Deliveroo has crowned the Chicken Shawarma Wrap as its first annual Takeaway of the Summer 2026, following a major surge in demand for Middle Eastern street food across the UK.
Despite record summer heatwaves that typically drive orders toward cold dishes, British consumers turned to warm, protein-rich wraps. According to new data released by Deliveroo, orders for Chicken Shawarma Wraps jumped over 70% this summer compared to the same period last year.
The demand has shifted menu offerings nationwide, with more than half of the restaurants selling shawarma on Deliveroo this summer having not offered the dish 12 months ago. The surge was driven primarily by independent local kitchens, Lebanese restaurants, and late-night grills rather than major national chains.
“Chicken Shawarma has spent years as the wrap you order at 11pm – reliable, delicious, always there. This summer, it became the main event. 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.”
— Jeff Wemyss, Deliveroo General Manager UK & Ireland
Ordering habits reveal that Friday is by far the most popular day for shawarma deliveries, with orders consistently peaking at 7:00 PM as diners settled in for summer sport and evening entertainment.
Deliveroo also published its ranking of the top UK cities leading the trend, naming Coventry as Britain’s official Shawarma capital for summer 2026. Newcastle, Reading, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Bristol rounded out the top regional hotspots.
