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22-23 September 2027 | Excel | London

Press Releases

22/09/2026

London Food & Drink Festival debuts as UK’s most innovative food trade show moment

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Five leading trade shows united for the first time at Excel London, drawing senior buyers from Sainsbury’s, Tesco, wagamama, John Lewis, Costa, Greene King and more The inaugural London Food & Drink Festival welcomed 10,958 visitors across two days at Excel London last week – a 26% increase compared to the same period last year – in what organisers are calling a landmark moment for the UK’s food and drink trade calendar. For the first time, The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show, lunch! and Natural & Organic Food Show – three of the industry’s most established trade events – […]

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01/09/2026

lunch! joins forces to launch the London Food & Drink Festival

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One free ticket now gives visitors access to five major trade events at Excel London this September  In just two weeks, lunch! – the national food-to-go, retail and coffee shop event – will join forces with four other leading food and drink trade events for the first time, as part of the brand-new London Food & Drink Festival.  Taking place 16-17 September at Excel London, the festival brings lunch! together with The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show, London Drinks Exchange, Natural & Organic Food Show and Artisan Food & Drink Show, uniting them under one roof for the first time.   It’s a new format designed to give visiting buyers and operators access […]

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16/06/2026

Pret A Manger, Sainsbury’s, Burger King, itsu, WatchHouse, and KFC announced in first wave of speakers for lunch! 2026

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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 […]

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27/04/2026

Registration Now Open for lunch! 2026

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The London Food & Drink Festival has today opened visitor registration for its inaugural edition, uniting four leading events under one roof. Taking place on 16-17 September 2026 at Excel London, the festival brings together lunch!, The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show, Natural & Organic Food Show and the Artisan Food & Drink Show – creating the UK’s most comprehensive food and drink trade event this Autumn.   This exciting new festival format will connect thousands of food and drink trade buyers, retailers and operators with over 600 exhibitors, and will feature a comprehensive speaker programme of 200+ speakers across 8 stages of free content.   Past attendees (across all shows) have included senior representatives from Pret, wagamama, Greggs, Burger King UK, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Holland & Barrett, Planet Organic, GAIL’s, Hawksmoor, Wahaca, Dishoom, […]

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21/01/2026

Four unmissable trade events unite under The London Food & Drink Festival 2026

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London is set to welcome a bold new chapter for the food and drink industry, with the launch of The London Food & Drink Festival – a new umbrella brand uniting four market-leading trade shows into one comprehensive mega-event. This will take place at Excel London on 16-17 September 2026.  Bringing together the long-established lunch! show, The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show, The Natural & Organic Food Show, and The Artisan Food & Drink Show, the festival will create an exceptional one-stop destination for trade professionals to see the latest innovations and new products across the hospitality and retail sectors. It is expected to welcome 15,000 attendees, over 600 exhibitors and 7 stages of unmissable content.    Organised by Diversified UK & Europe, The London Food & Drink Festival […]

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30/09/2025

lunch! and The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show deliver “best shows yet”

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Addition of Natural & Organic Food Show to form new London super–show in 2026 A buzzing show floor, legendary speakers and hundreds of game-changing innovations were served up at leading trade shows lunch! and The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show, last week on 24-25 September.    From cutting-edge products and menu trends to expert-led sessions from some of the industry’s most influential voices, the shows proved once again to be the go-to destination shaping the future of hospitality and food retail. The co-located events brought together 8664 attendees (an 8% increase from 2024) including senior operators and buyers from […]

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26/09/2025

lunch! 25 Innovation Challenge: The Results

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The Innovation Challenge returned to lunch! 2025, highlighting the most innovative food-to-go products launched within the last12 months. This popular session featured shortlisted companies-selected by visitor votes-pitching their products live on stage on day 2. A panel of expert judges then put the products to the test, awarding Gold, Silver, or Bronze to the most outstanding innovations. This year’s judges were: Mat Finch — Managing Director, Cornish Bakery Louise Direito — Category & Innovation Development Director, Starbucks EMEA Matt Cundrick — Consultant Luke Shaughnessy — Regional Ops Director, Costa Coffee Cathy Goodwin — Director of Culinary & Innovation EMEA, Subway […]

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22/09/2025

It’s show time: lunch! & The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show open doors this week

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Thousands of senior buyers and UK operators are set to gather in London this week for two unmissable events: lunch! and The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show, which open at Excel London on 24-25 September.   lunch! – the national food-to-go, retail and coffee-shop event will co-locate with The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show (previously Casual Dining) – collectively showcasing over 500 exhibitors, 6 Keynote Theatres, (NRPBS theatres sponsored by Uber Eats), a Start Up Zone and two Innovation Challenge Galleries.  Operators visit every year to explore unrivalled innovation, build new partnerships and connect with their industry; helping to shape […]

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26/08/2025

Major industry leaders set to speak at lunch! 2025 – including Pret, Caffè Nero, GAIL’s, WatchHouse and Marks & Spencer

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lunch! – the national food-to-go, retail & coffee shop event has revealed its star-studded speaker line-up for 2025. Returning to Excel London on 24-25 September, major food-to-go, coffee shop and retail leaders including Pret, Caffè Nero, GAIL’s, WatchHouse and Marks & Spencer have been confirmed for the speaker line-up.    Attendees can hear expert insights and lively discussions on the sector’s most pressing topics -including multi-channel retailing, global expansion, marketing strategies, food delivery innovation, retail trends, and more.   The free-to-attend seminar programme will run across three dedicated theatres, offering everything from exclusive interviews with top execs to engaging panel discussions. These […]

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29/07/2025

NEW food-to-go launches to see at lunch! 2025

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lunch! – the UK’s leading trade event for the food-to-go, retail, and coffee shop sector – has unveiled its list of innovative new products to see at Excel London on 24–25 September.  Bringing together key buyers from major supermarkets, high street retailers, cafés, and coffee chains, lunch! is a must-attend event for buyers looking to discover the trends, ideas, and product innovations shaping the future of food and drink.  A standout feature for attending buyers is the Innovation Challenge – a dedicated showcase celebrating cutting-edge innovation. It highlights the most exciting new products launched by exhibitors over the past year – […]

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16/06/2025

lunch! unveils first wave of industry leaders speaking at this year’s show

in Press Releases, Show News

The UK’s leading food-to-go, retail, and coffee shop event, lunch!, has announced the first wave of expert speakers set to take the stage this September.   Taking place at Excel London on 24–25 September, the must-attend trade show will host inspirational talks from some of the industry’s most important voices – including Marta Pogroszewska, COO, Bread Holdings Limited, (the parent company of GAIL’s); Julian Metcalfe OBE, Founder & Group CEO of itsu and Co-Founder of Pret; and Caroline Ottoy, Managing Director of WatchHouse. This year’s programme is set to deliver powerful insights into the future of cafés, coffee shops, food-to-go, and […]

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29/04/2025

lunch! & The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show open visitor registration

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Visitor registration is now officially open for the 2025 edition of lunch! and The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show (the new name for Casual Dining). Taking place on 24–25 September at Excel London, these two co-located trade shows will bring together the best in food, drink, equipment, and technology for the hospitality and food-to-go sectors.  Recognised as industry-leading events, lunch! and The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show attract thousands of senior decision-makers from across the UK’s foodservice, retail, and hospitality landscape. Last year the show had an impressive 8042 attendees – despite a robust approve and deny system […]

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