What Canadians are looking for at the grocery store this summer
Canadians are cleaning off their patio furniture, spraying down their decks and firing up their grills. These rites of spring are a surefire precursor to the summer barbecue season, a time when people come together to enjoy great food in the great outdoors.
Accompanying the warmer temperatures are trends for food producers, retailers and consumers to chew on. In 2026, this has to do with finances as much as food and saving time as much as socializing. As oscillating oil prices and trade battles threaten economic stability, Canadians will prioritize cost and convenience at the grocery store.
“Uncertainty is the only certain thing in the world,” says Sue Lewis, vice-president, marketing & events at the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA).
According to Ipsos FIVE research, consumers tend to cook more meals at home in the sunny months, which aligns with the long-term trend towards home-cooking as a money-saving move. The firm also reports a summertime uptick in “carry from home” behaviour, suggesting it’s the season for hosting friends and family for potluck-style dining occasions.
Ingrid Rathgeb-Rodriguez, director of marketing at Summer Fresh, a Canadian manufacturer specializing in salads, dips and snacks, says this year consumers will be “opting for smaller get-togethers that feel casual yet thoughtfully curated.”
They are also on a quest for convenience, culinary adventure and elbows-up style Canadian pride. These factors will drive subtle shifts in the customer’s approach to serving meals this season.
Here are a few of the key trends in summer entertaining:
Cutting costs
As industry experts point out, there are many ways to eat and entertain without breaking the bank this summer.
“Finding new opportunities with less familiar beef cuts will be a key theme for outdoor social meal occasions,” says Mathieu Paré, executive director, market development (Canada) for Canada Beef. He lists flank, skirt and tri-tip steak among flavourful—if not famous—variants. “They’re well suited to today’s outdoor gatherings and appeal to consumers looking to expand their grilling repertoire, while still managing food costs.”
According to Evan Hall, head merchant at Goodness Me! Natural Food Market, many carnivorous consumers are looking to new sources for protein. “Beef prices have obviously been up for quite a while, so people are moving a little more to the poultry side. People have also been a little more apprehensive about pork in the past, but price point-wise, they’re now broadening their horizons.”
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Rathgeb-Rodriguez of Summer Fresh, however, notes that value is in the eye of the beholder. “For some, it’s about price and stretching a budget further, but for others it’s about quality, taste, health and reliability,” she says. “Even in a more cautious spending environment, consumers still want to eat well and continue to entertain at home, which is often seen as a more affordable alternative to dining out.” Shareable formats that encourage grazing over gorging can offer a premium experience at a reasonable cost, says Rathgeb-Rodriguez.
CPMA’s Lewis, meanwhile, says a little education can go a long way to saving money in the produce section. “We publish our Fresh 20 flyer weekly, and it’s basically what $20 will buy you in fresh produce if you shop the flyer,” she says. “We take it a step further and show people how that would translate into the number of side dishes or number of snacks.”
Lewis adds that buying what’s in season can also help consumers mitigate cost—as can a zero-waste mindset. “Don’t throw it out. That’s the most expensive thing you can do.”
Convenience without compromise
The pressure on Canadians’ wallets is rivalled by the demands on their time, a factor that is driving a shift to convenience items for social occasions. “Hosts want to create elevated experiences without stress,” says Rathgeb-Rodriguez.
Summer Fresh’s new Pickled Veggies line is one of the company’s latest attempts to impress without stress. Rathgeb-Rodriguez says these products, pickled in apple cider vinegar, are designed to be eaten on their own, used as toppings or incorporated into cocktails. “With younger consumers, especially gen Z, showing strong enthusiasm for pickled flavours, we see this as a natural extension of both the vinegar trend and the demand for bold, versatile products that support both flavour exploration and overall wellness.”
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Hall says Goodness Me! will introduce a large line of infused oils and flavoured vinegars in response to growing demand, adding that vinegar ties into consumer desire for convenience and exploration. “There’s just so much that you can add to a meal with one ingredient,” he says.
Another trend driven by convenience is the proliferation of pre-marinated meat. Paré of Canada Beef highlights pre-marinated kebabs as an item he expects to be popular this summer as it “offers time-savings without compromising on quality.”
Hall says pre-marinated meat is where he’s seeing the most significant innovation from food producers. These products can be a useful gateway for consumers who aspire to culinary ambition but are hesitant to try something new, he adds. “[Pre-marinated meat] is a good introduction to understanding how to blend flavours and seeing what works.”
The Canadian way
Canadian consumers will continue to express their national pride at the checkout this summer. This is great news for Jeff Barlow, chief marketing officer at GoodLeaf Farms, which produces leafy greens on its three farms in Calgary, Guelph, Ont. and Saint-Hubert, Que.
With its farms spread across Canada’s broad geography and vertical farming methods that enable it to grow its products year-round, GoodLeaf aims to respond to consumers seeking to shop as locally as possible. “If they’re on a truck, they’re losing nutrients and losing shelf life,” says Barlow. “We’re able to reduce that to an average of 300 kilometres from farm to table.”
According to Barlow, the heightened demand for local and Canadian products has galvanized GoodLeaf’s business. “It’s had a tremendous impact on us,” he says, noting that the company has had to rapidly expand its production capacity in recent years.
READ: One year later, 'buy Canadian' sentiment remains strong
Barlow says GoodLeaf’s microgreens—nutrient-dense produce harvested after only six days—have a role to play in summer entertaining. The company has even made “levelling up your summer” the focus of its seasonal marketing campaign.
“We have a mustard microgreen that pairs incredibly well with a hamburger,” he says. “We have a brand-new product coming out, a rainbow mix of microgreens with a really bright flavour profile that’s a fantastic addition to fish or to steak as a nutritious topping.”
Barlow isn’t the only industry insider who’s witnessed the enduring pro-Canadian sentiment. “Consumers are increasingly motivated to support local businesses and are paying closer attention to where their food comes from,” says Summer Fresh’s Rathgeb-Rodriguez.
This article was first published in Canadian Grocer’s May 2026 issue.
