Golden quarter week 11: How UK away from home operators aim to win Christmas 2025

The Christmas period is well-known for delivering some of the highest sales in the away from home (AFH) market, driven by seasonal consumer occasions and indulgent spending.

Celebrations with friends and family, end-of-year office parties, self-bought treats, and gifting all contribute to one of the most lucrative trading windows of the year.

However, as food inflation outpaces general inflation, operating costs continue to rise, and consumer confidence remains low, there is fierce competition for spend.

AFH operators compete for this spend during Christmas through a range of marketing activations and product development. But which Christmas propositions stand out?

Festive marketing activations

Amidst the gingerbread, candy canes, and Christmas trees, here are some of the festive marketing activations that standout across the AFH sector.

1. Set menus packaged for convenience – operators are using set menus of 2-3 courses, sharing platters, or drinks packages with a clearly set price.

Insight:

Fixed priced set menus and packages help to improve the perceived value of festive F&B offers, appealing to cost conscious consumers.

A compelling offer and clear price also reduce friction during booking, creating convenience for consumers.

2. Gifting to extend the reach of AFH – creating gifting opportunities for branded merchandise, take home food, and gift cards is popular at this time of year in AFH.

Insight:

Consumers who regularly visit and trust AFH sites are likely to be interested in buying in-store merchandise, like cups, clothing or coffee. In-store gifting options can extend your reach to in-home and provide opportunities for consumers to become brand advocates and walking advertisements.

3. Experiential hooks to differentiate occasions. As consumer confidence remains low this Christmas, operators are using activities to draw consumers in.

Insight:

With consumers being more selective about where and when to celebrate with friends and family, events are enhancing F&B experiences and winning business.

4. Cause marketing with a focus on giving back. Christmas is a time for giving, and operators are demonstrating their commitment to local communities with charitable initiatives.

Insight:

Drawing on higher than average generosity during Christmas, cause marketing aligns operators with consumers’ values, making it easy for them to do good, with the aim of evoking positive feelings that last beyond the festive season.

Christmas product development

Alongside festive marketing activations, operators are also turning to product development and range extensions to bolster their Christmas offers.

1. Drinks-led innovation: operators are innovating across all drinks categories from hot and cold, to alcoholic and non-alcoholic, to sweet and dessert drinks.

Insight:

Drink-led product development is leading the way this Christmas, possibly due to the greater agility of drink innovation, lower complexity, and minimal risk involved compared to food-led innovation.

2. Christmas sandwiches: balancing consumer expectations for convenience and festive flavours.

Insight:

Sandwiches are now a staple during Christmas, and brands are capitalising on consumers’ demands for convenience and indulgence with innovative festive flavours. Whilst chilled sandwich varieties are similar to previous years, hot sandwiches are where we are seeing most innovation this year. Melted cheese versions, such as that offered by Jumi Cheese, are particularly prevalent as its appealing visuals make it ideal for sharing on social media.

3. Fusion of festive flavours: operators are blending Christmas classics with global flavours, such as Miso or sesame, to provide innovative menu items.

Insight:

Branching out from tried-and-tested classics, operators are innovating Christmas dishes with global flavours to differentiate themselves from the crowd and align with current menu trends. This also allows operators with a global cuisine focus to participate in festive celebrations.

4. Sweet treats and confectionary: drawing on the common habit of indulgence at Christmas, operators are serving premium and “luxe value” desserts and treats.

Insight:

With indulgence at its highest during Christmas, operators are working with well-known confectionary brands and flavours to create new dishes with a familiar feel. This is also a fantastic opportunity for retail confectionary brands to gain AFH exposure.

5. Co-branding baked into products: from festive sandwiches to luxury desserts, to yuletide cocktails, operators are collaborating with recognisable brands.

Insight:

Collaborations are not just for Christmas. They are long term investments in mutually beneficial operator-supplier relationships that enhance awareness and value.

Wrapping up this year’s festive season

At a fiercely competitive time of year, AFH operators who blend smart value-adding activations with creative product development stand out. Success means boosting festive sales whilst building and maintaining loyalty that lasts into the New Year.

Look out for our Review of Christmas report, published on 23^rd January 2026 on IGD’s Away From Home insight service, which will showcase the best festive activations, how consumers celebrated Christmas in AFH and which operators were the winners of the festive season.

Merry Christmas from IGD’s Away From Home team!