Weekly Digest #21
22.12.2025
Welcome to The Fork’s Lens
Every week, we serve up a quick, flavourful dose of what’s cooking at the intersection of food, drink, and entrepreneurship.
Expect:
🍴 Sharp founder insights
📊 Bite-sized industry trends
🛠 Tools & tips to level up
🔥 Events & openings worth your time
For those of you building food brands, launching products, or just hungry for what’s next – this one’s for you.
Trim, Trust & Traction
📨 Weekly #21: Trim, Trust & Traction
🍴 What’s Up?
This week felt like one of those quiet-but-important ones. Big brands are making moves behind the scenes, founders are doubling down where demand is holding strong, and a few long-rumoured deals are finally getting dates attached. You can feel the industry settling into what actually works; trimming where it doesn’t, backing categories that keep proving their worth, and setting the tone for how 2026 might shape up.
Let’s get into it.
🌎 This Week’s Headlines
KatKin secures $50M to grow premium pet-food thesis
London-based fresh cat food challenger KatKin closed a $50m funding round to accelerate UK expansion and invest in product science, reinforcing the rise of pet humanisation, where owners increasingly pay for human-grade nutrition. (The Times)Leon co-founder buys back brand, streamlines footprint
John Vincent has repurchased Leon, beginning a restructuring that will reduce store numbers and refocus on quality and profitability, signalling renewed confidence in health-led fast-casual amid a tough mid-market environment. (The Guardian)Kraft Heinz names new CEO ahead of split
Kraft Heinz appointed Steve Cahillane (former Kellogg chief) as CEO from Jan 1, 2026, as it prepares to split into two businesses: one focused on growth brands, the other on core grocery staples. (AP News)Greencore/Bakkavor deal set to complete in January
UK convenience food giants Greencore and Bakkavor confirmed their merger is expected to complete on 16 Jan 2026, following CMA clearance creating a major force in chilled and prepared foods. (Grocery Gazette)EU clears Mars/Kellanova snack megadeal
The European Commission has unconditionally approved Mars’ acquisition of Kellanova, paving the way for one of the biggest global snack consolidations in years. (FoodNavigator)Supermarket Christmas veg price wars
Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl cut Christmas veg prices to as low as 5p, highlighting intensifying competition on everyday staples. (The Grocer)Brits ditch sugar for dried fruits
Shoppers are increasingly replacing refined sugar and confectionery with naturally sweet dried fruits like dates, raisins and apricots. Health concerns, sugar-reduction goals and cleaner labels are driving dried fruit growth across snacking and baking. (The Grocer)
📊 The Fastest Growing & Shrinking Categories of 2025
What flew, what flopped, and what it says about where shoppers are heading.
Data from The Grocer’s Top Products Survey 2025, in association with NIQ, reveals sharp contrasts across UK grocery as some categories boom while others reset after years of hype.
🚀 The Biggest Winners
Nicotine replacement ▲ 23.8%
Ambient ready meals ▲ 13.9%
Bottled water ▲ 12.8%
Flavoured milk ▲ 10.0%
RTD cocktails ▲ 9.4%
Honey ▲ 7.3%
Sports & energy drinks ▲ 7.0%
Yoghurt ▲ 6.6%
Drinking yoghurt ▲ 6.4%
Garment care ▲ 5.7%
📉 The Biggest Losers
Loose tobacco ▼ 22.0%
Vaping ▼ 18.7%
Cigarettes & cigars ▼ 12.5%
Canned pasta ▼ 8.3%
Hot chocolate & malted drinks ▼ 7.0%
Paediatric analgesics ▼ 6.9%
Meat-free ▼ 6.5%
Cough, cold & flu ▼ 6.5%
Babymilk ▼ 6.4%
Jams & preserves ▼ 5.1%
💭 The Fork & The Flame
“Focus on durability. Think beyond hype.”
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About Forks & Founders
We believe bold food brands deserve bold support. That’s why we’ve built a collective of seasoned foodies, retail rebels, creative storytellers, and numbers nerds – people who’ve been in the kitchen, the boardroom, and the shop floor. We jump in where you need us most, helping you turn big ideas into bites people can’t stop talking about. Because building a food brand isn’t just business – it’s passion, flavour, and a little bit of chaos. We’re here to make sure it’s the good kind.
