Weekly Digest #28

09.02.2026

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.

Tastes, Tech & Tasty Twists

📨 Weekly #28: Tastes, Tech & Tasty Twists

🍴 What’s Up?

From cheaper crisps and next-gen hydration to food-saving packaging tech, this week provides a global view about brands rewriting the rules to win back shoppers, cut waste, and stay relevant.

🇬🇧 Global Spotlight

• Pepsi has a radical idea to charge less for its crisps
  PepsiCo is cutting prices on Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos and Tostitos in 2026 after years of price hikes hurt sales volumes. The company admitted that rising packaging, ingredient and transport costs pushed prices too far; and affordability is now key to recovery. (CNN Business)

• Yum Brands mulls sale of Pizza Hut
  Yum Brands is reviewing strategic options for Pizza Hut, including a possible sale, after years of weak performance. The group plans to close around 250 underperforming U.S. stores this year. (Reuters)

• Grocery shopping on the app overtakes the web
  Tesco, Co-op and Lidl report that mobile app shoppers now outnumber website users, marking a major shift in grocery behaviour. Retailers say loyalty tools and convenience are driving the move. (The Grocer)

• Dyson Farms use its farm-grown barley to create a beauty product
  Dyson has launched Dyson Amino, a scalp treatment using barley grown on its UK farms and blended with 11 amino acids. Trials showed 62% oil reduction and 88% visible flake reduction. (TechRadar)

• Hustle is the new kid on the UK creatine block
  UK performance brand Hustle is shaking up functional snacks with creatine-infused protein bars delivering 18g protein and 5g creatine per bar. The range targets busy consumers who want gym-level benefits on the go. (FoodBev / Hustle)

• Mr Beast gives a boost to Upside Foods
  YouTube star MrBeast toured cultivated-meat pioneer Upside Foods, exposing millions of viewers to lab-grown chicken. The viral video significantly boosted awareness of alternative proteins. (FoodBev Media)

• Potts’ sauces put their sauces in aluminium cans
  UK brand Potts’ Partnership has switched its sauces into fully recyclable aluminium cans to cut plastic use and extend shelf life. The redesign also gives the range a bold, craft-style look. (Talking Retail)

• Good Salt launched modern electrolytes for hydration
  Good Salt’s Mode Hydration™ challenges one-size-fits-all electrolytes with an occasion-led system designed around how people move through their day, not just how they train. (Brand Release)

• Riverford Organics reports growth due to popularity of organic foods
  Riverford continues to benefit from the UK’s organic food boom as shoppers turn to healthier, more sustainable produce. Demand for organic boxes remains strong across the country. (The Guardian)

• Leon Restaurant co-founder invests in packaging innovation
  Leon co-founder Henry Dimbleby, through Bramble Investments, has backed KluraLabs, a Cambridge packaging tech startup that extends shelf life using proprietary films and stickers. The company has now raised £7.7m and is rolling out its technology with M&S to reduce food waste across the supply chain. (The Grocer / Food Manufacture)

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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.