3 Expert Tips to Find the Top 10% of Food & Drinks Talent

Experts explain why food and drinks businesses are struggling to attract the talent they need – and what talent managers can do about it.

There’s been a lot of talk of a talent shortage in the UK’s food and drinks sector lately.

But we’ve noticed a contradiction: while many businesses are flooded with CVs, finding the top 10% remains a real struggle. Factors like niche skillsets, shifting salaries, and evolving candidate expectations all play a part.

In this blog, we’ll unpack the realities of the 2025 food and drinks talent market and share practical tips to help you zero in on high-impact candidates.

Drawing on insights from our specialist recruiters, we’ll show you how to stand out in a crowded, competitive field. 

Ready to cut through the noise and secure those game-changing hires? Let’s dive in.

The UK Food and Drinks Talent Market in 2025

By 2025, the UK’s food and drinks sector is brimming with candidates, yet many hiring managers struggle to pinpoint the right people for their roles. Why is that? 

Well, for one thing, more candidates than ever are likely to look elsewhere if their current employer doesn't match rising expectations, including:

• Salary: We’re still experiencing the fallout of Covid-era salary inflation. Wages soared when competition for talent was fierce, and many candidates still expect those higher pay levels – even though businesses are now under tighter budgets.
• Benefits: Rising costs of living across the UK mean more people are open to new roles in search of better benefits. This only increases the pool of applicants.
• Work-Life Balance: Some food and drinks companies are pulling teams back into the office most days, but many candidates now see flexible or remote arrangements as non-negotiable. This mismatch leads to perceived shortages when qualified people don’t want to relocate or commute daily.

These issues are only growing in prominence – with younger generations increasingly open to moving on if they’re unhappy. 

Source: Korn Ferry

Couple this with a rise in demand for ultra-specific top talent across food and drinks organisations, and we have a market that's oversaturated with talent that doesn't meet your business's needs. 

So, Is There a Talent Shortage in Food and Drinks?

Not exactly. As Will Cattell, our Lead Talent Partner for Team Food, puts it:

‘We see 500 applicants for a single role sometimes. The issue isn’t quantity – it’s how to sort through them and spot the right talent for the right role. At the end of the day, you want the top 10% in your shortlists.’

In other words, there’s no lack of applicants overall. Instead, the challenge lies in efficiently filtering an overwhelming number of CVs to find the absolute best fit.

That’s where a more targeted strategy comes in. Not sure where to start?

Let’s explore proven tips to help you identify, engage, and secure top talent – so you can focus your time on people who can truly drive your business forward.

3 Tips to Source Top 10% Food and Drinks Talent

Below are three practical strategies to help you find the very best food and drinks candidates – without getting bogged down in endless CV reviews.

1.     Differentiate Between ‘Essentials’ and ‘Desirables’

Some hiring teams focus so narrowly on exact channel experience – say, Tesco versus Aldi – that they miss out on candidates with nearly identical core skills.

As Principal Talent Partner Lewis Croke points out: ‘Someone could be an amazing negotiator or have an incredible way of analysing data. But, purely because they don’t have the exact account experience, they get discounted.’

The Solution

By adjusting role requirements to distinguish must-have capabilities (like P&L expertise or strong commercial acumen) from nice-to-have specifics (such as exposure to a particular retailer), you’ll unlock a bigger, more diverse talent pool.

Lewis sums this up nicely: ‘If you broaden your remit even a little, you open up a far bigger pool of strong candidates.’

What to Do:

• List Your Must-Haves: Pinpoint the skills candidates must bring on day one (e.g. negotiation, stakeholder management, etc.).
• Identify Nice-to-Haves: Consider which channel experiences or specialisations can be trained or developed in role.
• Stay Flexible: Look for potential over perfect alignment and limit the number of ‘desirables’ listed in your job descriptions. Some of the best hires can come from unexpected places.

By focusing on foundational skills first and retailer-specific know-how second, you’ll strike the right balance between precision and flexibility – ultimately capturing that elusive 10%.

2.     Strengthen (and Clarify) Your Employee Value Proposition

Some employers focus too heavily on salary, while others push progression or culture.

In reality, today’s top talent evaluates every part of your employee value proposition (EVP) – from pay and perks to growth opportunities and company culture.

So, it’s worth asking yourself: ‘Is our EVP geared towards top talent attraction?’

The Solution

A strong EVP combines compelling benefits with a clear growth path and a supportive work environment. But promises alone won’t cut it – candidates want substance.

According to Sam Staden, an Advocate Talent Partner: ‘Some companies mention huge bonuses or great culture, but if candidates can’t see how it applies to them, it doesn’t land.’

A Note on Remote Working

With mandates for on-site working on the rise again, it’s worth noting that flexibility has become increasingly important to candidates across the board.

In fact, the 2025 Randstad Workmonitor report shows that work-life balance is now the top motivator for changing roles – even surpassing salary for the first time ever!

Source: Randstad Workmonitor 2025  

While this may not be the entire picture, it’s vital to consider when refining your EVP.

What to Do:

• Focus on the Full Package: Ensure your salary and bonus structures are transparent – but back them up with genuine career opportunities, flexible work options, and a meaningful culture.
• Make It Personal: Show prospective hires exactly how they can advance within your organisation, and give real-life examples of employees who’ve grown from within.
• Communicate Clearly: Avoid buzzwords and showcase tangible perks – like employee wellness initiatives or professional development funds – that speak directly to candidates’ needs.

When each piece of your EVP holds real value, you’ll stand out from the noise. That’s the difference between a good offer and one that truly resonates with top-tier talent.

3.     Drive Time Efficiency in Your Hiring Process

Some businesses receive hundreds of CVs for a single role, yet still miss out on the best candidates. The reason? A slow hiring process that means best-fit candidates get snapped up elsewhere.

‘Even smaller brands are getting loads of applicants,’ says Sam, ‘but they just don’t have the time to sift through them all. By the time they schedule interviews, their top applicants have usually moved on.’

The Solution

Time efficiency isn’t about rushing; it’s about streamlining every stage. By refining how you advertise, screen, and interview, you lower the risk of losing strong contenders to faster-moving competitors.

What to Do

• Refine Your Funnel: Write clear job descriptions and use quick-filter questions to surface high-potential candidates first.
• Shortlist Quickly: Don’t let CVs stack up – create a dedicated review slot and move promising applicants into interviews while they’re still engaged.
• Leverage Specialist Support: Partner with external experts who know the food and drinks sector inside out. They’ll help you filter CVs more efficiently and spot hidden gems you might otherwise overlook.

A faster, more focused hiring process can help you reach the right people for your roles first – well before they slip through the cracks.

Next Steps for Talent Managers

Securing the top 10% of food and drinks talent for your vacancies isn’t just about posting vacancies and hoping the right people apply. It’s about refining your role requirements, crafting a compelling EVP, and acting quickly to secure standout candidates.

Summing it up, Will says: ‘Think about the candidate journey from start to finish. If you can offer the right mix of clarity, speed, and genuine opportunity, you’ll naturally attract the best in the market.’

Where to Start

• Clarify ‘Must-Haves’ vs. ‘Nice-to-Haves’: Broaden your search criteria to uncover high-potential talent with transferable skills.
• Strengthen Your EVP: Go beyond salary and highlight everything from growth opportunities to the cultural benefits of joining your team.
• Streamline Your Process: Invest in screening tools, block out time for timely reviews, and offer quick interview turnarounds to keep top-tier candidates engaged.

Finally, don’t underestimate the value of specialist support.

By partnering with experienced recruiters who know the food and drinks sectors inside out, you can save hours of sifting and speed up your path to high-impact hires.

If you’d like more tailored advice – or need help refining your approach – reach out to our team at Advocate Group. We’re here to help you secure the right talent for your business, right now.

Your 10-Step Talent Attraction Checklist [Downloadable]

Jump straight into action with our 10-step checklist – simply click the graphic below to download!

These quick steps capture everything we discussed in the blog – from streamlining your processes to strengthening your employee value proposition – so you can start attracting and securing top food and drinks talent today.