The British Christmas dinner has long been a symbol of tradition: turkey, pigs in blankets, stuffing and plenty of gravy. Now in 2025, that familiar formula is facing disruption – not from chefs or retailers, but from viral creators on TikTok and Instagram.
What we’re witnessing isn’t the replacement of Christmas dinner, but its transformation, driven by a generation that increasingly turns to social platforms for culinary inspiration. Already, 72% of 18 to 27-year-olds now plan their meals based on online content, with TikTok and Instagram leading the way.
This year’s online trends show how social media is influencing festive dishes. Candied salmon has become a TikTok favourite, presented as simple, healthy and suitably seasonal. Homemade sauerkraut, kimchi, bone broths and sourdough are gaining traction too, reflecting a move toward wholesome, gut-friendly eating.
These may not be classic Christmas staples, but their popularity are already shaping what ends up on the table.
What social media is changing in the kitchen
Social platforms are transforming how we cook as much as what we cook. Rather than a full overhaul of tradition, creators are pushing fast, clever techniques, such as turkeys cooked entirely in an air fryer.
Appliances like bread makers, stand mixers and dough kneaders, once left untouched, are being revived by online creators demonstrating smart, time-saving uses. Creators move quickly and set micro-trends overnight, while retailers remain rooted in nostalgia.
Supermarket campaigns still lean on tradition despite consumers searching for new flavours, shortcuts and globally inspired dishes. The gap between what people see online and what retailers offer is widening, opening the door for those who mirror online trends more closely.
TikTok Shop and Instagram Shop have made festive experimentation easier than ever. Niche ingredients and kitchen gadgets can be purchased instantly, often at reduced prices, and creators now integrate product demos directly into recipe videos.
At the same time, social media is reviving frugal scratch cooking. Viral tutorials encourage making bone broth from turkey leftovers or baking bread rolls and cinnamon buns in air fryers and bread makers. In a cost of living crisis, this feels both empowering and economical.
The Christmas dinner and its trimmings are evolving quickly as creators offer new ideas and challenge established expectations. Social media is reshaping not only what we cook but how we cook it, shifting techniques and attitudes in the process.
For consumers, it opens up creativity. For grocery retailers, it signals a crucial moment to embrace the viral trends redefining modern festive behaviour.
Emma Thompson is head of agency at Golley Slater
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