine.

Indulgence and wellbeing: Comfort doesn't always mean unrestricted indulgence. Consumers may want a small but intense moment of pleasure, high-quality ingredients that feel worth the indulgence, or a balance of sensory enjoyment and nutritional benefits.

Convenience and authenticity: Consumers may want the comforting qualities of home cooking without the time or effort involved. Equally, preparation itself can be part of the emotional reward.

The opportunity is to understand which needs matter most to the target consumer, in a particular moment, rather than assuming one approach will work for everyone.

Translating emotional needs into product innovation

This is where R&D has a particularly important role to play.

Once we deeply understand the underlying consumer need, the challenge is to translate it into a product experience, identify the attributes that will deliver that experience and develop the technical solutions to make it possible.

Take a consumer who wants something to help them relax and unwind after a stressful day. The desired experience might be a satisfying, absorbing moment of indulgence that feels like a reward.

For a bakery product, this could translate into rich chocolate flavour, contrasting textures, a satisfying portion size and minimal preparation. R&D can then explore the formulation, ingredient selection, processing and packaging technologies needed to deliver these attributes consistently.

The sensory experience is particularly important in comfort food. Small differences in texture, flavour release, aroma or mouthfeel can significantly influence the overall experience. Technical choices made during product development can therefore play a critical role in delivering the emotional benefit consumers are seeking.

This deeper understanding helps manufacturers focus innovation efforts on what really matters, reducing ambiguity and the risk of costly rework later in development.

At the same time, R&D teams must navigate ingredient cost pressures, climate-related supply challenges and changing nutritional expectations. Maintaining the desired consumer experience while adapting formulations, ingredients and processes will become increasingly important.

Looking ahead: Anticipating tomorrow's needs

For brands, retailers and manufacturers, the resurgence of comfort food offers opportunities beyond individual product launches.

By combining a deeper understanding of consumers' emotional and functional needs with future cultural and societal trends, businesses can identify emerging demand spaces and develop innovation platforms that remain relevant as consumer priorities evolve.

For brands, this means building propositions around clearly defined consumer needs, supported by tangible product experiences. For retailers, it creates opportunities to rethink ranges and eating occasions around what consumers are trying to achieve, rather than relying solely on traditional product categories.

And for R&D, it means connecting consumer insight with technical capabilities much earlier in the innovation process.

Comfort food is evolving, bringing new opportunities to combine familiar pleasures with the needs of modern consumers. The challenge for R&D is to understand what consumers value about these experiences, anticipate how their needs will evolve and translate these insights into products that are relevant, differentiated and technically credible.

Sally Kemkers is a founding partner at Untapped Innovation, a global agency helping R&D teams at companies including PepsiCo, P&G, Unilever, and Reckitt create breakthrough products and compelling product stories. She is also co-author of Untapping Innovation: An R&D playbook for products and stories to sell.