Health and wellbeing are emerging as one of the defining growth drivers in the UK food and drink sector, with several nutrition-focused brands featuring prominently in the ORESA Executive Search Growth Index 2026.

The annual ranking of Britain’s 100 fastest-growing companies reveals that businesses centred on functional nutrition, gut health and healthy convenience are outperforming many traditional food and drink categories, reflecting sustained consumer investment in products perceived to support long-term wellbeing.

Leading the sector is wellness brand Ancient + Brave, ranked eighth overall with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 295.2%. The company specialises in science-backed dietary supplements and sits alongside a number of other rapidly expanding health-focused brands.

Matcha specialist PerfectTed is ranked 12th nationally, achieving 230.9% CAGR through its portfolio of energy drinks, powders and lattes, while healthy ready-meal company Prep Kitchen takes 21st place after recording 146.9% CAGR.

Nutrition company Kendal Nutricare, which develops science-led nutritional products from infancy through to adulthood, is ranked 30th with 124.9% CAGR, while gut-health cereal brand Bio&Me completes the group at number 64 after achieving 91.0% CAGR.

Together, the companies illustrate how health-focused innovation is driving growth across multiple food and drink categories, from beverages and meal solutions to specialist nutrition and digestive health.

According to Orlando Martins, founder of Growth Index, consumer priorities continue to evolve.

“One of the clearest themes in this year’s rankings is the growing consumer focus on health and wellbeing. What’s particularly striking is the diversity of businesses benefiting from that trend. Whether it’s gut health, functional nutrition, healthy convenience or premium wellness products, consumers are increasingly willing to spend money on products they believe will improve their health and quality of life.”

The resilience of health-focused spending was also highlighted by Bio&Me CEO Jon Walsh.

“Consumers did pull back on some premium indulgent products during the cost-of-living crisis, but they kept going on health.”

The findings suggest manufacturers are responding to changing consumer expectations by investing in products that combine convenience with nutritional benefits, while functional ingredients continue to move further into the mainstream.

Beyond food and drink, the wider Growth Index also reflects growing interest in active lifestyles, with sportswear brands including DFYNE and Castore featuring among the UK’s fastest-growing businesses.

Overall, the ORESA Executive Search Growth Index 2026 recorded its strongest performance since its launch five years ago. The average company achieved compound annual revenue growth of 136.1% over two years, while the 100 businesses together generated more than £11 billion in annual revenues.

Although financial services remained the largest sector represented, healthcare continued its upward trajectory, supported by strong performances from biotechnology businesses.

For the food and drink industry, the results reinforce the commercial potential of health-led innovation. From functional beverages and gut-health products to nutritionally balanced convenience foods, the businesses leading the rankings suggest consumer demand for products delivering measurable wellbeing benefits shows little sign of slowing.

Read the full ORESA Executive Search Growth Index 2026 report and view the complete list of 100 companies here.