As the new post-pandemic normal settles in and people adapt to a context of uncertainty, constant adversities, and pessimism, we are moving away from a moment in which consumers expected brands to rise up to society's challenges and into one when they’re demanding genuine allyship from businesses.

How are people embracing indulgence and getting messy with their food? What do consumers want from food brands to help with rising costs? Why is the appetite for plant-based products fluctuating? And how are drinks brands enticing people to engage with novel booze experiences?

Britons are treating themselves to their favourite foods and snacks for a sense of indulgence and solace amid a testing cost of living crisis. Canvas8 spoke to eight people to find out when and why they indulged in comfort foods, and to talk about their attitudes towards ‘guilty pleasures’.

With people looking to nostalgia for a sense of stability and familiarity, Edinburgh-based brewery Vault City has experimented with a British favourite: the Wagon Wheel. Balancing whimsy and sentimentality, the 'Vault Wagon' plays with flavour to send drinkers back to their childhoods.

Mars has partnered with Perfect Day to make a chocolate bar featuring animal-free dairy proteins. Positioned as an eco-friendly choice, it aims to address the concerns around flavor and texture that may sometimes prevent non-vegans from trying out alternatives to dairy products.