LONDON, UK. October 13th, 2026 – Seasonal menus and retail promotions can go beyond the expected this autumn, with six creative combinations of European speciality foods and drinks giving businesses fresh ideas for showcasing regional products, inspiring customers and adding interest to familiar occasions.
As temperatures fall and autumn produce comes into focus, consumers often gravitate towards comforting meals, mature flavours and ingredients suited to sharing. This creates an opening for shops, cafés, bars and restaurants to explore new combinations that bring something different to seasonal shopping and dining.
European products with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status provide an additional point of interest. These labels recognise the connection between products and their geographical origins, alongside relevant production requirements. Retailers and hospitality businesses can use these qualities to build engaging stories around authenticity, tradition and flavour.
Through its More Than Only Food & Drink campaign, the EU presents six pairing ideas that demonstrate how European food and drink specialities can inspire autumn merchandising and menu development.
Parmigiano Reggiano PDO from Italy and chocolate
Combining cheese and chocolate offers a different take on premium indulgence. Mature Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, made from raw cow’s milk in its designated northern Italian production area, develops its characteristic flavour through traditional production and at least 12 months of maturation. Its savoury, nutty and gently caramelised notes provide a counterpoint to chocolate’s roasted cocoa profile, allowing sweet and salty flavours to complement one another.
For retailers: Build a premium seasonal feature around Parmigiano Reggiano PDO and quality European chocolate. The products could be presented as a discovery set, incorporated into gift hampers or sold in smaller portions for autumn entertaining.
For hospitality: Offer the pairing as a small after-dinner tasting, an accompaniment to coffee or an alternative to standard petit fours.
Pêra Rocha do Oeste PDO and Prosciutto di Parma PDO
The combination of juicy pear and delicately cured ham is well suited to autumn entertaining. Pêra Rocha do Oeste PDO is grown in Portugal’s Oeste region, where local conditions help shape its sweetness, crisp texture and natural juiciness. Prosciutto di Parma PDO comes from the Parma area of Italy and is made through traditional curing and maturation using selected pork legs and sea salt. Together, the fresh fruit and silky, savoury ham offer a balance of textures and flavours, particularly when the pear is warmed to intensify its sweetness.
For retailers: Create a convenient seasonal food pairing by displaying the pear and ham with artisan bread and complementary cheeses. Suggested recipes for crostini, warm salads and sharing plates could encourage customers to purchase the ingredients together.
For hospitality: Incorporate the combination into a starter, flatbread, autumn salad or sharing platter, using fresh pear for brightness or roasted pear for a richer flavour.
Tokaji PDO from Hungary and Roquefort PDO from France
For customers interested in discovering new flavour combinations, Tokaji PDO and Roquefort PDO offer a meeting of sweetness, acidity and savoury intensity. Tokaji PDO wines originate in Hungary’s historic Tokaj region and follow production requirements associated with the area and its specified grape varieties. Roquefort PDO is produced from sheep’s milk and matured in the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, France. The local maturation environment contributes to the cheese’s blue veins, creamy consistency and bold taste. The wine’s fruity sweetness and refreshing acidity help offset the saltiness of Roquefort, while its honeyed notes add another dimension to the pairing.
For retailers: Merchandise the wine and cheese together with crackers, fruit and preserves to provide a complete cheeseboard solution. Informative shelf-edge materials can highlight the balance of flavours and explain the significance of the products’ PDO designations.
For hospitality: Recommend Tokaji PDO with Roquefort PDO on a cheese menu, offer the combination as a dedicated course or feature it in a guided tasting of European wines and cheeses.
Swedish Aquavit PGI with roast pork and apple
Traditional botanical flavours give Swedish Aquavit PGI a distinctive role in autumn food pairing. Produced in Sweden and characterised by caraway and/or dill, the spirit reflects established Swedish flavouring traditions and a defined geographical connection. Its herbal profile works alongside the savoury notes of roast pork, while apple brings a bright, sweet and slightly acidic contrast to richer cuts of meat.
For retailers: Bring Swedish Aquavit PGI together with pork, apples and pickled accompaniments in a Nordic-inspired seasonal display. Simple serving ideas can show customers how the products work together as a complete meal.
For hospitality: Suggest a small serving of aquavit with roast pork, pork belly or sausage, accompanied by apple and pickled vegetables. The combination could form part of a Nordic-inspired menu or a seasonal bar-food selection.
Gouda Holland PGI from the Netherlands and coffee
Aged Gouda Holland PGI and coffee offer an alternative to the familiar combination of hot drinks with cakes and biscuits. To carry the designation, Gouda Holland must be produced in the Netherlands using milk from Dutch dairy farms and naturally matured there. Mature cheese develops buttery, nutty and caramel-like characteristics that complement coffee’s roasted flavours, while its creamy texture helps balance bitterness.
For retailers: Introduce the pairing near premium coffee, breakfast products and autumn brunch selections. Tasting notes and serving suggestions can encourage shoppers to try mature cheese in a new context, while gift bundles could bring both products together.
For hospitality: Serve mature Gouda Holland PGI with speciality coffee as a savoury alternative to a sweet snack, or introduce the pairing as an unconventional final course in a restaurant.
Dark České pivo PGI from Czechia and chocolate pudding
Chocolate pudding and dark beer can work together through their shared roasted and caramel notes. Dark varieties of České pivo PGI from Czechia offer malt richness and a characteristic bitterness that can balance a sweet dessert. The beer’s connection to Czech brewing tradition is recognised through its PGI status, which reflects defined production practices and quality ingredients. Carbonation provides further contrast with the pudding’s dense or creamy consistency.
For retailers: Pair selected dark beers with premium chocolate, brownies and desserts in displays aimed at autumn entertaining. Short food-matching notes can explain why a beer with roasted flavours and balanced bitterness works well with chocolate.
For hospitality: Recommend a dark České pivo PGI alongside chocolate pudding, tart or brownie, or create a tasting experience that explores different beer and dessert combinations.
To discover more, visit the campaign website or email [email protected].
