The Away From Home (AFH) market in 2026 will be shaped by ongoing economic pressures, evolving consumer expectations and regulatory shift. Our series of trends reports identify the four key trends shaping the UK food system next year and beyond, and explore the impact these four trends will have on grocery retail, shoppers, food to go and the away from home market.

These trends will impact all stakeholders in the AFH market, so it is essential for operators, suppliers and wholesalers to understand these changes and prepare for the impact on their businesses.

Affordable and accessible

Consumers will keep looking for value, challenging operators to maintain quality while offering good deals. Operators must compete not just with each other, but also with retailers providing strong alternatives to dining out.

In 2026, this trend will materialise as:

• Menu developments to improve perceived value for money

• Dynamic pricing and targeted promotional activity from loyalty schemes

• Continued roll out of automated retail solutions, particularly in contract catered locations.

Looking further ahead, operational efficiency will remain a key focus. Investments into technology that provides long-term cost savings will be essential.

Elevated experiences

Consumers now expect more than affordable prices from AFH operators. Increased interest in experiences, competitive socialising, “eatertainment”, and personalisation are reshaping the expectations consumers have when they eat and drink out.

Next year, expect:

• A more connected experience across all touchpoints, from exploring social media to experiencing in the venue

• More experiential concepts, led by the pub sector

• Food becoming more of an experience than a function, with emphasis on food being engaging and enjoyable

Beyond 2026, the consumer expectation for operators to respond quickly to trends will grow, driven by social media. Internally, focus will be on agile and flexible menus and NPD processes to cater to this.

Simplify sustainability

Consumers recognise the need for sustainable living but expect government and industry to lead, rather than being met with added cost and complexity. Operators face growing pressure to meet sustainability goals, with a shift toward local, seasonal, and plant-forward food systems.

In 2026, this trend will look like:

• The responsibility for sustainability being pushed up the supply chain, with consumers putting pressure on operators, and operators seeking supplier partners who can help them meet their targets

• More legislation coming into effect, such as EPR, and more being announced/planned

Beyond 2026, partnerships will be essential. Operators and suppliers will work in collaboration to remove the consumer-facing barriers, making sustainable easy and affordable.

Health as a lifestyle driver

Consumers are becoming more mindful about what they eat, with this starting at home and creeping into their choices out of the home too. As their goals become more individualistic, consumers are looking for operators to support in making the best choices for them.

This trend will show up in 2026 as:

• NPD focused on boosted health benefits, and emphasis on calling these out to make them easier for consumers to identify

• More functional drinks as alcohol consumption continues to dwindle

Over the next few years, this will evolve with increased uptake of GLP-1s and media attention on ultra-processed foods (UPFs) causing consumers to shift towards smaller portions and nutrient-rich meals.

Want to know more?

The full report features more detail on what operators and suppliers need to do now, plan for in the mid-term, and consider for their longer-term strategies is available to Away From Home subscribers here.

Retail Analysis subscribers can read the trends report here.

Don’t have a subscription? Download a free summary of the Away From Home trends.