UK hospitality sector seeks pre-prepared fruit and veg from wholesale markets to ease labour crisis
A new report by wholesale order management platform Fresho has revealed a 30 per cent surge in pre-prepped fruit and vegetable orders as restaurants continue to grapple with staff shortages and soaring employment costs.
The findings, from the first Fresho UK Fruit & Veg Report, reveals that the average number of orders including cut, diced, peeled, or shredded products has increased from an average of 308 orders per wholesale supplier in 2023 to almost 400 average orders per supplier in 2024 (+29.9 per cent).
This trend is likely reflective of under-pressure chefs needing convenience and efficiency amidst ongoing labour shortages, rising wage costs and other operational pressures.
The report, created in partnership with trade body the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC), is an annual analysis of the vital wholesale sector that connects producers with venues across the UK and combines anonymised data from Fresho’s ordering platform with industry insights from leading suppliers and chefs, to help inform decision-making for the year ahead.
The data also shows that venues are streamlining their purchasing decisions to help ease the cost burden, with the average number of lines per order declining across all categories (fruit and veg, meat, seafood), and fruit and veg order lines decreasing from 10.31 lines in 2021 to 9.69 lines in 2024 – a 6 per cent drop.
With industry challenges set to be compounded further by imminent increases to National Insurance contributions and the minimum wage, wholesalers are, in some cases, modifying their business models to help build resilience, Fresho said.
Huw Birrell, Fresho co-founder said: “It’s a trying time for the hospitality industry with costs going up, ongoing staffing challenges and an increased reliance on fruit and veg imports adding considerable supply chain pressures. Restaurants are having to tighten their belts and adapt, and wholesalers are seeing this reflected in ordering patterns.
”Despite this, the fruit and veg wholesale market has remained resilient - driven by smart, hardworking suppliers who know that in order to survive in today’s difficult economic climate, they need to pay attention, and adapt, to their customer’s needs.”
Technology is also helping many restaurants and wholesalers respond to these industry pressures, Birrell added. Manually processing orders can often result in errors and wastage, whereas innovative digital solutions can provide visibility and much-needed control over margins.
According to Fresho’s data, when it comes to the most frequently ordered items, cucumber has held the top spot over the past few years, followed by lemons and bananas. An additional quantity-based analysis shows citrus fruits dominating the volume rankings, reflecting their essential role in food and drink service.
Download the Fresho UK Fruit and Veg Report 2024 here.
