Salad days!

Details: Category: FTG Features; Last Updated: 23 September 2026

Many consumers are looking for a healthy balance in FTG, so we caught up with Florette UK’s head of category and marketing, Polly Davies, to find out how menus are adapting.

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Tell us about what’s exciting in sandwich and FTG?
We continue to serve the needs of consumers by bringing the best products to market. These range from saving time and improving kitchen efficiency with prepared veg & salad ranges that are in many UK sandwiches and salads, all the way through to products like our salad bowls. And our Florette Foodservice Crispy and Mixed feature in well FTG ranges, as well as the mono lines such as Apollo, Spinach and Rocket.

What key consumer trends are you seeing, in what is an incredibly vibrant sector?
Definitely health and convenience, with a desire for balanced meals. Consumers want products that look great, are filling and taste fantastic. Protein and fibre have continued to evolve this year, and we are seeing more references to these health claims on menus and in FTG ranges. Salads are also making a comeback, particularly with the warmer summer – this is a trend we expect to continue, with a need for fresher, convenient options. I expect innovation to continue in this area, and the QSR sector has the biggest opportunity to capitalise on this movement.

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Let’s reflect on 2026 – but also look forward to what’s next.
As we step into Q4, we expect global cuisine limited editions and classic favourites with a twist appearing on shelf to celebrate the seasons. Health and quality were the fastest-growing drivers of choosing where to go for FTG this year (Lumina, FTG Report, Mar 2026). Nutrient-dense options will continue to develop, and fibre callouts will be the primary driver (Lumina, 39% of consumers are proactively wanting more fibre in food & drink).

We are excited how future trends are shaping up, as we can play an important role in helping customers and consumers alike to make informed choices.

Partnerships are hugely important. Who are you working with – and who would you like to work with in the future?
2026 has been the year of the collab. We have worked closely with complementary brands such as Jason’s Sourdough, Mission Wraps and Higgidy, to name a few, with the ambition of making mealtimes better and more inspirational. We even took lunchtime salads to another level by partnering with the Good Life Eatery in London in July this year, to create a fully dedicated Florette Maximalist Salad Pop Up shop. This offered TikTok-inspired options using Florette Crispy, Mixed and Asian Salads as the perfect base to create the perfect loaded dishes.

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How are you adapting to weather challenges?
Climate change has been a challenge to growing conditions and crop yields – but as a farmer owned co-operative, we are perfectly placed to use our network of dedicated farmers to ensure product remained on shelf. We are continually monitoring the situation and adapting our procurement strategy to reflect this. Examples are extending our expansive geographical reach with salad growing operations across the UK and Europe, working with seed houses to produce resilient crops to suit the changing climate and environment we increasingly observe each year.

We continue to invest in irrigation solutions across key regions to ensure we provide our customer base with the quality, availability and service levels they expect.