Students and industry partners tackle travel food trends

Oxford Brookes Business School first year Marketing students worked on an exciting new live client project in collaboration with The Hayward Partnership (THP) and Nutted Out Nutrition.

This project explored the evolving landscape of consumer behaviour around food and nutrition, with a particular focus on Generation Z and its influence on future trends in travel catering.

As health consciousness and dietary awareness continue to rise, the demand for personalised and nutritious food options is becoming a defining factor in consumer decision-making—particularly within the travel sector. Airlines, rail services, and travel retailers are under increasing pressure to offer inclusive, appealing, and health-conscious food choices.

In response to this growing need, students from Oxford Brookes Business School marketing students undertook in-depth secondary and primary research to investigate how Gen Z perceptions and behaviours are shaping expectations around nutrition, diet, and food options during travel. This market research uncovered key insights to help travel industry stakeholders better align their offerings with current and emerging consumer preferences. 197 first year students worked in 40 market research groups to conduct a survey across the University, presenting their findings in a client presentation and final market research report.

This initiative is supported by The Hayward Partnership, a global collective of independent travel and retail industry experts, and with Melissa Adamski founder of Nutted Out Nutrition, an award-winning Australian consultancy recognised for its leadership in transparency, nutrition, and allergen awareness in food and travel.

Michael Pooley,  Managing Director, The Hayward Partnership and Oxford Brookes Visiting Industrial Fellow said:

“On behalf of The Hayward Partnership I can only express our sincere gratitude to Sarah Rogers, Lecturer in Marketing, and the student cohort for such a committed and comprehensive response to the project’s brief. We are delighted by the results and the creativity of the summaries presented, and by the insights and level of engagement we have uncovered in targeting the important Gen Z traveller to gain an understanding of their perspective of the future F&B trends. What is more, it has been made more valuable by having such a broad reaction involving a large group of 197 students in all."

Lance Hayward, Managing Director and Founder of The Hayward Partnership said:

‘The Hayward Partnership is constantly looking for ways to expand our references, improve our awareness, and gain a clearer working knowledge of what the next generation are looking for, to support our global clients in enhancing the overall passenger experience. This collaboration with Oxford Brookes University and Melissa Adamski from Nutted out Nutrition can be a great example to others in our network of what’s possible when collecting data and sharing knowledge. It has also exposed suppliers and airlines to a rich source of next generation managers and influencers.  In turn the students have now seen the potential for a career in this previously less researched but always exciting industry sector. In every way this has been a win/win scenario.”

Melissa Adamski, Consultant and Founder Nutted Out Nutrition; Ambassador for World Travel Catering & Onboard Services said:

"It has been a pleasure to be involved in the student-led marketing research project on travel, food, and Gen Z—a collaboration between The Hayward Partnership, Nutted out Nutrition and Oxford Brookes University. I’ve been genuinely impressed by the students’ work, which offers valuable insights that will help shape the future of food and travel. As a dietitian working in the travel sector, this research is not only timely but highly relevant to industry needs – food is such an integral part of travel and so hearing from the voices of Gen Z is essential which this project has allowed us to do.”

Karina Pop, Oxford Brookes Digital Marketing student and representative for first year undergraduates, said:

"As part of a recent academic research project focused on Gen Z food, nutrition, and travel, I received the opportunity to explore airline catering. This has managed to open up an entirely new viewpoint on the efforts behind the airline industry. 

“While I was already aware that our generation places a strong emphasis on sustainability, diving deeper into this topic through both primary and secondary research provided me with new statistical information that I found interesting and engaging. I have gained valuable skills during this project improving my data analysis, presenting, and teamwork skills, which is important to me as a future marketer. I particularly enjoyed writing the individual report for our client, which allowed me to analyse research findings and present my insights and ideas. I am looking forward to future projects and something I would love to engage with again!

“One of the most memorable aspects of this project was a visit to Dnata, where I had the opportunity to see the behind-the-scenes operations of airline catering on site. The scale, precision, and logistical coordination involved in delivering in-flight meals left a lasting impression on me. As a consumer you do not think of the process behind, you only see the end product."

Together, the project aims to provide strategic insights and practical recommendations that will help reshape how the travel industry approaches food, nutrition, and customer experience.

Learn more about Oxford Brookes undergraduate and postgraduate marketing courses.