Industry insights

As a foodservice wholesaler, we’re all too familiar with the risks and challenges of resilient food supply, from our network of UK fruit and vegetable growers who are dealing firsthand with all the challenges outlined in this letter, to the price increases that are experienced by both our public and private sector customers. I would entirely agree with the Labour election manifesto that ‘food security is national security’, so for this and more reasons, Bidfood entirely supports the call for a Good Food Bill.

Currently, around 4–7% of UK adults (approximately 2.1–3.7 million people) are using GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro for weight loss, with usage roughly doubling between 2024 and 2025 (KAM). These drugs suppress appetite, meaning users typically eat less and need to make careful food choices to meet their nutritional needs (British Nutrition Foundation).

As a result, when eating out, many are seeking venues that offer healthier options and allow customisation, while research also suggests 65% say they now choose different types of food and are willing to pay a premium for healthier options (KAM).

Venues can respond by offering smaller portions and incorporating more nutrient-dense ingredients such as beans, lean meat, fish, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables. This reflects a broader shift in the UK eating-out market, where growing health awareness extends beyond GLP-1 users, driving demand for dishes that are higher in protein and fibre and lower in sugar, without compromising on flavour (Lumina Intelligence UK Menu & Food Trends Report). The key opportunity for operators will be balancing these nutrient-dense choices with familiar favourites to reflect how consumers’ eating habits are evolving.

UK farmers deserve our full support. They are the backbone of national food security, ensuring we can feed ourselves with high-quality, traceable produce while reducing reliance on imports. Beyond food, farming sustains rural economies, supports thousands of jobs, and protects the countryside we all value. These are often family-run businesses passed down through generations, operating on tight margins and long hours. Fair, stable policy matters, not just for farmers, but for everyone who depends on a secure, resilient food system.

The latest figures from UK Hospitality reveal that of the 164,641 job losses across the UK since last October’s Budget, almost 89,000 have come from hospitality alone. This means our sector accounts for more than half of all redundancies – a stark reminder that pubs, restaurants, bars and hotels are being pushed beyond breaking point. While we welcome recent government steps, such as the 40% rates relief for 2025/26 and plans to consider lower multipliers from 2026, these measures are not enough to offset the tax increases and rising costs that have disproportionately hit hospitality.

We support UK Hospitality’s call for urgent action at the November Budget. The Chancellor must urgently consider applying the maximum discount to the multiplier for hospitality properties under £500,000, pause measures that would drive up costs further, and bring forward targeted reliefs to safeguard jobs. Without decisive intervention, more businesses will close and communities across the UK will lose not only vital local venues but also the livelihoods they sustain.

You may have seen that in recent months meat prices in the UK have risen sharply, especially beef which is up 30 to 40% compared to last year. This is due to a combination of factors including reduced supply, increased demand globally, higher costs such as National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Insurance (NI), weather issues, feed and fuel costs, and post-Brexit tariffs.

Due to these challenges, especially the rise in NI and NMW, it is clear the farming industry needs support and investment to survive. Previous removal of inheritance tax benefits and subsidies has hurt farmers, evidenced by over 30 farms being forced to close in Scotland alone over the past 12-18 months. There is hope for support in the Autumn budget, but for now it remains a volatile environment.

As a key supplier to the UK hospitality sector, Bidfood is voicing the concerns shared across the industry regarding the planned removal of key hospitality roles from the Skilled Worker visa route from 22 July 2025.

Roles such as chefs, restaurant and catering managers, and hotel and bar supervisors are vital to the success and smooth operation of hospitality businesses. Removing these roles from eligibility risks worsening the already critical labour shortages faced by venues across the country.

We urge the government to consult closely with hospitality leaders on this issue as, if implemented, this policy change undermines the sector’s ability to recruit essential talent at a time when the industry is still grappling with many challenges.

It’s important to remember that the hospitality industry plays a vital role in the UK economy and needs a workforce strategy that recognises its value and supports its future.

We’ve seen the recent reports highlighting concerns over reduced portion sizes and lower meat content in school lunches, and we understand the concern around this. School catering teams are facing unprecedented pressures, from rising food costs and tight budgets to increasing dietary and sustainability demands, resulting in difficult decisions in school kitchens across the country.

While changes to meal composition can sometimes reflect wider economic pressures, our goal remains to support schools in providing children with meals that are nourishing, satisfying, and aligned with school food standards.

We continue to advocate for greater investment in school catering and are actively collaborating with local authorities and partners to ensure that every child receives the quality meals they deserve.

Allergens remains a key focus for us at Bidfood and we welcome the new allergy information guidance for non-prepacked foods. Out of home businesses are extremely diverse, varying in size, often operate across multiple sites and serving food in a variety of ways. Therefore, flexibility is crucial to this guidance.

We’re pleased to see the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have taken into consideration some of the concerns of the industry, adopting a more flexible approach that advises businesses on different options to deliver clear written and verbal information to consumers as not ones size can fit all.

Although not a legal requirement, this will hopefully help to raise allergen management standards and ensure operators are meeting their consumer expectations in a way that works for their businesses.

A recent review into the impact of calorie labelling in supermarkets, restaurants and other food outlets determined that there has been a small reduction in calories people purchased and consumed, equating to around two almonds per meal. This may feel insignificant, however if sustained over a long time this can still have an impact at a population level.

At Bidfood, we agree that a multifaceted approach is needed to tackle obesity and improve the health of the population, remembering that calorie labelling is no silver bullet. This is why our nutrition strategy focuses on a broader approach to health and wellbeing and aligns to government policies, industry guidance and healthy eating initiatives.

We must also remember that everyone has a different relationship with food and seeing the calorie count may help some, but for others it can have a negative effect. It is therefore incredibly important that menus without calorie information can continue to be shared with the consumer at their express request to support them in their meal experience.

For further information on our resources for calorie labelling, as well as wider legislative support, click here.

Hearing The Prime Minister set out his commitment to the rollout of AI technology across the UK is certainly something that we as an industry can get excited about. Many within wholesale and foodservice have already started to implement new technologies that incorporate AI, identifying it as an important tool that could create efficiencies, increase effectiveness and support the customer experience.

AI and advanced analytics continue to develop at an incredible pace and what we see as new technology today, could be old news in the near future. In order to operate an efficient business, these tools should be embraced but, approached with caution, to ensure tools and data are fully understood before being used.