Operators simplify fruit and vegetable orders as cost pressures bite

UK hospitality outlets are streamlining their fresh food purchasing decisions in response to cost pressures, according to Fresho’s 2026 UK Fruit & Veg Report.

New data from the global order management platform shows a pronounced decline in fruit and vegetable order complexity, while overall spend is unchanged.

The findings, which analysed £1.8b worth of transactions, showed that hospitality outlets have been simplifying their orders steadily since 2022, from 9.6 lines per order in 2022 to 7.72 in 2025 – a decrease of 20%.

The total value of orders has remained consistent despite fewer line items as operators consolidated orders around core products.

Online orders – those placed directly by chefs through Fresho – registered a smaller decline during the period, down 3% from 10.7 lines in 2022 to 10.38 in 2025. 

A survey of almost 2,500 chefs and venue managers within the report found that hospitality operators were streamlining suppliers as they grappled with rising costs. 

Almost half of UK hospitality outlets have consolidated their supplier base over the past year, the highest proportion of any market surveyed. An additional 47% of hospitality outlets engaged in price negotiations, while 47% have also invested in digital tools to better manage costs. 

UK hospitality outlets show strong interest in automation, particularly for supplier ordering (24% cited this as their top priority), followed by stock management and menu planning tools.

According to the report, wholesalers are expanding product ranges beyond core offerings in response to customer requests, while remaining careful not to lose focus.

Rob Burton of Rushton’s The Chefs’ Greengrocer in London’s New Covent Garden Market said: “National Insurance has impacted salaries and capital spend. As an industry, we’ll get on with it, deal with it. Focus on the things that are within your control, turn the perceived problem into an opportunity.”