2025 is the Year of the Sauce – and We Have a Sauce-y Secret

According to industry insiders at The Food Institute, 2025 is officially being declared the “Year of the Sauce”. Consumers are gravitating toward bold sauces, like spicy chili crisps, umami-rich fermented blends, inventive mustards and vinaigrettes, because they add flavor to dishes and also offer convenience for the at-home chef.

At OMS Photography, we couldn’t be more excited about this trend. Sauce is one of our favorite subjects to shoot. Here’s why:

• Sauces are visually very dynamic. Whether it’s a glossy drizzle, a pop of texture or a slow motion pour, sauces give our team so many opportunities to play with light, motion, mood and more. They can be unpredictable but that is sometimes the beauty!
• Sauce can tell a story. It can be a finishing touch, a flavor-bridge or an opportunity to transform a plate into something new entirely. One of the chefs in the interview said “sauce is such an easy way to achieve transformation” not only from a flavor perspective but from a visual one as well.
• Variety! There are so many different types of sauces and condiments, specifically called out in the article, mustards, flavor fusions, spicy chili crisp, umami-rich fermented sauces, soy sauces, light vinaigrettes, alcohol-flavored sauces and mayo-based sauces, giving us a range of dishes, cuisines and flavors to capture.

Our saucy-secret: When we shoot sauce, we don’t over-sterilize. We let real textures shine, like drops, drips, splashes, reflections. We know consumers trust what feels human. But we keep it premium using controlled lighting, rich color palettes and thoughtful composition. We love working with brands to create assets that feel elevated and authentic.

If your brand has a saucy story to tell….whether it’s a new flavor, packaging refresh, or lifestyle campaign, we’d love to capture it. Let’s make this year the year your sauce gets the spotlight it deserves.

Here are a few of our favorite sauciest shots from over the years.