Deliveroo has crowned its inaugural Takeaway of the Summer 2026, an accolade set to become a regular fixture.
Deliveroo’s ‘Takeaway of the Summer’ has been announced(Image: Deliveroo)
Deliveroo has officially announced its first ever Takeaway of the Summer 2026 – and the crown goes to the Chicken Shawarma Wrap. This is the first time Deliveroo has handed out such an accolade, with the annual announcement set to become a regular highlight in the company’s food trends calendar.
You might have expected a record-breaking heatwave to have Brits reaching for something cool and refreshing, but the nation had different plans. Instead, people flocked to hot, filling shawarma wraps.
The surge in demand has been so dramatic that more than half of the restaurants selling shawarma on Deliveroo this summer weren’t offering it at all just 12 months ago.
The data revealed that orders for Chicken Shawarma Wraps soared by over 70% this summer compared to last year, catapulting it to the top of Britain’s most-loved takeaway list.
And this isn’t down to one big chain tweaking its menu. Independent restaurants — from Lebanese kitchens to late-night grills — have also decided the chicken shawarma wrap deserves a place on its menu.
With the season defined by major cultural moments, including the World Cup and spells of exceptionally hot weather, Deliveroo’s order data paints a picture of how these events influence what people choose to eat.
As part of its research, Deliveroo looked at which takeaway cuisines saw the greatest surge in demand this summer compared with the same period last year, shedding light on the flavours and trends that shaped the season.
Shawarma proved to be a firm favourite for evening dining, with orders on Deliveroo peaking at 7pm and Friday emerging as the most popular day for the dish by some distance.
Jeff Wemyss, Deliveroo General Manager UK & Ireland said: “Independent grills up and down the country have been serving the dish rooted in generations of culinary tradition for years, and we couldn’t think of a more deserving winner for Deliveroo’s Takeaway of Summer 2026.”
Deliveroo has also unveiled the UK cities spearheading the shawarma craze, with Coventry crowned Britain’s Shawarma capital of the summer.
- Coventry
- Newcastle
- Reading
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
- Bristol
