Across the UK and Europe, the frozen category looks set to grow. In the UK, the frozen food sector has been growing at around 6.6% year on year, with combined retail and foodservice sales already exceeding £10 billion. At a European level, the EU frozen food market is currently valued at USD 79 billion and is forecast to reach USD 132 billion by 2036, driven by demand for premium ready meals, health-led innovation and growing sustainability awareness. Consumer trust is strong. Innovation pipelines remain active. The commercial story looks good but it’s the operational story that is more complicated.

 

The pressure beneath the surface

Frozen food manufacturing has always been a discipline of precision. You are managing high energy dependency, tight yield margins, cold chain integrity, perishable inputs, growing SKU complexity and increasing regulatory scrutiny, all at the same time. Individually, these pressures are manageable but together, they create an operating environment where inefficiencies can quickly multiply.

 

When you then layer on post-Brexit trade friction, labour shortages and sustainability reporting requirements under the EU Green Deal, the margin for error gets even smaller. The market faces particular headwinds from fluctuating energy costs for cold chain operations and complex supply chain logistics requirements for temperature-controlled distribution across European geographies.

 

In that context, competitive advantage is no longer just about freezing technology or packaging innovation. It is about how quickly your business can see what is happening, understand why, and then act. That is decision speed and decision speed is fundamentally a data challenge.

 

The data exists… the problem is interpretation

Modern frozen food facilities generate enormous volumes of information every single day. Line performance, yield fluctuations, downtime events, quality deviations, energy usage, waste patterns. The data is there and it flows continuously. We find that the constraint is rarely data availability, it is interpretation of that data that’s the challenge.

 

Too many sites are sitting on operational intelligence that never reaches the people who need it, in time to make a difference. Performance is reviewed too late and so insight arrives as commentary rather than a prompt for action. And the people closest to the process, the operators who know when something is wrong before it shows up in a report, are often the last to be given the tools to act on what they know.

 

That is the gap the next phase of manufacturing has to close. Only 24% of EU manufacturers currently have real-time visibility of production losses, downtime and yield. That figure alone tells you where most of the opportunity still sits.

 

Operators are the most underused asset in the factory

We talk a lot about data in manufacturing. We do not talk nearly enough about the people who generate the most valuable data of all.

Operators know when a line is about to struggle. They know when materials are inconsistent, when a changeover will run long, which faults keep coming back. They carry a depth of operational knowledge that no dashboard can fully capture. In frozen food, where the margin for disruption is so tight, that knowledge is not a soft asset. It is a performance asset.

 

Europe’s productivity gap is driven less by access to new technologies and more by the slow and uneven way existing tools are embedded into daily work. The factories performing consistently well are the ones treating operators as the primary source of operational insight, giving them real-time visibility, and making improvement a daily habit rather than a monthly review.

 

When operators can see performance clearly and explain loss as it happens, conversations shift. From blame to cause. From opinion to evidence. From firefighting to learning. That is when performance becomes repeatable.

 

Sustainability is an operational discipline

In frozen food manufacturing, sustainability cannot just live in communications. It has to be grounded in operational visibility. Energy optimisation drives lower emissions, yield visibility reduces waste, and predictive maintenance keeps scrap and unplanned downtime in check. Real-time monitoring ties it all together, stopping inefficiencies in their tracks. Without data clarity, sustainability claims are difficult to defend. With it, they become measurable, repeatable and credible, aligning with EU Farm to Fork food waste reduction targets that are increasingly shaping how manufacturers are assessed by retailers and regulators alike.

 

The defining question for the decade ahead

As we look ahead, the frozen category’s growth trajectory looks strong. In the UK, frozen fruit and vegetables alone are worth close to £750 million in retail, growing at 4.9% year on year, with health consciousness, convenience and demand for year-round availability all driving continued expansion. But the harder question is whether the UK and EU manufacturing base will capture the full economic value of that growth, or whether margin leakage, inefficiency and operational friction will dilute it.

 

The next decade will be decided by how intelligently factories operate. How quickly issues are diagnosed. How effectively energy is managed. How confidently data informs decisions at every level of the business.

 

The cold chain will remain essential. But the manufacturers who define the future of the category will be the ones who build a smart chain alongside it, where operational intelligence flows as reliably as product does. The data decade has definitely arrived.

 

This is why OFS are building Centres of Excellence across manufacturing sectors. Centres of Excellence are designed as a working environment where manufacturers can see operational intelligence in action, benchmark against what good looks like, and build the internal confidence to lead rather than follow. Applications are now open, exclusively to BFFF members. If your site is ready to set the standard, speak to Thomas Nolan at thomas@ofsystems.com or apply here.

Brakes, the UK’s leading foodservice wholesaler, has announced four new foodie expos for 2026.

 

With venues covering the length and breadth of the country, food businesses will be able to sample products from more than 100 suppliers, as well as Sysco branded products and specialist ranges. They will also be able to speak to experts from Brakes Catering Equipment and enjoy food and inspiration from sister companies Fresh Direct, Country Choice and kff.

 

The events start on 25 March at Stoneleigh Park, before moving to Farnborough on 15 April, Paisley on 20 May and finishing at Twickenham on 10 June.

 

The Brakes’ foodie expos have become a ‘must visit’ for customers since making a welcome return after the pandemic, with the events showcasing new food and inspiring ideas. This year, Brakes’ chefs will also be demonstrating a range of products that help to reduce labour or waste, save on cooking time and produce a good margin.

 

Visitors can discuss on-trend and insight-led solutions with Brakes’ chefs, along with sector marketing and category specialists.

 

Mark Irish, Head of Food Development at Brakes, said: “Food is at the heart of what we do and being able to taste and experience dishes is the best way to see how it can play a part on the menu.

 

“The expos are extremely popular with customers who want to understand the latest trends, get insight from a range of suppliers, but most importantly, share great food.”

 

More information and registration for the expo can be found on the Brakes website

Brakes, the UK’s leading foodservice wholesaler, has announced four new foodie expos for 2026.

 

With venues covering the length and breadth of the country, food businesses will be able to sample products from more than 100 suppliers, as well as Sysco branded products and specialist ranges. They will also be able to speak to experts from Brakes Catering Equipment and enjoy food and inspiration from sister companies Fresh Direct, Country Choice and kff.

 

The events start on 25 March at Stoneleigh Park, before moving to Farnborough on 15 April, Paisley on 20 May and finishing at Twickenham on 10 June.

 

The Brakes’ foodie expos have become a ‘must visit’ for customers since making a welcome return after the pandemic, with the events showcasing new food and inspiring ideas. This year, Brakes’ chefs will also be demonstrating a range of products that help to reduce labour or waste, save on cooking time and produce a good margin.

 

Visitors can discuss on-trend and insight-led solutions with Brakes’ chefs, along with sector marketing and category specialists.

 

Mark Irish, Head of Food Development at Brakes, said: “Food is at the heart of what we do and being able to taste and experience dishes is the best way to see how it can play a part on the menu.

 

“The expos are extremely popular with customers who want to understand the latest trends, get insight from a range of suppliers, but most importantly, share great food.”

 

More information and registration for the expo can be found on the Brakes website

Oakland International has been named Cold Storage Operator of the Year 2026 at the Cold Chain Sustainability Awards. The win celebrates the business’s long‑established commitment to embedding sustainability at its heart and its continued leadership in defining what a low‑carbon cold chain should be.

A family‑run company with deep farming roots, Oakland International set an ambitious net zero target for 2040 and has been measuring its full Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions since 2021. Despite rapid growth, the business has driven carbon intensity down by nearly 20%, from 348 to 291 tCO₂e per £m revenue, showing that smarter growth can also be cleaner growth.

Oakland International Sustainability Officer Elinor Smith said: “Winning this award is an incredible moment for our whole team. Sustainability has never been an add‑on at Oakland, it’s how we operate, and has been for years. Every employee, site, customer, charity and partner play a part in our journey, and we’re truly grateful for their commitment. This recognition belongs to all of them.”

Oakland International continues to demonstrate measurable impact across its network. Through a full switch to certified renewable electricity and major solar investment across Redditch, Corby and Bardon, the company has cut Scope 2 emissions by 98%, with solar arrays now generating 2.24MWp, enough to power around 450 homes. Its 2025 Knottingley depot has become a model for energy‑efficient cold storage, featuring A‑rated insulation, smart temperature controls and low‑energy refrigeration.

The fleet is undergoing the same transformation, with Eco‑Drive technology on 88% of trucks saving around 200,000 litres of diesel a year by powering refrigeration units electrically. Four new 150kW eHGV chargers at Redditch mark the start of a national charging network, supporting partnerships such as zero‑emission last‑mile deliveries into London with HIVED.

Oakland is also advancing circular economy solutions. Its reusable OakRA packaging system is reducing single‑use cardboard at scale, and from 2026, a closed‑loop food‑waste‑to‑energy scheme will convert returned food scraps into renewable energy. The company’s high‑care processing facility, created to support The Felix Project and FareShare, has already transformed surplus produce into 200,000 meals, avoiding 250 tonnes of CO₂e. In 2025, 72.9 million surplus meals were redistributed through FareShare, preventing around 59,000 tonnes of CO₂e.

Elinor added: “This award reflects the culture our teams live by every day. From our Green Champions programme and employee‑led recycling zones to multilingual workplace support, EV salary sacrifice schemes and the work of the Oakland Foundation supporting 5,000 disadvantaged children last year, sustainability is becoming part of who we are.”

Oakland continues to work closely with industry partners to reduce emissions at source, minimise void space, prevent damage‑related food waste and drive best practice across the sector. Its B Corp certification and long‑standing partnership with SDG Ltd ensure independent verification and transparent reporting.

Winning the Cold Storage Operator of the Year 2026 award marks a proud milestone for the business, celebrating years of investment, innovation and collaboration. For Oakland, it serves as both recognition and motivation, proof that its long‑term commitment to delivering cleaner operations, smarter logistics and stronger communities is building a cold chain ready for a net zero future.

A Certified B Corporation, Oakland International is a specialist in multi‑temperature supply chain solutions, providing storage, distribution, contract packing, consolidation and direct‑to‑consumer delivery across the UK and Ireland. The company leads the market in tackling food waste through its award‑winning distress load management service.

Temporary cold storage has evolved beyond simple refrigeration. New innovations in portable cold stores are improving safety, efficiency and sustainability for food manufacturers and cold chain logistics providers.

Operator-Focused Design

The UK’s food production and cold chain sectors have long relied on portable cold storage to manage seasonal peaks, emergency requirements, and fluctuating production schedules. Yet, while demand has increased, many units in the market remain functional but uninspired in their design.

Recent developments suggest this is beginning to change. One of the UK’s leading portable cold storage rental specialists has rethought the category from the perspective of the people who operate these units every day. The objective is simple: make portable cold stores not only reliable, but genuinely easier, safer and more efficient to use.

Blue Cube PCS, a specialist portable cold store and blast freezing rental provider, is driving this shift in thinking. Its latest units reflect a design philosophy rooted in the company’s core values – Innovation, Collaboration and Excellence (ICE).

“Cold storage should never be treated as just a box that keeps things cold,” says Mark Yates, Managing Director of Blue Cube PCS. “We focus on understanding real operational challenges, safety, throughput, energy use, and developing solutions that help operators perform their roles more effectively.”

Redefining Access: Air Curtain Technology

A standout innovation in Blue Cube’s advanced-feature units is the replacement of traditional plastic strip curtains with integrated air curtains.

Plastic strip curtains are familiar in cold stores but present operational issues: they slow access, obstruct visibility, and can harbour dirt and bacteria. The air curtain creates an invisible temperature barrier that maintains internal conditions while allowing unobstructed entry.

Operators experience immediate benefits: improved safety with clear sightlines, faster loading and unloading, and reduced physical effort. For managers, the units maintain more stable temperatures during door openings, improving energy efficiency and helping preserve product quality.

Hygiene standards are also enhanced, as air curtains eliminate a common source of contamination associated with plastic strips.

Enhanced Safety Through Smart Monitoring

Safety within cold stores is a priority for Blue Cube PCS. New units now feature AI-powered smart monitoring cameras, which detect inactivity inside the store and trigger alerts to on-site staff. Live video can also be accessed remotely, giving managers real-time oversight even when off-site.

“Cold environments carry inherent risks,” Yates explains. “Smart monitoring technology allows rapid response to potential incidents, ensuring teams are safer while giving operators more confidence during day-to-day operations.”

Footage is stored securely for compliance purposes, supporting incident reviews and regulatory audits.

Efficiency and Sustainability

Energy consumption and environmental compliance have become central concerns across food production and logistics. Blue Cube’s advanced portable cold stores address both through high-efficiency refrigeration systems using low-GWP A2L refrigerants that comply with F‑Gas Regulations.

Improved wall insulation further enhances performance by maintaining consistent internal temperatures, helping to reduce energy demand and operational costs. Blue Cube’s units also carry 60-minute fire resistance (EW60) certification, providing additional resilience for critical operations.

A Specialist Approach to Cold Chain Solutions

These innovations illustrate a broader shift in the sector: temporary cold storage is no longer a purely functional tool but a carefully engineered part of the cold chain. Providers that combine operational insight with specialist design can deliver measurable improvements in safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

While many market players focus on rental volumes, companies like Blue Cube are positioning themselves as solution partners, collaborating with customers and industry specialists to deliver systems that integrate seamlessly into production environments.

As demands on the UK cold chain continue to grow, such approaches signal a new standard. One where portable cold storage meets the same expectations of performance, reliability, and operational intelligence that were once reserved for permanent installations.

Brakes Scotland has announced the completion of a £15m extension to its Newhouse depot, creating 50 new jobs.

 

Officially opened by Mairi Gougeon MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, the extension will enable Brakes to stock more products locally for next day delivery and allow local suppliers to deliver fresh meat and produce straight to the depot, maximising freshness.

 

The extension, which adds the equivalent of 17 tennis courts to the site, will also allow Brakes to build on its support for Scottish produce, where it already works with more than 80 suppliers and provides more than 500 Scottish food and drink products, with a particular emphasis on fresh, seasonal, trend-inspired produce​.

 

Mairi Gougeon MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands said: “It is a pleasure to join the celebration event here at Brakes depot in Newhouse. The investment made here is significant not just for the local economy, but for the entire food and drink supply chain, including hospitality venues, that it serves.  Wholesalers like Brakes Scotland are essential to our food system and this expansion is helping secure more opportunities for our brilliant Scottish producers to showcase and supply their high-quality food and drink nationwide.”

 

Paul Nieduszynski, Sysco GB CEO says: “Brakes Scotland has been proudly serving the Scottish food community for more than 35 years and we remain as committed as ever to meeting the changing needs of our customers.

 

“With more than 80 Scottish suppliers, not only are we providing customers with a fantastic range of products, but we are also supporting the Scottish economy with more than £50m invested in Scottish sourcing.”

 

As part of the opening celebration, Brakes Scotland has announced a further ten-year commitment to Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland, which provides learning experiences for those studying or working in the Scottish hospitality industry.

 

The depot will also further strengthen its partnership with food redistribution charity FareShare, to whom, in 2025 it donated £75,000 worth of surplus food.

As the UK enters an action-packed season of sport, from rugby to tennis, and football to Formula 1, the latest Americana research shows that venues with appealing menus are primed to attract crowds and maximise their profits.

Major UK sporting events pumped almost £9.75bn into the UK economy in 20241, and with an unforgettable summer of sport ahead, wholesalers and operators are being urged to seize the opportunity. New consumer research commissioned by Americana reveals that live sport remains a powerful driver of out-of-home visits – but getting the menu right is crucial.

According to the latest research, 63% of consumers plan to watch sporting events at a pub, bar, sports venue or restaurant2, with 67% frequently purchasing food on the way to, from, or during these events3. Crucially, over a quarter (26%) say no food menu would actively discourage them from choosing an operator4, and a further 41% say it would factor into their decision-making5. When watching sport outside the home, consumers prioritise food that is easy to eat (49%) as well as quick and filling (44%)6, making burgers the ideal menu offering to capitalise on this opportunity.

More than 8 out of 10 consumers (82%) say they are likely to order a burger whilst watching sport7 and almost 9 out of 10 consumers (88%) rate the quality of ingredients as important when ordering a burger out of home8. When asked what would make them more likely to order a burger during a sporting event, quality ingredients and gourmet bun ranked second (21%), behind value for money (25%) and ahead of speedy service (15%)9. These insights show that not only are burgers a clear favourite among consumers, but quality ingredients from the filling to the bun are key drivers of customer satisfaction and purchase intent. By focusing on these aspects, alongside maintaining competitive pricing, venues can maximise sales and customer loyalty throughout the busy sporting season.

Digging further into what quality is and what it means to the consumer, the Americana research reveals that quality extends beyond the patty; while it of course remains important, 61% agree the bun is equally important for overall satisfaction10, with 85% saying a premium quality bun that stays soft and holds everything together feels more premium and better value.

Visual cues play a significant role too. Freshly baked appearance, grill marks, seeded buns, thickness and a glazed shine all signal quality to consumers, with 71% agreeing that a premium bun makes them feel their burger is worth paying more for12. Pushing outlets to ensure their bun meets these winning visual quality indicators.

To support this opportunity Americana’s ‘Serving Up A Winner’ campaign includes a tailored sporting inspired insight and recipe booklet, designed to give operators practical menu inspiration that is easy to execute during busy service periods while encouraging premiumisation and trade-up.

Samantha Winsor, Marketing Manager at Lantmännen Unibake UK says: “Major sporting events present an opportunity for operators. People are spending more time in OOH venues to watch sporting events and food becomes an integral driver on where they go.”

“Operator success or failure often comes down to simply getting the basics right. Easy wins for operators include setting a menu that accommodates regular diners and sports fans, who want food that is easy to eat, good quality and value for money. This makes a quick serve burger menu the perfect solution during busy service times, where the importance of quality is not to be underestimated.”

“Your burger is only as strong as your bun. Consumers want to be confident that the food they pick up from the plate not only looks great but holds together. Choosing the right bun doesn’t just improve the consumer’s experience, it also supports operational efficiencies in the kitchen. Americana’s consistent shape, size and robust structure offer a reliable solution that reduces waste and delivers the perfect build when demand is high. It is a simple but effective way for operators to protect margins, improve consistency and keep customers coming back for more”.

Thanks to Americana’s advanced production process, the buns deliver the quality, consistency and performance that operators need. This means:

• Signature sponge & dough technology*, delivering a soft but durable texture
• Specially indented baking pans for consistent shape and size
• Frozen within two hours of baking to lock in freshness

Americana’s range of burger buns has something for everyone and can help operators to Serve Up A Winner’ each and every time.

For more information or to download Americana’s Serving Up a Winner booklets visit Sport Sells! And That Includes Burgers! | Americana