UK foodservice traffic moved further into decline in Q1 2026, but the latest Meaningful Vision data shows that performance is becoming increasingly split by segment. While the total market fell by 2.3% year on year, chicken and ethnic food brands continued to outperform, making them the only major quick service categories to record traffic growth.
The weakest performance came from pubs and restaurants, where traffic fell by 7.6%. This followed a 6.9% decline across 2025, showing that casual dining and pub occasions remain under the greatest pressure as consumers continue to reduce discretionary visits.
Within quick service, the picture was mixed. Burger traffic declined by 2.6%, coffee fell by 2.2%, pizza was down by 2.0%, and bakery and sandwich operators slipped by 1.0%. Fast-food overall also moved into negative territory with traffic falling by 1.2%, its sharpest decline since 2025, reversing the 0.9% growth recorded last year.
The strongest growth came from chicken, where traffic increased by 6.2% year on year. Ethnic food concepts also performed strongly, with traffic up by 3.5%. Both segments improved on their 2025 performance, suggesting that growth is not only being supported by broader quick service demand, but by specific consumer preferences around format, value and occasion.
This divergence points to a more selective market. Consumers are not abandoning eating out completely, but they are making sharper choices about where and when to spend. Formats that combine perceived value, speed, flavour variety and strong takeaway appeal appear better placed to protect traffic.
Maria Vanifatova, CEO of Meaningful Vision, said: “The most important lesson to be learned from analysis of the segment data, is that the market is not moving solely in one direction. Total foodservice traffic is down, and pubs and restaurants remain under significant pressure, but chicken and ethnic food continue to grow. We can see, consumers are still willing to spend when the offer feels relevant, convenient and good value. Operators need to look beyond the headline decline and understand which formats are still creating demand.”
2026 will be defined less by a broad market recovery, and more by segment level resilience. For operators, the priority is to understand which occasions are still growing, and how to adapt formats, menus and promotions around those demand pockets.
Read more on the UK Foodservice market trends in our article UK Foodservice Records Biggest Footfall Drop in Two Years and download our latest Infographic to share with your colleagues.