Catering prices edged higher almost across the board in the three months to 4 November 2026. Of the 31 materials with a LiveQuote index, 26 rose and 5 fell, for an average gain of 1.2%. Over a year the group is up 2.0% on average. It spans 35 materials, from dry pasta and noodles to wraps, waffles and pastry bases.
Sweet catering leads the three sub-families at +1.6% over three months and +4.0% over a year. Salty catering is close behind at +1.1%, with +2.2% on the year. Pasta and rice gained 0.9% over the quarter but is the only sub-family still slightly down over twelve months, at -0.2%.
Prepared rice posted the group's biggest three-month rise, up 4.0%. Waffle prices followed at +3.8%, and cookie and speculoos each added 3.3%. The weakest line was protein preparation, down 3.4%. Both apple compotes slipped 1.8% over the quarter, yet grocery-grade apple compote and pastry apple compote remain 14.4% above their level of a year ago, the steepest annual rise in the group.
Market notes on pasta focus on Italy. Between 20 and 22 October, truckers blocked motorways and ports, disrupting transport mainly in the south and putting pasta production at risk, news reported. Separate sector analysis published on 25 October said Spanish pasta prices had fallen in 2026 while consumption grew. In Poland, Makarony Polskie said lower wheat and flour prices had fed through to pasta prices.
For kimchi, the notes report lower South Korean prices in October for cabbage, green onions and ginger. The ice cream note cites Magnum Ice Cream Company, which reported strong third-quarter volume growth in Europe on 29 October. The ice cream index itself eased 0.6% over three months.