Food & Drink PR in the UK: What Will Work in 2026 - Real Strategies for Real Results
- Jen Bell
- 15 hours ago
- 4 min read
The UK food and drink sector has never lacked creativity.
New openings, evolving menus, innovative products, bold concepts - there is no shortage of ideas.
What is in short supply is attention.
As we move into 2026, food and drink PR is no longer about shouting louder or posting more frequently. It’s about understanding how attention works now - and how to earn it with intent.
Much of what I’m seeing on the ground points to a clear shift in what actually delivers results.
Here’s what I believe will genuinely work in 2026.
1. Quality of Story Over Quantity of Distribution
In 2026, more brands are posting content than ever, but fewer are doing it with purpose.
Editors and content teams in food and drink media are overwhelmed - smaller teams, tighter budgets, and heavier workloads mean:
Press releases with weak angles get ignored
Generic launches don’t earn features
Bulk distribution rarely moves the needle
What does work is a single, strong idea, supported by evidence and shaped around a clear narrative that answers:
Why now?
Why this audience?
Why this publication?
In other words: smart storytelling beats scattergun tactics.
Your PR plan should start with questions - not templates.
2. Provenance still matters - but only when it’s specific
British audiences care deeply about:
Where food comes from
Who makes it
How it’s produced
But the language around provenance has become diluted. Phrases like 'locally sourced' and 'passionately made' are no longer enough.
What cuts through now:
Names, places, real people
Clear processes and honest detail
Stories that feel lived, not polished
In 2026, vague provenance will be ignored.
Detailed, grounded provenance will be remembered.
3. Human Stories Create Human Coverage
Food and drink are inherently human industries - built on people, culture, place and tradition.
But many brands still pitch product first instead of people first. In 2026, smart PR means:
Telling founder stories with emotional resonance
Highlighting teams, growers, brewers, chefs as experts
Showing a human reason behind every launch
Journalists want confidence that a brand understands its own story - and can articulate it in a way that feels real, not rehearsed.
4. Food and drink are being covered as culture, not commodities
Food and drink journalism is increasingly intersecting with:
Lifestyle
Travel
Community
Wellbeing
The social fabric of places
For hospitality businesses especially, coverage is shifting away from what’s on the menu and towards why people gather here.
The strongest PR stories explore:
How a venue fits into local life
Why people choose it over others
What it represents beyond food and drink
This is particularly powerful for pubs, restaurants and regional producers who play a genuine role in their communities.
5. Context Is King: Framing Beyond the Plate
If all you pitch is what’s on the menu, you’ll get menu roundups.
What earns deeper features, columns, and repeat coverage is context.
Examples of strong contextual angles:
How a new launch reflects sustainability trends
Why low-alcohol options matter to urban diners
How regional producers are shaping UK food identity
The impact of weight-loss behaviours on hospitality menus
Context gives journalists a ready-made narrative - and makes your pitch worth their precious editorial minutes.
6. Regional Voices Are National Voices - If You Translate Them
There’s an increasing appetite from national media for regional UK food and drink stories - from the Peak District to Cornwall, Yorkshire to Norfolk.
But here’s the nuanced bit:
Editors want signals of broader relevance. A local story becomes national when it speaks to a bigger theme: innovation, sustainability, consumer trends, economic impact, tourism, cultural shift.
Translate place-based stories into why they matter beyond postcode.
7. Credibility Is The New Currency
Earned media still holds more authority than paid posts.
But in 2026, credibility isn’t just about headlines.
It’s about:
Third-party validations (awards, influencer endorsements that matter)
Independent reviews that feel authentic, not incentivised
Thought leadership - not just product placement
Consumers increasingly distrust over-polished brand language. What they trust are trusted voices - journalists, respected critics, community leaders, advocates.
PR that helps brands attract those voices - rather than bypass them - will win.
8. Integrated Storytelling Beats One-Hit Wonders
Once upon a time, a big launch could carry a year’s worth of buzz.
Now, brand narratives are built over time - like chapters in a book.
This means:
Sequenced storytelling (linking related pitches across months)
Layered angles (product - people - purpose - pattern)
Strategic cadence, not frantic frequency
Good PR planning in 2026 is closer to content strategy than campaign blasting.
It’s intentional, patient and measured.
9. Measurement With Meaning: Less Vanity, More Value
Coverage counts are nice. Clicks are quantifiable.
But meaningful PR measurement focuses on impact:
Does the coverage reach decision-makers?
Does it shift perception in target groups?
Does it support search visibility or SEO?
Does it help with long-term partnerships or bookings?
In 2026, smart brands measure beyond the front page.
The food and drink brands that will do well in 2026 won’t be the loudest.
They’ll be the ones that are clear on who they are, confident in their story, and respectful of their audience’s time and intelligence. They’ll understand how the media landscape has shifted - and they’ll invest in thoughtful, well-placed attention rather than constant output.
I’ve explored many of these ideas in more depth through my work at Feather & Fern PR, and in my book Food PR Isn’t Hard, written for founders and teams who want practical, no-nonsense guidance on earning coverage that actually matters.
(For anyone curious, there’s more here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Food-Isnt-Hard-no-nonsense-successful/dp/B0F5V5QBY3)
Because in 2026, attention isn’t assumed.
It’s earned.
