Overview
Copenhagen is recognised for its design-led food culture, premium convenience retail and strong commitment to sustainable food systems. This study tour will give delegates the opportunity to see how high-quality food to go, organic sourcing, waste reduction, sustainable packaging and customer-focused retail environments are embedded across commercial, institutional and public sector settings.
Delegates will visit a mix of universities, hospitals, food innovation organisations, hospitality venues and commercial grab & go retailers, including Copenhagen Business School, Bispebjerg Hospital, FoodOp, Food Nation, Guldsmeden Hotels, Torvehallerne, Joe & The Juice and 7-Eleven Denmark. The programme will include hosted visits, presentations, retail exploration and opportunities to consider how these approaches could be adapted within UK university catering.
Who is this for?
This tour is ideal for Heads of Catering, Retail Leads, Executive Chefs, Commercial and Operations Managers, Sustainability and ESG Leads, and colleagues interested in developing food to go, sandwich retail and future-focused catering concepts.
Why should I take part?
- See best-in-class grab & go in action
Experience how Copenhagen delivers premium, high-volume convenience retail with strong branding, speed and consistency—offering practical ideas for enhancing campus food-to-go offers. - Understand sustainability as standard practice
Learn how organic sourcing, waste reduction and sustainable packaging are fully embedded operationally, moving beyond theory to scalable, everyday delivery. - Benchmark against leading public sector catering
Visit universities and hospitals where catering is commercially strong, customer-focused and design-led—providing a credible comparison to UK models. - Translate insight into action
Identify concepts that can be adapted for TUCO members, from retail formats and menus to operational efficiencies and customer experience. - Access exclusive industry insight
Engage with organisations such as Food Nation and FoodOp to understand how collaboration across industry, education and government drives innovation. - Strengthen commercial and ESG strategies
Gain practical approaches to balancing profitability with sustainability, supporting both institutional goals and wider ESG commitments. - Learn directly from operators and experts
Hear from leading practitioners across hospitality, retail and public sector catering, including large-scale producers and innovation specialists. - Build a valuable peer network
Share challenges and solutions with senior TUCO colleagues in a focused, small-group environment designed for discussion and collaboration. - Support professional development and competitions
Particularly relevant for teams developing food-to-go concepts or considering entry into future TUCO competitions, including sandwich and retail categories. - Experience a global benchmark city
Copenhagen provides a clear, real-world blueprint for future-facing catering—where quality, sustainability and customer experience are seamlessly integrated.
How will it help me?
- Improve your food-to-go offer with practical ideas to enhance quality, speed and presentation.
- Strengthen commercial performance by applying proven premium grab & go models.
- Embed sustainability through realistic, operational approaches to sourcing, waste and packaging.
- Enhance customer experience using insights on design, flow and branding.
- Benchmark your operation against leading public sector and retail environments.
- Support strategic decisions with insight from Food Nation and FoodOp.
- Develop your team by bringing back ideas that build skills and consistency.
- Build a clear business case using tangible examples and peer insight.
- Stay competitive by aligning with evolving expectations on quality and convenience.
- Expand your network through connections with peers and industry leaders.
What’s included?
- Flights from Stansted to Copenhagen
- Overnight accommodation during your stay
- All site visits
- Food and drink each day
What’s not included?
Anything not listed on the itinerary including, but not limited to:
- Additional drinks, room service, trips not on the itinerary etc.
Provisional Itinerary:
A provisional itinerary and costs will be made available closer to the time. Final itineraries will be emailed approx. 1 week prior to the event commencement.
Flights are from Stansted at 07:10 so the group will need to meet by 05:00 (gate closes at 06:40) on the 6th, the return flight arrives back into Stansted at 21:40 on the 8th of October.
