Chinese New Year is not a single day but rather endures for a period of several weeks, with festivals and special days associated with it enabling the atmosphere to linger – and with it, heightened demand for Chinese comestibles – and South East Asian food more widely – as Brits celebrate by indulging one of their favourite World Cuisines.
In China the legal holiday is seven days long, from the Lunar New Year's Eve to the sixth day of the first lunar month, and some companies and public institutions enjoy a longer holiday up to ten days or more, because in China itself, the festival stretches to the 15th day of the first lunar month (namely, the Lantern Festival).
Chinese New Year is observed by Chinese people themselves, but also by Sinophone communities – ethnic Chinese-speaking populations in countries as distant as the USA or UK – and increasingly by non-Chinese people worldwide.
A quarter of Earth’s population – in other words over two billion people – will formally celebrate it, and much of the remainder of humanity will join in vicariously, by watching the celebrations and by tasting the flavours of China – and Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Korea, and even Japan.
This New Year commences on Tuesday, 17 Feb this year (coinciding with Pancake Day) and continues until 3 March, making it a fine extended chance to feature all the things needed for an Oriental feast – mainly based on a variety of cultivated rices and a panoply of noodles as the base for dishes.
The Fire Horse
To understand what lies behind the festival, note that the Western zodiac has twelve regions corresponding to the geography of the night sky, and so does the Chinese. But where the Western signs – Libra, Sagittarius, Areas, Leo and so on – hold sway for a month at a time, each of the twelve Chinese zodiacal characters – which come replete with their own myths and stories – lasts for a full year, giving a twelve-year cycle.
This year, 2026, it’s the year of the horse (just like 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966 etc) and not just a simple horse, because there are several incarnations of elemental “personalities” of the animal, the others being Gold (friendly and straightforward), Water (warmhearted and charming), Wood (imaginative and understanding) and Earth (optimistic and responsible).
Chinese New Year celebrations last for 15 days of the first lunar month Photo: IStock
If you are born in a hear of the Fire Horse then you are smart, lively and charismatic. Indeed, there do not seem very many downsides to being a Horse!
The fable behind it comes from the original Great Race (which all the zodiac animals took part in), where Horse finished seventh despite its speed after being tricked by the Snake, who wrapped its length around Horse’s hoof, startling him as he galloped towards the finish line, to steal sixth place, leaving the “noble” Horse to claim seventh. In compensation for being duped, Horse now symbolises a blend of “freedom, passion, and unstoppable forward motion” no matter what setbacks and disappointments he suffers. Consequently, the Year of the Horse is seen as one of optimism and opportunity. Let’s hope!
Stocking and selling the New Year
World Food is a section of the c-store that has enjoyed burgeoning good fortune in recent years, and almost always at the pinnacle of “ethnic” food sales – clearly the winner on this occasion – is Chinese ingredients, sauces, condiments, staples (rice and noodles) and meals – ready and food-to-go.
In short, Chinese New Year is a massive opportunity to market specific products for one of the two or three most popular “treat-yourself” cuisines.
We spoke to Anna Beheshti, Head of Marketing at Tilda, who knows more than most what is involved, selling into this particular market. She explained that Chinese New Year is a proven, high-performing period for Tilda and for the wider World Food category. Rice sits at the heart of Chinese culture, symbolising prosperity, family, and togetherness.
“Chinese New Year is an important cultural moment, and for Tilda it’s about supporting retailers with products and visibility they can rely on to drive strong sales during this key period,” she explains.
Tilda Premium USA Long Grain RicePhoto: Handout
For 2026, Beheshti says that Tilda’s plans focus on products that work both for celebration and everyday meals, helping retailers capture demand before, during, and after Chinese New Year. Tilda has also recently launched a new Fragrant Thai Hom Mali Jasmine Rice in 5kg and 10kg formats, featuring a dragon design to drive stand-out on shelf. It’s useful to stock a selection of rice varieties, because Basmati – mainstay of Indian meals – is not often used in Oriental cuisine.
“Independents are well placed to compete with the multiples by creating strong in-store theatre and curating focused, high-rotation ranges," she adds. “World Food shoppers value familiarity and quality, and stocking trusted brands such as Tilda, now worth £126.3m and growing at +3.3% in value, helps drive higher turnover, stronger basket spend, and repeat visits.”
Indeed, impulse can capitalise on the ad hoc nature of purchasing during a festival that requires products perhaps not on the standard shopping list but needed as inspiration and appetite strikes.
“Historically, Tilda has supported the occasion through large-scale depot activity, Point of Sale and high-impact mega displays, giving retailers confidence and visibility at key selling moments. For 2026, Tilda expects continued growth, stronger footfall, and increased demand across both core Chinese shoppers and wider audiences. As the UK’s No.1 rice brand by value [Circana Total Rice] and a certified B Corp, Tilda is well placed to lead the occasion with scale, quality, and long-term credibility.”
“In convenience, speed and reliability are critical," Beheshti points out. “Sticky is the fastest growing rice variant and Tilda Microwavable Sticky Rice 250g is one of Tilda’s strongest-performing SKUs, alongside Tilda Microwavable Egg Fried Rice 250g, offering authentic flavour with quick preparation.”
Tilda Fragrant Thai Hom Mali Jasmine Rice Photo: Handout
Tilda is also the No.1 brand in Jasmine Block & Boil in the Bag Rice, and their Jasmine block pack range has been recognised with a Great Taste Award, reinforcing quality credentials that shoppers trust.
Clearly, the rice aisle is clearly no longer a basics section – indeed, the proliferation of heat and serve options, flavours and preparations has added choice and colour that have transformed a staple into a celebration.
“Retailers who keep their Chinese New Year ranges focused and visible, and back trusted products, consistently see the strongest sales and repeat purchase. Tilda has grown by £24.2m over the last three years,” she concludes.
Specially for Chinese New Year 2026, Tilda is supporting the category with a high-impact out-of-home display in Central London near Chinatown, featuring Tilda Premium USA Long Grain 20kg to drive awareness, footfall, and shopper demand at store level.
Alongside this, Tilda just launched a new tasty Chinese Special Fried Rice, including mushrooms, carrots, peas, Chinese spices and soy sauce, an ideal choice for Chinese New Year. Perfect with pan-fried tofu, BBQ spareribs or Chinese meatballs – place prominently!
Tasty products to stock
The panoply of options grows each year, but some of the most recent offerings in the wider realm of South-East Asian cuisine are certainly worth their place on c-store shelves at this time.
Kohlico’s KO‑LEE brand recently introduced The Ultimate Noodle Box range, which features the salted egg flavour, which is seeing 20 per cent YoY growth globally. Developed for convenience, forecourts, symbols and grocery multiples, the new boxes – modelled on classic Chinese takeaway packaging – offer a premium eating experience in a portable, shelf-ready format.
The premium instant noodles category is growing at 5.32 per cent CAGR as shoppers increasingly trade up for indulgent options, and 80 per cent express interest in salted egg flavours.
KO-Lee offers two options: Chilli Egg Noodles, where a fiery kick meets a creamy, savoury richness; and Lobster Egg Noodles, blending seafood with salted egg indulgence. Prep time is just four minutes.
KO-Lee Chilli Egg NoodlesPhoto: Handout
Over at Chinese-Inspired QSR brand Chopstix (established in Camden Market in 2002) has launched a brand-new range of frozen ready-meals.
This ready-meal range will allow consumers to enjoy seven of the brand’s dishes at home, including Chopstix’s signature Caramel Drizzle Chicken, Beef Teriyaki and KPOP BBQ Chicken.
Elio Elia, Product Director at Chopstix, said: “We know there is huge appetite for our big, bold Chinese flavours across the UK and consumer feedback kept confirming the demand for a ready meal range. We have spent the last 12 months developing and innovating across our teams to ensure that the meals are a true reflection of our in-store product.”
Extending our retail offer is an important step in our ambition to bring the Chopstix brand to even more people in the UK, and brand extension through such as this will be critical in us achieving these long-term goals.”
Lee Kum Kee, a long-trusted name in Asian sauces and condiments, is expanding into noodles for the first time with its new Plain Noodle range – featuring four authentic Asian-style varieties: Egg, Ramen, Knife-Cut, and 4-Flavour Noodles.
The brand believes that both the broader Asian food and noodles categories are primed for growth and transformation: consumers are increasingly seeking authentic Asian ingredients as scratch cooks are exposed to a broader variety of dishes (thanks to chefs, restaurants, and social media trends), with 82 per cent of customers saying they want a wider variety of international food on store shelves.
Lee Kum Kee Plain Noodle rangePhoto: Handout
The new Lee Kum Kee Plain Noodle collection brings together traditional craft and modern innovation, and it has developed a range of premium texture noodles, balancing the bounce and bite of handmade noodles with the convenience of ambient storage.
The four new products include Egg Noodles, offering a springy bite – ideal for everything from quick stir-fries to light soups; Ramen Noodles – which retain their springiness even after cooking, so perfect for hot broths, chilled dishes or modern fusion recipes; Knife-Cut Noodle, hand-style thick ribbons that bring standout texture and strong visual appeal, whose shape holds sauce beautifully; and 4-Flavour Noodles – Combining ramen, soba, spinach and purple sweet-potato noodles in one packet.
The new products prioritise speed of cooking, with each ready to eat in under three minutes, except for the Knife-Cut noodles which are ready in five. All offer a 90g portion per serving.
Meanwhile, speciality food importer, distributor and food brand owner Empire Bespoke Foods (EBF) introduced its Master Cook range in 2024, featuring meal kits, noodles, and condiments, in response to the growing demand for convenient yet authentic international flavours.
Master Cook range Photo: Handout
Upuli Ambawatta, EBF Brand Manager, explains that “Master Cook is driven by the vision of bringing emerging cuisine trends into the world food category. We continuously explore global food trends and flavours and refine them to better suit UK consumers' taste preferences.
The range includes four meal kits – Katsu Curry, Sesame Teriyaki, Curry Udon and Yaki Soba – with pre-measured ingredients to help create chef-crafted meals in just 15 minutes.
There is also a range of dry noodles (Ramen, Udon and Soba) ideal for soup or stir-fries, Soy sauces (Premium, Dark and Light), Ramen Broth and Classic Kimchi.
So, brighten your shelves with great Asian products for a fabulous New Year, and good luck for Year of the Fire Horse.