Introducing CURATED: In Conversation with Co-Creator Heerum Fleary
posted 16th June 2026
Across the travel and leisure food and beverage industry, the same challenge has existed for years.
Exceptional independent brands often struggle to reach the buyers who would value their products most. At the same time, busy buyers are under pressure to find premium, reliable, foodservice-ready solutions quickly. The result is a sourcing process that can feel slow, fragmented, and full of guesswork.
CURATED was created to change that.
CURATED brings together carefully selected food and drink brands for buyers across travel, hospitality, leisure, healthcare, education, and beyond. It has been developed through a partnership between TickEat, the travel and leisure sector specialists, and a specialist industry partner with over 20 years’ experience supplying global travel, leisure, healthcare, and education channels, including more than 46 airlines worldwide.
We sat down with TickEat founder Heerum Fleary, one of the co-creators of CURATED, to discuss why it was created, how suppliers and buyers can use it, and the impact she believes it can have on the industry.
What exactly is CURATED?
CURATED is not a directory, and Heerum is quick to make that distinction.
“There are other catalogues out there. CURATED is different because it is a carefully edited showcase that puts exceptional food and drink brands directly in front of the buyers who can actually take them further. Every brand earns its place. That is what makes it something buyers can trust from the moment they open it.”
The resource brings together selected suppliers across three specialist portfolios, each shaped around real buyer needs rather than broad, generic categories. The aim is simple: to shorten sales cycles, accelerate distribution, and make sourcing easier for both sides.
“We wanted to take the noise out of sourcing. A buyer should be able to open a CURATED portfolio and know that everything inside has already been considered, is foodservice-ready, and fits the way they actually buy. We have done the hard work so they do not have to.”
Why now?
For Heerum, the timing reflects a wider shift in what buyers need from their onboard, venue, and customer-facing food and beverage offer.
“Buyers are under more pressure than ever to deliver quality, meet dietary needs, and tell a better story to their customers, all at the same time. Meanwhile, some of the most exciting work in food and drink is coming from independent producers who do not always have a clear route into these channels. CURATED sits right in the middle of that, and the industry has been ready for it for a long time.”
She is clear that the gap has held brilliant brands back.
“I have watched incredible independents give up on travel and leisure, not because their product was not good enough, but because they could not find the door. That is the part that needed fixing.”
Three specialist portfolios
CURATED is organised into three focused portfolios that suppliers can apply to be considered for, and buyers can request access to:
- Solutions for Elevated Meals and Snacking: Premium, trend-led products designed to enhance everyday eating
- Solutions for Specialist Meal Needs, including Free From: Carefully selected products for religious, allergen-free, lifestyle, and dietary requirements, where quality, trust, and compliance matter
- Solutions for Beverages: A considered collection of drink brands
“Splitting CURATED into three portfolios was deliberate. A buyer sourcing free-from solutions has very different priorities to one building a premium snacking range. By organising it this way, buyers can go straight to what they need, and suppliers have a clear, relevant place to be seen.”
What CURATED means for suppliers
For independent brands, Heerum sees CURATED as far more than a place to be listed.
“Being part of CURATED means being placed in front of the right buyers, in a professionally curated portfolio, with the credibility of TickEat and our trusted industry partner behind it. It is the difference between hoping the right person sees you and knowing you are being introduced in the right way.”
She is especially passionate about what this could mean for smaller producers.
“This has always been about championing independents. CURATED gives smaller brands the opportunity to be seen alongside more established names, with the same professional presentation and the same access to decision-makers. That is how the industry gets better: by allowing the best products to rise, not just the biggest companies.”
What CURATED means for buyers
For buyers, the value lies in confidence, relevance, and time saved.
“Buyers tell us the same thing again and again. They do not have time to sift through hundreds of suppliers and verify every detail themselves. CURATED gives them a foodservice-ready collection they can explore with confidence, whether they are sourcing for travel, hospitality, healthcare, education, or leisure. It turns weeks of searching into a much more focused process.”
Rather than starting from scratch, buyers can access a refined selection of brands already aligned with the expectations of complex foodservice environments.
The impact Heerum hopes CURATED will have
Ask Heerum about the bigger picture, and she describes CURATED as a step towards a faster, fairer, and more connected market.
“My hope is that CURATED changes the rhythm of the sector. Faster discovery for buyers, faster distribution for suppliers, and a genuine route to market for brands that deserve one. If we can help independent producers thrive on a global platform, while helping buyers deliver something their customers genuinely love, then we have done what we set out to do.”
That mission sits at the heart of CURATED: championing independent food and beverage producers by giving them the connections, support, and opportunities they need to grow.
What’s next?
CURATED is invite-only by design, and that is unlikely to change.
“The standard is the whole point. We will keep it focused, relevant, and genuinely useful for both sides. Suppliers who want to be considered, and buyers who want access, should get in touch. This is just the beginning.”
To learn more about CURATED, request access to a portfolio as a buyer, or be considered as a supplier, get in touch with the TickEat team.
