IFE sits down with Heerum Fleary, ex-travel buyer and founder of TickEat, a strategic business partner for food and beverage brands seeking to place their products in the travel industry, to learn more about how food & drink producers can tailor their products to this very distinct market. 

What makes a food or drink product stand out to travel buyers in such a competitive landscape?

The branding, packaging and most of all the offering is it on trend.

What are some of the most compelling ways you’ve seen brands set themselves apart from the competition, or make a case for their inclusion on a travel menu?

Offering products on trend but as a new brand (buyers are becoming more open to working with smaller businesses) in a smaller and affordable format. An example of this is The Sweet Lounge (Sweets on BA) they have produced a 25mg which works great.

What common mistakes do you see food producers make when they first try to enter the travel catering or retail market?

Go in with products which do not fit the customer. For example, no research has been carried out on the airline/train’s current offering.

How can producers best navigate the challenges of creating products for the travel sector?

Brands have to look at their products and see if their products can be adapted in size in order to fit into small portions/packs if not then travel is probably not the right fit. However larger formats of products also tend to work on the foodservice (travel) side as they can be utilised as an ingredient format or just bulk load depending on the product.

Sustainability clearly plays a growing role, what kinds of sustainability practices are travel buyers prioritising right now?

The travel industry, particularly the aviation sector, has made significant commitments toward sustainability, with a primary focus on achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

How important is storytelling and branding in winning over buyers?

This plays a vital role as passengers are connected to food through the story telling and also have time to read up when travelling.

What advice would you give to smaller brands trying to build strategic connections with buyers and suppliers from scratch?

We will of course say come to TickEat 😊 However we do offer a free 30 min consultation where we can help brands navigate and take that first step.

What trends are you currently seeing in travel catering? Are there particular flavours, formats or wellness angles that buyers are excited about?

Trending is more is free from and plant based products which all can enjoy. Sustainable and local sourcing especially on BA and Virgin and on trains. Buyers are getting quite excited about digital ordering ahead of travelling.

How can producers show travel operators they’re ready to scale while maintaining consistency?

Before buyers take on any brands one of the first things they do is check the suppliers capabilities and capacity, if they are already doing this great if not trails will have to be carried out.

Finally, for a producer looking to take their first step into the travel space, what’s the one thing they should absolutely get right from the start?

Do their research to ensure the product will fit into their targeted travel customer.

Find out more about the support TickEat can provide to food & drink brands at tickeat.co.uk.