UK Food and Drink Industry Rallies Behind IGD’s Mmmake Your Mark Campaign

Future-proofing the sector: why food and drink needs a bold talent strategy

The UK food and drink industry is joining forces to address a growing workforce crisis. Facing critical labour shortages and widening skills gaps, businesses, trade bodies and government are backing the Mmmake Your Mark initiative led by IGD. The 2025 campaign seeks to directly tackle these challenges by showcasing the rewarding career paths available across the sector, from farm to fork.

Research Highlights Youth Career Disconnect

New research commissioned by IGD reveals a significant gap between young people’s career aspirations and their awareness of opportunities within the UK’s food and drink industry. The study, which surveyed more than 1,000 young people aged 16-25 alongside 1,000 parents, highlights the need to reframe the industry’s image and present the breadth of modern, future-facing career options it offers.

While many young people express passion for creative and purpose-driven careers, few view food and drink as a viable pathway. This “Guidance Gap” is compounded by parental influence, which often steers young individuals towards more traditional careers such as law, medicine or finance.

Parental Influence and Career Perceptions

The study shows that 38% of young people cite parents or guardians as their biggest influence in career decisions. Over half (57%) admit to feeling pressured by parents or teachers to pursue so-called safe or traditional roles, regardless of their interests.

Despite this, six in ten (61%) young people say they are passionate about careers in creative and service-led industries such as hospitality, food and media. Yet one in five (19%) remain unaware they could pursue these passions within the food and drink industry.

Uncovering the Hidden Depths of Food and Drink Careers

From artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to engineering and data analytics, many opportunities within food and drink go unnoticed. Almost a fifth (19%) of young people admit to being unaware of the roles available, showing a clear need to highlight the diverse, purpose-led careers the industry offers.

A striking 72% of young people surveyed do not consider food and drink as a place to find purpose or build essential skills, even though 78% reported passions that align with roles in the sector.

Industry Leaders Call for Action

Sarah Bradbury, CEO, IGD, said:
“The food and drink industry is one of the UK’s most dynamic and largest private-sector employers, offering incredible careers which are professional, varied, high-tech and well-paid. Through our cross-industry Mmmake Your Mark campaign, we want to bridge this knowledge gap and showcase to parents, career advisors and young people the rewarding careers available in our industry.

“Young people are often unaware of the incredible career paths and sense of purpose they can find in the food and drink industry. By joining the Mmmake Your Mark campaign, businesses can help put these careers front and centre, attracting the next generation of talent.”

Balwinder Dhoot, Director of Growth and Sustainability at the Food and Drink Federation, added:
“From data and sustainability experts to product developers and food scientists, food and drink manufacturing provides half a million jobs in every corner of the UK. The next decade will be critical as we work towards net zero, healthier diets and unlocking a £14bn growth opportunity through AI, digital technology and automation. But this can only be achieved with the right people to drive progress. That’s why raising awareness of the career opportunities in the UK’s largest manufacturing sector is so important.”

John Yarham, Interim CEO of The Careers & Enterprise Company, said:
“The food and drink industry is vital to the UK economy, yet it faces urgent skills and workforce challenges. Mmmake Your Mark is a leading example of how industry and education can work together to showcase purposeful careers and inspire the next generation to take their best next step.”

Building a Resilient Workforce for the Future

The UK food system employs 4.2 million people – more than 1 in 8 jobs – yet workforce shortages are forecast to worsen. With the UK population set to grow from 69.9m in 2025 to 73.4m by 2035, food and drink production will need to expand to meet demand.

If young talent continues to be guided away from essential industries due to outdated perceptions, the skills gap and labour shortages risk deepening across one of the country’s most vital sectors.

Join the Mmmake Your Mark Movement

IGD is urging businesses across the food system to join the Mmmake Your Mark campaign to raise awareness of the sector’s career opportunities and ensure a resilient future for UK food and drink.

Running from 27 August through September, the campaign encourages organisations to promote food and drink careers on social media using the hashtag #mmmakeyourmark or tagging @mmmakeyourmark.

To support this, IGD has developed a suite of adaptable campaign assets, including toolkits to help businesses build a social media plan, highlight career opportunities and showcase their people.

To find out more about Mmmake Your Mark, download the toolkit and understand more about the work IGD does in the area, visit: www.igd.com/social-impact/people or contact mmmakeyourmark@igd.com. 

You can find inspiration and examples of activity by following the Mmmake Your Mark LinkedIn page. A white paper report called The Workforce Timebomb can be found here, alongside links to a range of relevant industry careers sites and resources. The report covers the workforce challenges within the food system, considerations for attracting talent and what Gen Z are seeking from a career.