HIT THE FLOOR
On 16-17 September, London’s Excel will welcome the brand-new London Food & Drink festival – incorporating The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show, London Drinks Exchange, Natural & Organic Food Show, Artisan Food & Drink Show and lunch!, all under one roof for the first time.
It’s a format designed to give visiting buyers and operators access to the full breadth of the food & drink industry in a single visit. Collectively, the co-located events will feature thousands of products from over 600 exhibitors, as well as 200+ world-class industry speakers across eight stages.
With so much innovation on display, it’s shaping up to be the UK’s most comprehensive food & drink trade event this autumn.
“FTG and coffee shop markets move fast, and this is where the industry keeps pace with it,” explained Katie Tyler, event director for lunch!
“Visiting buyers walking our aisles are the ones deciding what’s on the counter next season. This year, there are even more products, with five shows under one roof. You simply won’t find a more unmissable two days for the sector anywhere else in the calendar.”
WORTH LISTENING TO
Confirmed names on the lunch! exhibitor list so far include Oatly, TRIP, Popcorn Kitchen, Deliciously Ella, Organix, MOJU, Capri Sun UK, Minor Figures, Twinings, Love Corn, Simply Lunch, Graze, Yeo Valley Organic, Walker’s Shortbread, Biomel, Vegware, UCC Coffee and Kellogg’s (Kellanova), among many more – all showcasing latest launches and existing product ranges.
The line-up also spans plant-based drinks, functional snacking, sustainable packaging and coffee, giving a comprehensive view of what's next for the sector.
lunch! has confirmed its speakers for 2026, with senior leaders taking to the stage – including Pano Christou (Pret A Manger), James Campbell (Sainsbury’s), Alasdair Murdoch (Burger King), Annabel Mackie (itsu), Caroline Ottoy (WatchHouse), Alice Hutfield (KFC), Lysa Hardy (Caffè Nero) and Nick Orrin (Costa).
Alongside keynote interviews, there will be panel discussions on Menu Innovation, featuring Sofia De Angelis (WatchHouse), Louise Direito (Starbucks) and Ginny Hayward (Caffè Nero) talking coffee shops, and Arnaud Kaziewicz (Cornish Bakery) and Richard De La Cruz (Honi Poke) specialising in FTG. Another popular panel is sure to be The Rise of the Café Bakery, featuring Nicolas Gaillot (Paris Baguette), Sophia Handschuh (Sourdough Sophia) and Brett Parker (Heidi & Blackbird Bakery).
In addition to industry leaders, the speaker line-up covers other important topics such as Drive-Thru, Marketing and Operations, alongside the new Retail & Convenience stage, bringing together the sharpest minds across every corner of the industry.
“lunch! is a fantastic event showcasing world-class innovation that will help take our industry forward,” said Pano Christou.
Together with Start-Up Zones, Innovation Challenge Galleries, live DJ sets and interactive features across both days, it’s less a trade show than a new era for hospitality and retail events.
Free trade registration for The London Food & Drink Festival, including lunch!, is open now at lunchshow.co.uk (priority code VLU89), with registration subject to verification.
