TABLE TALK #155
Every few years, something funny happens in food - the things we once rolled our eyes at suddenly feel cool again.
One minute we’re joking about prawn cocktails and jelly rings, the next we’re scrolling past towering trifles, devilled eggs, and silver bowls filled with pineapple hedgehogs.
Retro food isn’t just back - it’s having a full-blown renaissance. The question is: why now?
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Part of it, of course, is cultural.
In a world that feels increasingly fast, fraught and digitised, the past becomes a kind of soft landing. Nostalgia is a comfort blanket, but it’s also an anchor. The 70's buffet spread - kitsch, chaotic, gleefully over-decorated - offers a kind of joyous antidote to the pared-back plates and minimalist living that have defined the last decade.
In a world that feels increasingly fast, fraught and digitised, the past becomes a kind of soft landing. Nostalgia is a comfort blanket, but it’s also an anchor. The 70's buffet spread - kitsch, chaotic, gleefully over-decorated - offers a kind of joyous antidote to the pared-back plates and minimalist living that have defined the last decade.
Food trends, like baby names, also love to skip a generation. What felt daggy on our parents’ tables now feels charming, ironic, even chic. There’s something irresistible about dishes that commit so unapologetically to theatre: the piped borders, the glacé cherries, the jelly that looks like stained glass, the salmon mousse patiently layered like a geological wonder.
And Instagram has been the great redeemer.
That technicolour jelly mould you’d have side-eyed in 1978? In 2025, it’s art. A prawn cocktail photographed might as well be a fashion editorial. The boldness, the symmetry, the unapologetic maximalism - all of it taps neatly into a generation craving colour and craft in a world that’s otherwise monochrome and optimised.
That technicolour jelly mould you’d have side-eyed in 1978? In 2025, it’s art. A prawn cocktail photographed might as well be a fashion editorial. The boldness, the symmetry, the unapologetic maximalism - all of it taps neatly into a generation craving colour and craft in a world that’s otherwise monochrome and optimised.
Devilled Eggs
Photo Credit - Mr Chris Brooks
Photo Credit - Mr Chris Brooks
Then there’s the emotional side.
Retro food is social food. It’s food built for spreading across tables, for leaning over, for pointing at, for commenting on. The famed “mega-spread” of the 60's and 70's wasn’t just a style; it was a social contract. Come in, gather round, there’s enough for everyone.
Retro food is social food. It’s food built for spreading across tables, for leaning over, for pointing at, for commenting on. The famed “mega-spread” of the 60's and 70's wasn’t just a style; it was a social contract. Come in, gather round, there’s enough for everyone.
And perhaps part of the charm lies in the contrast. We’ve spent years worshipping minimalism - five-ingredient everything, beige-on-beige interiors. Retro food, on the other hand, is joy with the volume turned up. It’s maximalist. Messy. Human. Made to be relished.
All of this explains why the comeback lineup is so vast: the prawn cocktail, the sherry trifle, the pineapple-and-cheddar hedgehog, the roulade, the vol-au-vent, the curd tart, even the suet dumpling. Old names that suddenly ring with new charm.
Shoulder pads might not have made it (yet), but the culinary equivalents certainly have.
Shoulder pads might not have made it (yet), but the culinary equivalents certainly have.
Swan Pavlova
Photo Credit - The Gemini Bake
Photo Credit - The Gemini Bake
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Speaking of retro joys...
If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you’ll have seen our Unexpected Pairings series tapping into this very mood.
If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you’ll have seen our Unexpected Pairings series tapping into this very mood.
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It’s been a big week on our side of things.
Over 500 of you have now tried our shiny new Build a Case option, which honestly makes me so happy. It’s something we’ve wanted to offer for ages and a simple way to mix, match and tailor your order exactly how you like it.
In the same spirit, we’ve also just launched a Gift Card. A lovely way to let someone pick the bottle that suits their mood, not yours, and an easy win for those that are especially hard to buy for.
Until next week,
Luke x
