Trading conditions worsened in Q4, UK SMEs tell survey

Half of food and drink SMEs in the UK said business conditions deteriorated in the last three months of 2025, new findings suggest. In a survey by local trade body the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), 50% of SMEs said trading conditions "got worse" in the period compared to the third quarter. UK-based small businesses, with ten to 49 employees, made up 16% of the survey's respondents in the FDF's latest State of the Industry report. Medium-sized companies in the country, with 50 to 249 employees, meanw ...