In north London’s Kentish Town, Filipino cuisine is attracting growing attention, with ube—a vibrant purple root vegetable native to the Philippines—emerging as a standout ingredient. At Mama and Sons café, the ube ice-cream sandwich has become one of the most popular menu items, reflecting the growing demand for ube-flavored products across the United Kingdom and beyond.

Ube’s popularity has surged in recent years, expanding from traditional Filipino desserts to mainstream offerings such as lattes and pastries. Global coffee chains Starbucks and Costa Coffee introduced ube-flavored drinks in 2026, following Pret A Manger’s launch of the Ube Brûlée Iced Latte in the summer of 2025. Industry observers have likened the ube craze to the earlier global wave of matcha’s popularity.

Despite this international enthusiasm, the Philippines recently imposed a ban on fresh ube exports. The government cited a shortage of planting material and concerns about protecting the country’s competitive advantage in ube cultivation as key reasons for the restriction. Agriculture Secretary Francisco P Tiu Laurel Jr explained that the country itself faces a scarcity of planting stock and is seeking to expand domestic production before scaling up exports. He noted the risk that foreign producers might use Philippine varieties to compete with local farmers.

The export ban does not extend to processed or frozen ube products, which remain the primary ingredients supplied to markets in the United States and Europe. However, some UK restaurateurs are already feeling the impact. Omar Shah, owner of Mama and Sons and several other London dining establishments, reported difficulty sourcing fresh ube despite having stock sufficient to last a year. He acknowledged that prices have increased and warned that further rises could position ube as a luxury item.

The surge in demand has prompted concerns among Filipino agricultural experts. Guillermo “Ige” Ramos Jr, food writer and founder of the Ugnayan Center for Filipino Gastronomy, highlighted in a recent position paper that meeting international demand has depleted farmers’ reserves of raw tubers, threatening the genetic sustainability of the crop. He emphasized that ube is a traditional root crop with deep cultural roots, not merely a passing aesthetic or flavor trend.

The rise of ube has been fueled in part by social media and its distinctive purple hue. Jennifer Creevy, content director at food industry analysts WGSN Food & Drink, noted that ube’s visual appeal contributes significantly to its trendiness, paralleling the “matcha effect” observed in previous years.

Shah, who has worked with ube for more than a decade, said shortages have at times posed challenges but that he has taken measures to maintain adequate supplies. He also pointed to other Filipino ingredients, such as calamansi—a small indigenous citrus fruit—and pandan leaves, as versatile alternatives that can offer similarly vibrant flavors and colors.

For many Filipinos and enthusiasts abroad, ube remains more than a trend. Shah shared that his family’s long-standing love for ube reflects its enduring place in Filipino culture. “It’s always been there,” he said. “It’s never been a trend for them; it’s just something they’ve had all their life. So to see it outside, it’s nice to see the flag being flown.”