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Godrej Food Trends Report explores Mumbai food culture
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Monday, 10 August, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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The multiple-award-winning Godrej Food Trends Report (GFTR), India’s definitive annual mapping of food culture, continued its multi-city editorial journey with an exclusive roundtable. The Mumbai edition marked the fourth stop on its road to the milestone 10th edition, set for release in 2027. Published by Godrej Vikhroli Cucina, the culinary owned media property of the Godrej Industries Group, the ninth edition of the report in 2026 anchored the roundtable in this year’s central theme of ‘Stories’, exploring the micro-trends shaping the city’s evolving food culture. The conversation examined the three key trends of ‘Storytelling’, ‘Provenance Pincoded’ and ‘Savoury Cocktails’, alongside the broader shifts shaping how India dines, cooks, travels and engages with food.
The Mumbai roundtable brought together leading voices from across the food, hospitality, public relations and media ecosystem, including Raul Dias (food writer and restaurant reviewer), Kunal Vijayakar (youtuber, food writer and actor), Pinky Chandan Dixit (founder - Soam, Amchee, Varsoo and Soam At Home), Samreen Tungekar (editor & communication specialist), Sid Mewara (The Big Forkers and Seeti) , Panchali Mahendra (CEO, Atelier House Hospitality), Nikhil Merchant (co-founder Elevenses Hospitality, F&B writer), Roshni Bajaj Sanghvi (food & travel writer), Aatish Nath (journalist and co-founder of Restaurant Week India), Primrose Dsouza (managing editor – Femina), and Tripti Bhatia Gandhi (founder & CEO - Detales Brand Communications); bringing together a cross-disciplinary group of voices to map the ideas, influences and emerging trends shaping Mumbai’s food landscape.
The roundtable explored the changing dynamics of dining out and dining in, the influence of food media and the role of food in shaping travel and discovery, while inviting participants to identify the trends they would put their money behind for 2027 and beyond.
Sujit Patil, chief communications officer, Godrej Industries Group, said, “A decade on, the Godrej Food Trends Report (GFTR) has come to occupy a particular place in the national conversation; less a publication than a mirror held up to the active trends emerging in India’s buzzing culinary space. Food, after all, is rarely only about food; it is where storytelling, creativity, provenance, and memories quietly negotiate with one another. For this tenth edition, we made a deliberate choice to step away from the desk and into the field, travelling to the cities that have authored India's culinary imagination, and convening the chefs, restaurateurs and thinkers who are writing its next chapter. The Mumbai leg, hosted at the Taj Mahal Palace, Colaba, was a reminder of why these matters: the most instructive insights emerge not from surveys alone, but from practitioners in dialogue with one another. We believe this is what will make the GFTR stronger, more authentic and trusted in the years ahead.”
Extending beyond conversation, the Mumbai immersion used food itself as a storytelling medium. Signature dishes such as Kangra Khodiya Gosht and Daruni Jhinga brought the report's 'Provenance Pincoded' trend to life by spotlighting regional ingredients, from Himalayan walnuts to Kashmiri anardana, while the Loya Dum Murgh, carved and served in front of guests, added an element of theatre that echoed the report's focus on storytelling through immersive dining. The curated lunch brought the report's themes from discussion to the table, allowing guests to experience the stories, ingredients and traditions at the heart of India's evolving food culture.
Reflecting on the roundtable discussions, youtuber, food writer and actor, Kunal Vijayakar, said, “It was a privilege to be part of the Godrej Food Trends Report roundtable. What made the discussion truly enriching was the diversity of perspectives, spanning changing consumer behaviour, regional cuisines, technology, sustainability and storytelling, with each bringing a unique lens to the conversation. A special mention to Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, who chaired the session with her trademark warmth, insight and deep understanding of India’s evolving food landscape.”
Commenting on the evolving dining landscape, editor & communication specialist, Samreen Tungekar, said, "A room full of movers and shakers from across the F&B industry led to a conversation rich with insights for the year ahead. India’s dining culture is constantly evolving, and discussions like these help us understand how we can all contribute to elevating the country’s F&B ecosystem.”
Highlighting the larger vision, Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, curating editor of the Godrej Food Trends Report, said, “Our 2026 report talks about the Taj Mahal Palace as the place where the dining out culture began in India, making it especially meaningful to host the Mumbai roundtable here. Holding the roundtable in the historic Prince's Room, which witnessed pivotal moments during India's journey to democracy, added another layer of significance to the conversation. The discussions on where dining is headed were deeply inspiring for the food geek in me. Lunch at Loya offered a fitting expression of these themes, with dishes drawing on regional cuisines, micro-regional ingredients, traditional slow cooking and layered flavours. The experience embodied so much of what we’re seeing in 2026. Each roundtable continues to raise the benchmark for me.”
Sid Mewara added, “The Godrej Food Trends Report has become a much-needed reference point for stakeholders making both macro and micro decisions across the F&B sector.”
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