Fresh Food Demand Spikes 56.11% Over Christmas

Google searches for fresh and frozen food increase 56.11% in December, according to new research.

A new report from refrigerated vehicle converter, Vantastec, analysed 499 Google search phrases to measure the seasonal demand for fresh and frozen products in the UK.

December saw a 56.11% spike in searches for fresh and frozen food products as a whole. The research also found festive demand begins to rise in November, with a 14.94% increase in searches compared to the January-to-October average.

Meat product searches increased by 122.96% in December, with turkey recording the biggest seasonal increase of any category at 602.19%.

Despite this, the research revealed the most-searched meat in December was beef, averaging 611,570 monthly Google searches over the last three years. This was 34.93% higher than the average monthly searches for turkey, which came second.

The only meat whose annual peak did not fall during Christmas was lamb. Searches for lamb products peaked in April with elevated demand in March as well, suggesting strong seasonal interest around when Easter fell each year.

Vantastec says the figures demonstrate the need for fresh and frozen food suppliers and delivery businesses to review their logistics well before the festive rush.

Co-founder and Managing Director, Gareth Edwards, said:

“These findings highlight the importance of smooth business operations for fresh and frozen produce suppliers over the festive period.

“Every year we receive calls from business owners in a panic because their current refrigerated vehicle has broken down and they are unable to fulfil Christmas deliveries.

“To capitalise on this sharp rise in demand, businesses must ensure their operations and logistics are well-equipped for the festive period.

“Planning delivery routes and vehicle loading ahead of time can make fleets more efficient during this crucial time.”

The research also looked at product types such as vegetables, desserts, dairy, condiments, and canapés. All of which saw increased search volumes in December.

Condiments saw the highest spike in searches outside of meat products, with a 110.88% increase on its January-to-October average. Dairy (+11.02%) and Desserts (+7.67%) saw the lowest surge of all categories in the study.

Vantastec says while search volume is an indicator of consumer interest, it does not necessarily represent sales or delivery volumes.

Cross-referencing these findings with historical sales and delivery quantities would be the most accurate reflection of how a business’ sales and operations might change over the holidays.

ENDS

Notes to editor:

The full report of findings, along with methodology for our research, can be found in Vantastec’s new 2026 Festive Produce Search Demand Report.

Visual assets including tables and charts of our findings can be accessed HERE and are free to use for editorial purposes.

Vantastec is a specialist van converter based in Caerphilly, South Wales. The business was founded in 2006 by co-founders Gareth Edwards and Colin Smith.

Vantastec is one of the UK’s most prominent converters and suppliers of temperature-controlled light commercial vehicles. Its clientele includes food manufacturers and wholesalers, butchers, fishmongers, caterers, and more.

Methodology:

We constructed our analysis using Google monthly search data to gauge customer demand for a range of fresh and frozen food products in the UK throughout 2023, 2024, and 2025.

We then calculated a three-year average based on this data to understand the changes in month-by-month — and year-by-year — demand for a selection of fresh food categories.

Research was conducted using Google’s Keyword Planner tool to gather the total number of monthly searches for popular phrases within specific food categories.

Using the search volumes from January to October, we calculated an average number for monthly searches outside the festive period.

Comparing this with search volumes in November and December, we determined exactly how much search demand spiked above the January-to-October average over Christmas.

We then analysed each food category, identifying which had the biggest demand spikes, and whether the festive period was actually their annual peak.

499 Google search phrases were included in total, equating to 137,972,117 annual searches.

A table of our findings*, categorised by year, month, and food group, can be found HERE. It also includes a list of all 499 Google search phrases we used for our research.

Keyword Planner volumes are rounded estimates. Search behaviour does not equate to sales or delivery volumes. It does, however, help us gauge consumer interest over time.

Combining these findings with previous sales volumes for each category will give businesses a more reliable insight into how seasonal demand might affect them.*