GCG’s Q1 2026 Food & Beverage Industry Update provides an overview of the latest trends in the sector, including recent performance, valuation multiples, and the state of the middle-market M&A environment.

Key findings include the following:

• Food and beverage demand in Q1 2026 sorted rather than slowed, with capital and acquirers flowing toward function, protein, and zero-proof while incumbents traded legacy indulgence for better-for-you platforms.
• M&A activity continued to gain steam in Q1 2026, with 163 transactions completed (just ahead of Q4 2025 and the same period last year), led by strategic buyers (71%) as sponsors stayed selective around margin strength, scale potential, and business continuity.
• Public F&B equities fell further behind the broad market, as capital continued rewarding operational discipline and margin stability while discretionary and commodity-linked segments – Branded Packaged Goods, Food Retail, and Restaurants – fell further behind.

See here for all Food & Beverage News and Updates

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