The future of hospitality is often described in trends. Vision 2030 takes a different approach.

Instead of predicting what might happen, it captures how leaders across foodservice, sustainability, workplace dining, education and technology are thinking right now about the road to 2030. Not in absolutes. Not in hype. But in trade-offs, constraints and hard priorities.

In this Served. edition, we bring together selected perspectives from Vision 2030 and frame them through the lens of what really matters for operators, leaders and teams navigating the next five years.

All featured contributions originate from EP Business in Hospitality Vision 2030, where the full-length articles can be found. Link to their website: https://www.epinsights.co.uk/

Social Value Is No Longer Optional in Contract Catering

In Vision 2030, Matthew Wood, Managing Director at Lexington Catering & Elior UK B&I, sets the context by grounding foodservice in its social role. He writes:

“Food really is at the heart of human interaction and community. It therefore makes sense to say that our industry is more than just operational service; it’s pivotal in contributing to and creating social value.”

He then explains how this belief is translated into practice inside the organisation:

“Social value is an essential lens for us at Lexington. Since the beginning, our focus has been on a people-first ethos and delivering meaningful impact in the community around us. Its importance will only grow as we move towards 2030 and beyond.”

Wood goes on to describe how this shows up in concrete initiatives rather than abstract commitments:

“Our teams get two paid volunteering days each year to support a cause of their choice. These days contribute to our Lifetime of Enrichment initiative, which aims to complete 28,835 days of social value.”

He also highlights supported internships and long-term charity partnerships as part of the same system of responsibility:

“We are incredibly proud to be the largest partner in Westminster City Council’s supported internship programme, helping young people with special educational needs and disabilities gain work experience and, in some cases, permanent roles.”

Sustainability Will Be Defined by Delivery, Not Promises

In Vision 2030, Claire Atkins Morris, Sustainability Director at Sodexo UK & Ireland, frames 2030 as a point of accountability rather than aspiration:

“2030 is when intent will meet accountability. Because if we’re off-track by 2030, then we’re not getting to 2040 or 2050 net-zero targets. It’s as simple as that.”

She describes the scope and complexity of sustainability leadership today:

“In one day alone I’ve spoken to a client about carbon insetting, reviewed nutritional content versus carbon analysis, and discussed fraud risk in supply chains. It’s vast, and that’s just before lunch.”

Atkins Morris stresses that uncertainty and imperfect data are part of the reality, not excuses for inaction:

“You can’t expect to have all the answers. And you have to be okay saying, ‘Let me find out.’ That’s the reality of sustainability today.”

Looking ahead, she emphasises integration over performative commitments:

“Sustainability isn’t optional. It has to run alongside short-term goals, not be shelved in favour of them.”

ESG Must Move From Strategy to Infrastructure

In Vision 2030, Kevin Watson, Sustainability Director at Levy, describes a shift from ambition to execution:

“Broad pledges will give way to clear, science-based goals, underpinned by real-time data and actionable insights.”

He explains how ESG expectations are tightening across the industry:

“Net-zero roadmaps will become operational necessities, not aspirational documents. Businesses will be measured not just by their commitments but by their ability to demonstrate exactly how each pound spent generates environmental and social value.”

Watson also points to the growing role of transparency:

“Targets will tighten, and transparency will sharpen. Hiding poor performance will be impossible, and attempting to do so will carry reputational risk.”

Workplace Dining Will Compete on Experience, Not Attendance

In Vision 2030, Daniel Corlett, Managing Director of Workplace Services at ISS Facility Services UK & Ireland, describes how this reality reshapes the role of workplace dining:

“Workplace dining now plays a much broader role in how people experience the workplace. It is about culture, connection and value, not just volume.”

Corlett links this shift directly to changing expectations around work itself:

“People are making more deliberate choices about where they spend their time. The workplace has to offer something meaningful in return.”

He concludes by reframing success:

“The challenge is creating experiences that people actively choose, not simply attend.”

The Talent Pipeline Depends on Credible Futures

In Vision 2030, Candice Finn, Managing Director at The Litmus Partnership, writes:

"The education sector is in the midst of a large-scale transformation. Across the UK, smaller establishments are increasingly merging to form larger groups. In the state sector, we’ve seen the rapid rise of academisation, with schools pooling resources under centralised trusts.”

She explains why consolidation is often unavoidable, but not frictionless:

“For many, consolidation is a matter of survival in an environment of rising costs, regulatory pressures, and shifting student demographics. But growth through merger also creates new challenges - particularly when it comes to operations, procurement, and service delivery.”

Finn highlights where hidden inefficiencies emerge:

“When schools or universities come together, they inherit multiple systems, suppliers, and staffing models. Left unchecked, these can lead to duplication and waste.”

Looking ahead, she is clear about what determines success:

“The trend towards consolidation in education is unlikely to reverse. But whether it results in bloated complexity or streamlined excellence depends on the choices leaders make now.

Risk Aversion Is Holding the Industry Back

In Vision 2030, Chris Sheppardson, Founder of EP Business in Hospitality questions the cultural relationship with risk:

“In Europe, a start-up represents risk and therefore potential failure, which is frowned upon. It is not seen as an opportunity.”

He contrasts this mindset with other regions:

“In other markets, entrepreneurship is viewed as learning rather than liability.”

Sheppardson connects this directly to innovation outcomes:

“If failure is punished, experimentation stalls. And when experimentation stalls, progress slows.”

His conclusion is unambiguous:

“Without a greater tolerance for risk, innovation will continue to struggle.”

Technology Should Disappear So Hospitality Can Reappear

In Vision 2030, Peter Baech, Co-Founder & CEO at Kanpla, argues for a different relationship with technology:

“Technology should elevate service, not replace it.”

He explains what this looks like in practice:

“The most effective systems are the ones you don’t notice. They handle complexity quietly so teams can focus on people and hospitality.”

Bæch positions technology as infrastructure rather than experience:

“Technology should sit in the background, improving decisions, reducing waste and removing friction.”

Looking ahead, his vision for 2030 is clear:

“By 2030, technology will be infrastructure, not theatre.”

What Vision 2030 Really Tells Us

Across all contributions, one pattern is clear.

The future of hospitality is not a choice between people, sustainability, technology or experience. It is about designing systems where they reinforce each other.

Vision 2030 does not offer certainty. It demands responsibility.

And by 2030, that responsibility will no longer be optional.