Members’ News

November 2026

Foodservice price inflation accelerates in September as global energy and crop pressures mount #

Food and drink prices into hospitality rose by 0.9% month-on-month in September, the latest Foodservice Price Index from NIQ and Prestige Purchasing reveals.

After modest monthly movements over the summer, it is a notable increase as the sector moves into the crucial run-in to Christmas. The domestic market is facing a renewed wave of global inflationary challenges, driven by a jump in international crude oil prices and tightening agricultural supplies of major commodities.

Cost increases in September were concentrated in categories that are heavily reliant on crop-based commodities and energy-intensive logistics. Cooking oils, bakery products and sugar-led categories of the Index all rose month-on-month, mirroring global market benchmarks that have reacted to adverse weather in key growing regions and logistical disruptions in the Black Sea.

The transition from the domestic summer harvest is also beginning to impact fresh produce. As reliance on imported fruit and vegetables increases, the lingering effects of the summer’s prolonged hot and dry conditions across Europe are becoming apparent, particularly through reduced yields in staple crops like potatoes and onions. Meanwhile, the seafood sector remains structurally inflationary, hampered by strict quota reductions that have prevented any seasonal easing of prices.

While nearly the entire basket of the Foodservice Price Index was inflationary in September, there was marginal relief in the meat and poultry sector, as poultry and pork markets softened due to recovering animal growth rates and ample export availability from the Americas. However, this minor deflation is overshadowed by the firmness of the wider market, as producers across all categories grapple with the resurgence in global fuel and distribution costs.

Shaun Allen, CEO of Prestige Purchasing, said: “The 0.9% month-on-month increase in September demonstrates that inflationary momentum is steadily building as we head into the winter. We are seeing a potent combination of macroeconomic pressures hitting the supply chain simultaneously. The significant rise in crude oil prices over the last month is already beginning to inflate transport and packaging costs, while global markets for cereals, oils, and sugar are tightening due to extreme weather and geopolitical friction. While our domestic supply chain navigated the summer with impressive resilience, the transition to imported winter produce will expose operators to these harsher global realities. Now is the time for procurement teams to act proactively, locking in supply and hedging against what could develop into a highly volatile final quarter of the year.”

Reuben Pullan, Senior Insight Consultant at NIQ, said: “Solid sales growth and stability in pricing brought some welcome relief for hospitality over the summer after a tough first half of the year. But resilience is now under renewed pressure from this latest uptick in food and drink prices, which will squeeze operators’ margins even tighter and force them to look again at menu prices. As we move into the crucial Christmas and New Year period, the sector will be keeping everything crossed for an easing of macro and micro inflationary factors and an upswing in consumers’ spending confidence.” 

Two great names. One bold future for venue hospitality. #

Company of Cooks and Restaurant Associates Venues come together under one brand as Company of Cooks celebrates 30 years.

Two of the most respected names in British venue hospitality have come together. Restaurant Associates Venues and its teams have joined Company of Cooks, creating one specialist brand dedicated to delivering exceptional food, drink and experiences to clients and customers in distinctive cultural, heritage and leisure destinations.

The move brings together shared expertise, creativity and a deep understanding of what makes every venue unique. With the character of each place at its heart, the combined team will build on strong foundations, raise standards and create thoughtful hospitality that feels authentic to its setting and memorable for every guest.

The new chapter comes as Company of Cooks marks its 30th anniversary. Since opening in London in 1996, the business has grown by staying true to a simple belief in celebrating craftmanship, creativity and community.

Committed to excellence
Bringing the teams together harnesses the depth of expertise across the business and reinforces a shared commitment to the highest standards. The team will establish centres of excellence where specialists share knowledge and best practice to drive innovation in hospitality. By sharing ideas, developing talent and challenging convention, they will continue to push the boundaries of hospitality and deliver exceptional experiences for every client, venue and guest.

Dirk Talsma, Managing Director of Company of Cooks, said:
“I am incredibly excited about this next chapter. Company of Cooks’ 30-year heritage is built on integrity and the belief that brilliant hospitality starts with brilliant people. Bringing our teams together is a natural evolution, strengthening our operational expertise, culinary innovation and event sales capability, alongside greater investment in our people and client locations.

“Our ambition is to become the UK’s most admired hospitality partner for cultural destinations, heritage event venues and visitor attractions. We are structured to give clients, guests and venues outstanding support while investing meaningfully in our teams. That means great training, genuine career opportunities and a supportive culture where people feel valued. When we care for our people, they bring creativity, confidence and craft to every guest experience.”

Matt Thomas, CEO, Workplace + Leisure, Compass Group UK & Ireland, said:
“We have long admired Company of Cooks and what it stands for. As our market evolves, we need to keep developing our people and challenging our thinking, so we continue to earn the trust of the clients and customers we serve today and those we will welcome tomorrow. Company of Cooks has an important place within the Workplace + Leisure sector, alongside distinctive, thoughtful brands that can share expertise while staying true to their own identities. My job is to give this leadership team the resources, investment and talented people they need to uphold the highest standards and deliver on our promises. That is what matters: backing our people to do what they do best, and making sure our clients and customers see the difference.”

Michael Lambourne appointed CEO of Compass One #

Compass Group UK & Ireland has appointed Michael Lambourne as CEO of Compass One. Michael will have responsibility for overseeing all of Compass’s public-sector business in the UK & Ireland, including its facilities-management operations.
 
Compass One includes leading public sector businesses such as ESS, Medirest, Chartwells Schools and the Cuisine Centre; operating across Defence, Marine and Aerospace; Energy, Government and Infrastructure; Healthcare and state Education. Compass One also operates the company’s extensive FM capability.
 
The sector looks to deliver greater value, innovation and operational excellence for clients and sees around 25,000 colleagues, supporting many clients, often working in complex operating environments.
 
Michael has relocated to the UK from Compass Group Australia, where he previously held the role as Executive Director for ESS, Chartwells, Medirest and Morrison Living. He has been with Compass for nine years and has led several businesses, including Australian Defence, Restaurant Associates, Eurest and Rapport. Prior to Compass, Michael worked in mining and resources, manufacturing and distribution sectors in a range of senior finance and strategy roles.
 
Michael brings extensive leadership experience, strong operational expertise and a deep commitment to people, culture and the highest standards of health and safety. He will join the Compass Group UK & Ireland Executive team and report to Charlie Brown, Interim CEO, Compass Group UK & Ireland.
 
Commenting on Michael’s appointment Charlie Brown said:
“Michael brings fresh thinking, innovation and a proven track record of delivering across the public sector. Our public sector business is industry leading and with Michael's support we will continue focus on delivering commercial value for our customers, while doing the right thing for people and planet, delivering jobs, opportunities and skills for our people.”
 
Michael Lambourne added:
“I am really looking forward to getting started. It’s been great to meet the team in recent weeks and learning more about the business and our clients. One thing that is consistent across borders is that it’s always a huge privilege to work in the public sector. Our teams work in complex environments, supporting diverse customer requirements, at key moments in people’s lives.

“I am hugely proud to be leading the teams that provide such essential services, 24/7, supporting many parts of the country’s critical infrastructure.”

FEA and IHSPF bring the Certified Food Service Professional (CFSP) course to India #

Popular international qualification comes to one of the world’s largest foodservice markets

The Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA) is collaborating with the International Hospitality Sales Professionals Forum (IHSPF) to bring the Certified Food Service Professional (CFSP) course to India.

CFSP is the training initiative designed to raise professionalism throughout the foodservice industry. It gives students a holistic understanding of how a commercial kitchen operates. With more than 700 graduates in the UK alone, the CFSP programme has established itself as the benchmark for developing and recognising knowledge within the foodservice sector. No other course delivers the insight and understanding of the systems and processes that make the foodservice industry tick. The breadth of the course makes it equally relevant to foodservice operators, equipment manufacturers, service providers, dealers and consultants.

CFSP is recognised internationally, with programmes running in the USA, Australia, UAE, Sweden and Italy. The first Indian course will have space for up to 25 candidates from the foodservice equipment community. Students will have access to the full CFSP study guide and, in a first for the course, this will be supplemented with a number of webinars and other support features scheduled during the study cycle, which will last between two and three months. The final course revision workshop will be held at the Unox facility based in New Delhi on the 18th and 19th of February 2027. FEA’s expert CFSP trainer Graham Veal CFSP will be hosting the webinars as well as the final workshop and the examination.

“We are extremely pleased to be bringing CFSP to India,” says Niranjan Lakshminarayan CFSP of the IHSPF, who has also already completed the course. “It is an internationally recognised qualification and, with the increasing importance of India’s foodservice equipment industry, will provide an excellent way of ensuring our community is providing top quality expertise to our customers.”

John Cunningham is chief executive of FEA. He says, “India is one of the world’s largest foodservice markets and we are delighted to be working with IHSPF to launch CFSP there. The enthusiasm of Niranjan and his team underlines just how highly valued the qualification is.”

Registration for the course is open now, and candidates can book their place using this link: https://tinyurl.com/CFSPIndia. The course fee is £945 per delegate. To find out more information contact Niranjan Lakshminarayan CFSP by email ([email protected]) or Vijay Bembey ([email protected]).

The Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA) is the independent, authoritative voice of the UK foodservice equipment industry, representing over 175 companies who supply, service and maintain all types of commercial catering equipment - from utensils to full kitchen schemes. For more information on FEA visit www.fea.org.uk

Restaurants' delivery sales strengthen in September after tough Summer #

Restaurants have made a solid start to Autumn delivery and takeaway sales with like-for-like growth of 2.3% in September, the latest NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker shows.
 
It is the Tracker’s highest point since June and follows a challenging Summer when consumers headed outdoors in the heatwaves. With the weather cooling they have now stepped up their at-home spending. However, growth remains below the UK’s 3.5% rate of inflation in September, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index.
 
The pattern of modest growth is echoed in the latest figures from the separate NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker, which indicated like-for-like growth of 2.6% for managed restaurants in September—the highest figure for nearly two years.
 
September’s trends are even more positive on a total basis. Including sales at restaurants opened in the last 12 months, or where deliveries and takeaways were added for the first time, revenue jumped 11.8% ahead of the same month in 2025—more than three times the rate of inflation. The rollout of delivery offers reflects restaurant leaders’ sustained confidence in the future of direct-to-door sales.
 
The Hospitality at Home Tracker also highlights the long-term migration of sales from takeaways to deliveries. Revenue from takeaway and click-and-collect orders dropped year-on-year for the 18th straight month, by 6.3%. By contrast, delivery sales rose 5.8% on a like-for-like basis, powered by orders from third-party platforms.
 
Combined delivery, takeaway and click-and-collect sales accounted for just over a fifth (20.9%) of all spending with restaurants in September, with deliveries attracting nearly three quarters of this revenue.
 
Karl Chessell, Director - Hospitality Operators and Food, EMEA at NIQ, said: “Restaurants won’t be getting carried away with like-for-like growth of 2.3% in September, but they will feel relieved about an uptick in demand after a quiet July and August. It’s also pleasing that at-home sales growth doesn’t appear to be coming at the expense of eat-in trade. The latest figures raise hopes that consumers will loosen their spending in hospitality in the final quarter, though competition is going to be intense and rising costs will make profits hard-earned. As the run-in to Christmas begins, there’s all to play for in restaurant deliveries.” 

FEA and Zero Carbon Company to cut carbon and costs from commercial kitchens #

Partnership puts foodservice equipment expertise in front of hospitality property owners

The Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA) and Zero Carbon Company (ZCC) have set up a partnership designed to help foodservice operators cut carbon and costs.

The partnership will see FEA joining ZCC’s Property Action Group, whose members are property leaders looking to cut emissions from their venues and kitchens. FEA will bring manufacturer and distributor expertise to the group – so property leaders see energy-efficient kitchen technology before specifications are fixed, and suppliers hear directly what operators need.

John Cunningham is chief executive of FEA. “The partnership puts foodservice equipment expertise into hospitality operators' decarbonisation decisions, helping venues and commercial kitchens reduce their carbon footprint and cut running costs, on everything from refurbishments and new builds to everyday equipment choices.”

Zero Carbon Company works with the food, drink, hospitality and brewing sectors to accelerate carbon reduction. ZCC’s figures show how, through their input, hospitality operators have reduced direct energy emissions by 52%, identified more than £5m in energy savings and strengthened business resilience.

For example, heatwaves cost UK hospitality £3.2m a day in 2026, according to ZCC data. That means the 30 heatwave days so far this year have cost the industry £96m, with the average site paying an extra £680 a month on energy. Pubs were hit hardest and restaurants least, with QSR brands in between. The extra costs result from fridges working harder to stay cold, air conditioning running around the clock, with chefs working in kitchens reaching 50°C.

The FEA partnership with ZCC will connect the businesses that design, manufacture and supply foodservice equipment with the operators who run the kitchens it goes into. Operators will get earlier, clearer information on energy-efficient equipment before they refurbish or build; suppliers will get a direct line to what operators need.

John Cunningham says: "This partnership puts our members’ energy expertise in front of the property directors making refurbishment and new-build decisions, helping operators to make informed choices about efficient equipment."

“Kitchens are one of the biggest opportunities hospitality has to cut its emissions,” says Mark Chapman, CEO of Zero Carbon Company. “Bringing FEA into our Property Action Group means operators will see what equipment is available, how it performs and what it will save before they commit capital – not after."

Alongside FEA’s work with the Property Action Group, ZCC will also work with the Association and its members to share insights, data and guidance, hosting joint workshops so that operators can compare carbon, running costs and emissions and make informed decisions before they purchase.

The partnership will feature at the FEA Conference on 19 November in Daventry where Joe Elgar, Partnerships Manager at ZCC, will speak on the Net Zero Operator of the Future. He'll set out what efficient, resilient kitchens look like, from lower energy bills to less waste, and what operators need from suppliers to get there.

For more information on FEA visit www.fea.org.uk.

For more information on ZCC visit www.zerocarboncompany.org.