Hot drinks lead steepest price increase in fast food

The pricing gap between food and beverage has closed in February.

Hot drinks recorded the steepest price increase at 14% in February as prices continue to rise across the UK fast-food sector, according to a report by Meaningful Vision.

This is followed by breakfast items at 10% and burgers at 9%. Core add-ons such as sides and chicken-based products, including nuggets, wings and bites rose by around 8%, highlighting sustained cost pressure across both main and complementary items. Cold drinks increased by 6%, whilst pizza remained the most price-competitive category with a more modest rise of 3%.

A notable shift is also visible in the balance between food and beverage pricing. In the second half of 2025, beverage inflation outpaced food, largely driven by rising coffee costs. By February 2026, this gap had closed, with both categories increasing at around 8%, signalling more uniform cost pressures across menus.

Channel dynamics are also evolving. Delivery prices grew faster than eat-in in 2025, but by February 2026, this difference had disappeared, with pricing now aligned across channels. This suggests operators may be reaching the limit of channel-based pricing strategies.

“Price increases are now broad-based across every major category, but the real shift is that consumers are no longer reacting to price alone. With hot drinks up 14% and most core items rising around 8% to 10%, value perception has become the decisive factor in where and how people spend," Maria Vanifatova, the CEO of Meaningful Vision, said.