From sugar to seaweed - an inspirational transformation

For a brand best known for sugar and Golden Syrup, Tate & Lyle could easily have stayed in the comfort zone of familiarity. But comfort rarely breeds longevity.

Instead, this is a business that’s quietly, confidently transformed itself, ditching sugar altogether and pivoting to become a global ingredient and food science powerhouse. If that sounds like a dramatic shift, it’s because it is. But it’s also a masterclass in what we call planarian behaviours, the ability to continuously regenerate in response to changing signals, technologies and expectations.

Letting go of the legacy

In 2010, Tate & Lyle made a bold move: it sold off its sugar business. The very thing that had defined it for over a century. This wasn’t a PR exercise or half-hearted repositioning, it was a complete strategic reset.

Today, the business doesn’t make sugar. It makes the things that replace sugar. Fibre-enhancing, texture-improving, nutrition-boosting ingredients derived from the likes of corn, tapioca, seaweed, stevia leaf and citrus peel and helping food manufacturers meet the demands of a health-conscious, climate-aware, and regulation-heavy world.

CEO, Nick Hampton sums this up when he says,

'Nothing we do today we did more than 30 years ago.'

Turning headwinds into fuel

Most food businesses are still on the defensive when it comes to ultra-processed foods. The headlines are brutal, and drugs like Ozempic are rapidly changing how we think about diet and health.

Tate & Lyle, however, has taken a different view. It doesn’t shy away from the UPF debate; it reframes it. Their argument? The problem isn’t processing. It’s nutrition. If they can help reformulate the world’s favourite foods to reduce sugar and fat without compromising taste, they’re solving the problem, not part of it.

A sharper, more focused business

This mindset has been backed by some very smart moves. In 2021, Tate & Lyle sold off a controlling stake in its commercial sweeteners division, freeing itself up to focus on future-facing ingredients. Then, in 2024, it went on the offensive, acquiring US-based CP Kelco for $1.8 billion. While many UK businesses were being acquired, Tate & Lyle became the acquirer, signalling confidence, clarity and a long-term growth agenda.

Building resilience into the supply chain

Reinvention is also about readiness. The company’s supply chain stretches across continents and crops, making it vulnerable to everything from extreme weather to shifting trade policies. But its response hasn’t been panic, it’s been diversification. When Chinese stevia production was hit by floods, the team turned to Latin America. When European corn yields dropped, they looked west to the US and no doubt this flexibility will be exploited to deal with the incoming tariff regime. 

It’s not glamorous work, but it’s what real resilience looks like: hedging your bets, staying flexible, and always having a plan B.

Global outlook, local execution

Although Tate & Lyle remains listed in London, it’s no longer a British business in the traditional sense. Its innovation labs are global. Its teams are close to customers. And its strategy is rooted in the understanding that food is cultural; what works in Chicago doesn’t always work in São Paulo.

There was even talk of a rebrand post-acquisition. But the name stayed. Not out of nostalgia, but because it now stands for something very different than it once did. It’s a marker of transformation, not tradition.

Reinvention as a way of life

Tate & Lyle’s story is one of continuous reinvention, a company that has refused to be locked into its origins and has instead embraced transformation at every turn.

It’s a mindset that many businesses could learn from. Change is inevitable, but survival isn’t about reacting; it’s about anticipating, adapting, and regenerating, just like a planarian. By staying ahead of the signals, Tate & Lyle isn’t just keeping up with the future of food; it’s helping to create it.