Pret A Manger, Sainsbury’s, Burger King, itsu, WatchHouse, and KFC announced in first wave of speakers for lunch! 2026
The national food-to-go, retail and coffee shop event – lunch! has revealed its first wave of speakers for its 2026 edition. Senior leaders from seven of the most influential brands in food, hospitality and retail will take to the lunch! stage on 16-17 September at Excel London.
Pano Christou, CEO of Pret A Manger; Alasdair Murdoch, CEO of Burger King; James Campbell, Director of Product & Innovation at Sainsbury’s; Annabel Mackie, Marketing Director at itsu; Caroline Ottoy, Managing Director of WatchHouse; and Alice Hutfield, Director of Development at KFC are the first names to be confirmed, bringing compelling mix of insights that reflects the full spectrum of today’s food-to-go landscape.
“lunch! is a fantastic event showcasing world-class innovation that will help take our industry forward,” says Pano Christou, CEO, Pret A Manger.
Across the two days, speakers will take to three of lunch!’s new stages for 2026: Food-to-Go Stage, Coffee Shop Stage, and Retail & Convenience Stage. Here they’ll share exclusive insights on everything from brand growth to navigating the pressures and opportunities facing the industry today. Sessions will span interview-style formats through to interactive panel discussions.
This year, lunch! will form part of the inaugural The London Food and Drink Festival. The full festival programme will offer something for every corner of the food and drink industry on the following stages:
- Chef Live! Stage
- Pub & Bar Stage
- Restaurateurs Stage
- Casual DINING Stage
- Natural & Organic Food Stage
Other expert speakers to see across these stages include John Hutson, Chief Executive of JD Wetherspoon; Gemma Glasson, CEO of Wahaca; Nisha Katona MBE, Founder Director of Mowgli Street Food; Des Gunewardena, Founder and CEO of D3 Collective; Steve Alton, CEO of British Institute of Innkeeping; and Kate Nicholls OBE, Chair of UKHospitality.
Event Director of lunch! and lunch! North, Katie Tyler comments: “lunch! has always been about connecting the sharpest minds in food-to-go in one place, and this year’s speaker line-up is shaping up to be our most exciting yet – with so many more names to revealed. Whether you’re an independent operator or a national brand, the insight on offer across our stages will give you the tools to tackle today’s challenges and the inspiration to take back to your business.”
Register for a FREE trade ticket
lunch! returns to Excel London on 16-17 September at part of The London Food & Drink Festival. One ticket will give retailers and operators access to co-located shows The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show, London Drinks Exchange, Natural & Organic Food Show, and Artisan Food & Drink Show.
Visitors can register in advance for FREE here.
