Weekly Digest #07

15.09.2025

👋 Welcome to the Forks & Founders Weekly Bite-Sized Digest a.k.a 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 founders building food brands, launching products, or just hungry for what’s next – this one’s for you.

M&S, Meals & Momentum

📨 Weekly #07: M&S, Meals & Momentum

🍴 What’s Up?

From UK supermarkets doubling down on local sourcing to global brands pivoting and splitting, this week’s stories show the F&B world adapting fast to both pressure and opportunity.

🔥 Big Bites: This Week’s Top Food Industry Moves

• Marks & Spencer calls for legally binding UK food production targets
  Alex Freudmann, MD of M&S Food, urged the UK government to set a “concrete target” for increasing domestic food production amidst concerns over self-sufficiency. M&S aims for all its UK-sourced products to come from regenerative farms by 2030, and is investing ~£7 million to help farmers adopt sustainable practices.

• Pret a Manger to trial meal deals amid competitive pressures
  Pret is launching UK-based meal deals for breakfast and lunch in late 2025. This comes as it faces strain from both rising operating costs and supermarket competition.

• Tesco rolls out new availability tech for shoppers
  Tesco is introducing in-store technology designed to help shoppers quickly check real-time product availability. The system will reduce wasted trips down empty aisles, improve stock visibility, and streamline replenishment for staff.

• School meals expansion could mean £600m boost for British farming
  An expansion of free school meals is projected to channel an additional £600 million into UK agriculture if sourcing is kept local. Farming groups are pushing for British produce to be prioritised in school supply chains.

• Consumer spending up in August; food inflation still biting
  UK retail spending rose 3.1% YoY in August. Food sales increased by 4.7%, though much of that is due to higher prices rather than increased volumes.

• Cinnabon to shutter all UK stores
  As EG On The Move shifts strategy, all remaining Cinnabon sites in the UK will close – a reminder of the cost pressures weighing on sweet snack chains.

• London-Based MOMO Kombucha raises £2m in funding
  The company has raised a total of £4.5m in total funding since 2018. The funds will be deployed for capacity expansion as the demand for healthy drinks are booming around the globe. Reportedly, the company is looking to add another million in funding to close the round.

🌍 Global Headlines

• Ben & Jerry’s to split from Unilever amid activism tensions
  After years of clashes with parent company Unilever, particularly around Gaza and human rights, the ice-cream maker will separate and return to an independent, socially driven model. The split highlights how consumer activism and corporate values can shape ownership structures.

• Cointreau enters RTD space
  Riding the ready-to-drink wave, Cointreau has launched its first canned cocktail — an on-the-go version of its signature orange liqueur–based serve. Another heritage spirits brand adapting to convenience-driven consumption.

• Plonts pivots from plant-based cheese to high-protein Greek yoghurt
  California-based Plonts is shelving its alt-cheese line to focus on protein-rich yoghurts. The move reflects wider consumer shifts: plant-based cheese remains niche, while high-protein dairy continues to boom globally.

• Snif x Levain Bakery collab highlights “experience first”
  Fragrance brand Snif teamed up with Levain Bakery on a scent inspired by the bakery’s cult cookies. A reminder that cross-category collaborations can spark cultural buzz, deepen storytelling, and fuse food with lifestyle.

🌱 Spotlight Story: Regenerative Farming Moves Centre Stage

Regenerative farming was once a fringe. Now, everyone’s talking about it. It is fast becoming a mainstream competitive advantage. Unlike conventional methods, it restores soil health, boosts biodiversity, and creates resilient ecosystems.

Why it matters:

• Cuts carbon, retains water, and strengthens yields against climate shocks.

• Reduces farmer reliance on costly inputs.

• Gives brands a provenance story consumers increasingly pay for.

Key drivers:

• Corporate commitments: M&S targets 100% regenerative UK sourcing by 2030; Nestlé and PepsiCo invest billions globally.

• Policy shifts: UK subsidy changes reward soil health and biodiversity.

• Consumer pull: Shoppers value sustainability, even under inflation.

• Tech & data: Platforms like Klim help farmers monetise regenerative practices.

What’s next: Expect mainstream retail adoption, new “regenerative” certifications, and brands investing directly in their supply chains. For food brands, regenerative farming isn’t just good ethics anymore. It’s a resilience strategy that builds trust and future-proofs growth.

💭 The Fork & The Flame

“Innovation that leans into the protective & regenerative is often the one that outlasts trends.”

Week 07 shows brands are splitting, pivoting, and collaborating to stay relevant to consumers whose values, tastes, and wallets are shifting faster than ever.

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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.