The UK’s food-to-go sector is set to grow at twice the rate of overall grocery retail, with international research organisation IGD predicting the channel will grow to £22.8bn by 2023, up from £17.8bn in 2018.

IGD’s food-to-go research splits the market into five segments: food-to-go specialists; quick service restaurants (QSRs); coffee specialists; convenience, forecourt & other retailers; and supermarkets & hypermarkets.

It forecasts the convenience, forecourt & other retailers segment will grow from £2.8bn in 2018 to £3.6bn in 2023

Gavin Rothwell, head of food-to-go at IGD, said: “The food-to-go market remains a strong growth opportunity that continues to provide a great source of inspiration and innovation. We’re forecasting solid growth across each of the five segments, but this will become harder to come by for operators, retailers and suppliers amid an increasingly competitive landscape. But while growth will slow, we’re expecting it to remain strong as more consumers buy food-to-go more often and as more operators target different types of locations and missions.”