Food lifecycle management firm, Point74, recently brought together food industry leaders, influencers and journalists at The Ivy Chelsea Garden, for an evening themed around ‘Food for the Future.’

The event celebrated Point74’s acquisition of Quor earlier this year, and set out the company’s growth plans, which are closely tied to the direction of the wider food and drink sector.

The theme was intentionally broad, with discussion on the night covering innovation, nutrition, sustainability, allergen management and changing consumer demand.

Proceedings opened with food content creator Kate Lancaster, known as “The Dairy Free Mum”. She hosted a live quiz testing guests on allergen compliance, recipe development and food trends. The quiz also referenced her work as a recipe developer and as an ambassador for The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.

Kate spoke about why accurate labelling matters to people living with allergies, and why manufacturers face more pressure than ever to deliver compliant, accurately labelled and carefully produced products. She closed by outlining the ingredients, formats and consumer shifts she expects to shape the remainder of 2026 and into 2027.

Commercial director Mark Wood went on to describe where Point74 began. In the early 2000s, at a Lincolnshire meat manufacturer, recipe costings were calculated cut by cut, relying on judgement and experience. Point74 grew out of that labour-intensive process, and the sausage roll was the first product it was built around.

“I started Point74 because I could see a clear need for it,” said Mark Wood. “Manufacturers didn’t have one source of the truth. Their information was spread across fragmented spreadsheets and separate systems, and that almost always meant higher costs and a longer road to market for new products.”

The software is now used by leading food businesses including Waitrose, Morrisons, Charlie Bigham’s, Pilgrams UK and more.

Chief executive officer, Rob Sinclair, then reviewed the year to date, covering investment, award recognition and new client wins, such as Costa.

“We have big ambitions for Point74, and with the backing of FPE Capital, the business is going from strength to strength,” he said.

“The acquisition of Quor reflects that. Food manufacturers now have a one-stop shop for all their software needs, from recipe development and costing through to compliance and quality on the factory floor.”

Rob ended by looking ahead, citing that supply chains must work in unison and share a common digital language if we’re to get food onto shelves quicker.

“We’re only just getting started,” he said. “This is the direction food manufacturing is heading, and we intend to be the ones building the software tools for it.”