Best food launches of 2025 to whet your appetite: Black Sheep breakfast to Leon lunches

British springtime is almost upon us meaning the slow return of outdoor dining – hurrah! As the weather tentatively warms up we look forward to brighter mornings, al fresco entertaining, and much to the excitement of the chocaholics among us – Easter. 

Joining us in celebrating the changing seasons are a whole host of food outlets switching out their offerings from dishes you want to hunker down with to lighter options for springtime hosting. 

Join HELLO! in discovering the best food launches of the year so far…

McDonald’s

McDonald’s new May menu is an absolute must-try for lovers of a spicy burger. The McSpicy® X Frank’s RedHot is back and so delicious – a perfect amount of heat and packed with flavour. 

© Getty

The Steakhouse Stack has also made its much-anticipated return. A rival of your favourite cheeseburger or Big Mac, the Stack offers two 100% beef patties, cheddar, crispy & red onions, lettuce, and black peppercorn sauce in a freshly toasted glazed sesame bun – delicious.

For something a little lighter, team HELLO! loved diving into the new lemonade range. The Frozen Cherry Lemonade is refreshing and sweet without being sickly – the perfect beverage to sip on a hot day. 

For those looking to indulge, the Biscoff McFlurries and frappes are irresistible. A vanilla base with a crumbly biscuit crumb, both options are divine.

Costa Coffee Vanilla Lavender Iced Whipped Latte

Costa Coffee has always been Britain’s good old-fashioned reliable coffee shop chain. 

© Costa Coffee

Though they’ve been branching out their options over the years, the name of their brand new limited-edition drink might still throw you off at first: ‘Vanilla Lavender Iced Whipped Latte’. Costa’s ‘whipped latte’ range is composed of your choice of milk topped with whipped coffee, a light but velvety layer of coffee beaten with sugar and water until it becomes foamy, and the relevant syrup. 

Inspired by the Macanese Dalgona coffee, which had a surge in popularity over the last five years, it’s a unique addition to the beloved chain’s range that isn’t so easy to come by in the UK. Vanilla and lavender might sound like an almost sickly sweet combination, if you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but the resulting flavour is actually delightfully light, with a very delicate sweetness. 

It almost tastes more like an expensive milkshake than your morning coffee, flavour-wise. With a creaminess that lies in between an iced coffee and a frappe, the texture is absolutely luxurious. All-round, it’s a subtle but sumptuous addition to Costa’s fabulous summer menu, which also includes other brand-new items such as the Tiramisu Frappé, the bold and fruity Dragon Fruit and Guava Refresher, and the gluten-free Mozzarella and Pesto Toastie, among many other returning items. The Costa Vanilla Lavender Iced Whipped Latte is available in stores from Thursday 8 May, priced at £4.00 for a small and £4.40 for a regular.

Reviewed by Josh Osman, Junior Lifestyle Writer 

Black Sheep matcha lemonades

© Black Sheep

For many of us, matcha has overtaken our cup of morning tea of coffee. Now Black Sheep has put a new spin on the viral drink with their new lemonade range. 

The cafe chain has launched not only a delicious peach matcha lemonade, but also a peaches and cream version and a passion fruit one. The drinks are perfect for a summer day – light and refreshing to keep you cool in the increasingly warm weather. 

A Black Sheep lemonade pairs perfectly with one of their delicious acai bowls. It’s no great revelation to say that many of us are time poor these days, so taking the time to prepare proper meals, particularly at peak morning hours, can be tricky. While some opt for the night-before ritual, it often ends up being a fantastic idea in theory, but not always doable.

Food on the go has long been a method of choice for hungry commuters with a packed schedule, but history has taught us that when it comes to health and nutrition, there aren’t many options on the menu. An Açaí Bowl from Black Sheep Coffee is here to save the day. What is Açaí I hear you ask? It’s a berry from the Açaí palm and its fruit is packed with antioxidants and lots of other good stuff that can help with lowering cholesterol and more. 

The bowls come with organic, frozen Açaí as well as banana, crunchy nut granola and peanut butter. But, there’s more! You can even build your own bowl and up the ante when it comes to fruit, cacao nibs (a great source of fibre and protein), or even jam and Nutella if you’re feeling sweet. Healthy, quick and tasty – what more do you need? 

Reviewed by Francesca Shillcock, Digital Travel Editor 

Chocolate Dino Company

© Chocolate Dino Company

Waterloo-based bakery, Chocolate Dino Company, promises to create the ultimate giant cookie – so team HELLO! simply had to put them to the test. Each giant, quarter-pounder New York-style treat is made using Callebaut, a Belgian chocolate known for its velvety texture and intense flavour.

I opted for the Salted Caramel Pecan, the first bite giving way to a gloriously gooey, chocolate-laden centre. The Red Velvet offering went down a treat in the office – in fact, they all vanished in record-breaking time, leaving just a few crumbs behind.

But it’s not just about the cookies. Chocolate Dino Company’s award-winning brownies also promise an ultra-rich, fudgy experience. Beyond the sweet treats on offer, the savoury menu includes gourmet bagels and croissant sandwiches.

The London bakery, born from a lockdown dream, offers a weekend brunch including pancakes and eggs Benedict, washed down with Italian coffee or an on-trend matcha in their street art-adorned al fresco terrace. We’ll be back!

Reviewed by Kate Thomas, Website Editor

Knoops

© Knoops @Instagram

Everyone’s talking about Knoops right now! The hot chocolate specialist sells numerous different types of the sumptuous drink with different percentages of cocoa, depending on your preference. 

Handcrafted in store, they look and taste glorious. The brand has teamed up with ManiLife and has launched a limited-edition hot chocolate; a balanced blend of KNOOPS’ 34% chocolate flakes, known for its rich cocoa depth and subtle caramel notes, with ManiLife’s signature low and slow-roasted Almond Butter. 

The result is an ultra-smooth, nutty creation that has a slight, savoury hit, before melting into a silky, sweet, nutty finish. Divine!

The ManiLife x KNOOPS Hot Chocolate will be available in stores from March 31st – May 27th, as part of the Spring Knoopology menu, priced at £6.45 for a regular and £5.45 for a small.

Reviewed by Laura Sutcliffe, Fashion and Beauty News Editor 

Leon

© Leon

Leon has answered our prayers when it comes to fail-safe lunch options. We headed down to our local Leon to try the Spring 2025 menu, and it did not disappoint.

From the smoked salmon and cream cheese muffin to the Spicy Firecracker chicken wrap, you can certainly get your protein in. The wraps are always our favourite – filling, with a perfect amount of crunch and always full of flavour.

Leon has also introduced a selection of drinks for Spring to keep you refreshed throughout the warmer months. The salted caramel protein shake is delicious and feels like a treat, but it contains 20g of protein so it is certainly part of a balanced diet.

For something fresher, we loved the passionfruit lemon iced tea and the yuzu lemonade. 

Black Sheep acai bowls

© Black Sheep

For many of us, brighter mornings mean switching out our warming porridge to a lighter fruity option.

Black Sheep‘s acai bowl is the best way to start the day, made with premium Sambazon açai and topped with crunchy granola, peanut butter, and fresh banana. The bowl perfectly balances texture and taste, while being packed with antioxidants, healthy fats, and fibre.

Sourced from the Brazilian Amazon, Sambazon açai is organic, fair trade, and sustainably harvested so ticks all the boxes of a feel-good breakfast. For an extra chocolatey hit, Black Sheep also offers a brand new signature hot chocolate which is free of artificial additives so you won’t feel guilty indulging.

DASH Cherry Sparkling Water

© DASH

Warmer weather always calls for a cold, delicious beverage and if you’re looking for an alternative to your usual sugary fizzy drink, we would thoroughly recommend DASH’s sparkling water range.

Made with natural ingredients and a hint of juicy fruits, there are a host of flavours to choose from – and they all contain zero calories, sugar and sweeteners.

A personal favourite is the new cherry flavour, which is perfectly refreshing for the summer season.

Reviewed by Dulcie Troup, Creative Project Manager

American Easter Eggs

© Reese’s

Reese’s Pieces has to be our absolutely favourite Stateside snack. And lucky for us, the beloved brand has launched its Reese’s Peanut Butter XL Easter Egg in the UK too, alongside the Spring Sprinkles Big Cup. This is essentially just a giant Reese’s cup full of Easter-themed treats in the shape of bunnies, chicks and eggs. The verdict is in – it’s all absolutely delicious.

If you’re more of a Hershey’s fan, their Cookies N Creme XL Easter Egg is also coming to a Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA, and Morrisons near you. Every (giant) box contains a white chocolate egg as well as a bar of Cookies ‘N’ Creme to snack on.

Reviewed by Kate Thomas, Website Editor

DISCOVER: The best gluten-free venues in London Isabel, Los Mochis and more restaurants and bars