Omne, Europe’s largest integrated specialist foodservice marketing agency, has unveiled the next phase of its landmark research series, Brands Away From Home 2 (BAFH2), at an exclusive client event held at LinkedIn’s new Experience Centre in London.
Following on from 2024’s Brands Away From Home 1, which captured operator sentiment during a period of volatility and uncertainty, BAFH2 explores how those relationships have evolved in today’s tougher, more evidence-driven marketplace.
The study – built on qualitative insight from a cross-section of operators – reveals that the ‘age of reassurance’ has now passed, and the ‘age of proof’ is firmly upon us. And it’s impacting what branded manufacturers in foodservice and hospitality need to offer customers in order to thrive, not just survive.
A Market Under Pressure, but Full of Clarity
According to Omne’s report, the UK foodservice sector enters late 2025 facing a perfect storm: higher labour costs, persistent inflation, tighter compliance requirements, and increasingly demanding consumers. Yet, rather than a story of contraction, BAFH2 paints a picture of clarity. Operators now articulate precisely what they expect from suppliers:
- Margin protection through measurable efficiency
- Compliance simplicity via digital, audit-ready data
- Menu energy that drives cultural relevance and excitement
- Health delivery without sacrificing gross profit
From Reassurance to Proof
These expectations are expressed through four dominant “Operator Realities” that now define how buying decisions are made:
- The Optimiser: Focused on protecting margin through efficiency and waste reduction.
- The Guardian: Concerned with compliance, risk, and audit readiness.
- The Creator: Driven by differentiation and cultural relevance on menus.
- The Balancer: Tasked with delivering health and nutrition targets without eroding profitability.
Operators anchor in one reality but flex across the others, depending on circumstance – meaning suppliers must be both focused and flexible. Omne describes this as the “Anchor + Flex” model: anchoring in one dominant proof area while credibly flexing into the others to remain indispensable.
Proof Packs: The New Standard for Suppliers
The report highlights a seismic change in the expectations operators place on their suppliers. No longer content with product assurances or brand heritage, operators now expect what Omne calls “proof packs” – tangible, data-driven evidence of value.
These might include ROI calculators, digital compliance dashboards, nutrition planning tools, and activation playbooks. Brands are no longer judged solely on product quality but on their ability to deliver measurable performance across multiple fronts: efficiency, compliance, differentiation, and health.
Expert Perspective
“Operators are no longer buying reassurance,” says Michael Gividen, CEO at Omne. “They’re buying evidence – proof that a brand saves time, cuts waste, ensures compliance or drives demand”.
“BAFH2 signals a turning point,” Michael Gividen continues. “Operators aren’t rejecting brands – they’re just redefining what value means. In this new environment, reassurance must be proven. The suppliers that can show up with evidence, data and real partnership behaviours won’t just keep their listings – they’ll thrive.”
Report Key Findings:
- 68% of large operators say suppliers offering digital compliance or operational tools are more attractive to list.
- Own label competition is rising, but operators remain willing to pay a brand premium only when value is evidenced through data, savings, or health delivery.
- Health has become contractual, not optional: workplace, education, and healthcare operators now face formal nutrition KPIs.
- Emotional trust remains, but it is now earned through proof, not assumed through heritage.
About Omne
Omne is Europe’s largest integrated specialist foodservice marketing agency, partnering with leading manufacturers and brands to drive performance across the foodservice and hospitality sector. With offices in Bedfordshire and Manchester, Omne delivers strategy, insight, creative, and activation services internationally, to help clients understand and engage the operators who buy, cook, and serve branded food and drink out of home.
For more information contact Chris.Davies@omne.agency.
