The Food and Beverage sector is multi-faceted, comprising hotels, restaurants, fast food, industrial catering, outdoor catering, and other elements unique to a specific location or area. The diversity of roles from catering manager, restaurant manager, area manager, director of food and beverage, as well as the variety of roles associated with tourism sites and event management companies, means that ARU London Hospitality and Event graduates can enter a dynamic and rewarding sector with unparalleled growth opportunities not only in the United Kingdom but across the globe.

The key skills that students develop and nurture during their BSc (Hons) Business, Hospitality and Events degree course are the ability to analyse and evaluate business, hospitality, and event organisations in terms of their structure, strategy, resources, management, and adaptability to change and sustainability. There is also a key emphasis on the need for an informed and in-depth understanding of external and internal influences, organisational effectiveness, and market demand. Additionally, our students develop expertise in management principles, decision-making tools, and communication (ARU London, 2025). This range of key skills, knowledge, and behaviours ensures that our graduate are ready for the employment market or to develop their existing careers even further.

Challenges and Opportunities in the Sector

Food and beverage operators are experiencing a challenging business environment, these challenges may include labour in terms of a lack of supply of skilled operators, as well as inflation in terms of higher business loan interest rates, food and drink prices increasing, and ever-growing competition in the sector (BDO,2025).  These challenges present an opportunity for our graduates, as during their studies here at ARU London as students learn to address challenges by putting in place realistic initiatives to align with strategic objectives from action to business plans.

Within the London market and across the UK, operators are proving to be agile and in some cases, are diversifying their offerings, which can encompass events, takeaways, weddings, pop-ups, and collaborations to maximise food and beverage revenue. Revenue growth management is the process of implementing strategies throughout the business to drive sustainable income (EHL Insights, 2024). This holistic view of the market and understanding of consumer and competitive is the key to competitive parity or advantage in the sector, and is widely used in a formal and informal business context.

Future Competencies

Some of the key skills that graduates need to focus on now and into the future is the ability to maximise food and beverage efficiencies and impacts through the use of various types of software, which can use data and statistical algorithms to provide more informed pricing strategies, digital marketing strategies as well implementing yield management tools to reduce waste and create better margins in their operation. Furthermore, a strong skill necessity will be the ability to adapt to leverage seasonal trends even further to ensure that the right balance between procurement and staffing is achieved in a more volatile and complex environment. Our ARU London graduates are and will be in a unique position to enter this sector from a range of perspectives and truly make a difference in the business they operate.

References

Anglia Ruskin University. (2025). Business, Hospitality and Events Management - BSc (Hons). Retrieved October 17, 2025, from https://www.aru.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/business-hospitality-and-events-management-london#utopian-course-overview

BDO (2025). Available at: https://www.bdo.co.uk/en-gb/news/2025/recruitment-challenges-persist-as-food-and-drink-sector-eyes-opportunity-for-growth [Accessed 17 Oct. 2025].

EHL Insights (2024). Revenue growth management strategies for food & beverage businesses. [online] Ehl.edu. Available at: https://hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu/revenue-growth-management-food-and-beverage-business.

Futuremarketinsights.com. (2025). Food and Beverage Industry Software Market | Global Market Analysis Report - 2035. [online] Available at: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/food-and-beverage-industry-software-market [Accessed 17 Oct. 2025].