Robust Approve and Deny System Drives Success at Casual Dining and lunch! 2024
Casual Dining (now The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show) and lunch! celebrated their best ever shows at ExCeL London last week. The premier events in the hospitality, foodservice and food retail sector welcomed an impressive 8042 attendees – despite a robust approve and deny system put in place ahead of the show.
The implementation of the new vetting system, in response to exhibitor feedback expressing concerns about suppliers attending primarily to sell to exhibitors at industry trade shows, led to the rejection of 20% of visitor applications. Despite this rigorous screening process, the total event audience experienced only a marginal 8% decrease, indicating a higher concentration of approved, high-quality buyers from leading operators in attendance.
Senior decision-makers from organisations including Azzurri Group, Big Table Group, Burger King, Caffè Nero, Compass Group, Costa Coffee, GAIL’s Bakery, Greggs, itsu, JD Wetherspoon, LEON, Loungers, Marks & Spencer, Mitchells & Butlers, PizzaExpress, Pret A Manger, Sainsburys, Stonegate Group, Tesco, The Restaurant Group, Waitrose and many more graced the event over the two days. Attendees had the opportunity to connect with 500 exhibitors, attend sessions by 165+ expert speakers across *6 theatres and network with other professionals in the industry.
*(Casual Dining theatres sponsored by Uber Eats and lunch! Theatres sponsored by Lipton Ice Tea).
Chris Brazier, Group Event Director for the shows commented, “We are delighted with our best shows yet. Thank you to all our attendees, speakers, sponsors and industry partners. A special huge thank you to all our amazing exhibitors for being with us, trusting us with the approve and deny process, and for their feedback. So many have already told us that they had some of the best conversations with the biggest buyers they’d ever met at our shows. We are delighted that our valued exhibitors recognise the importance of quality over quantity. We’re confident that it’s this contributed to our biggest ever onsite rebooking for lunch! 25 and for the National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show 25 (the new name for Casual Dining).”
Casual Dining changes name to The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show
Casual Dining celebrated its 10th anniversary show with an exciting announcement that it will change its name to The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show.
“Having attended Casual Dining for many years, I think the new name encompasses the broad church it represents. The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show really encapsulates this breadth, making sure everyone who loves providing great hospitality has a place to meet, learn and discuss ideas,” says Thom Elliot, Co-founder, Pizza Pilgrims.
Standing room only Keynotes
Casual Dining featured standing-room-only Keynotes with industry legends including Tim Martin, Chairman, JD Wetherspoon; Justin Carter, Group MD, Loungers; Oisin Rogers, Co-Founder, The Devonshire; Kay Bartlett, Chief Marketing Officer, wagamama; and many more.
“The show is an excellent exhibition for the industry, it’s a way to cross fertilise ideas and probably the best show in the whole world, actually!” says Tim Martin, Chairman, JD Wetherspoon.
“For me and my team it’s important for us to attend these events because the hospitality industry is filled with amazing brands, businesses, and people. We like to utilise it as an opportunity to meet those people and see the innovation that brands have been doing the past year,” says Kay Bartlett, Chief Marketing Officer at wagamama.
lunch! also delivered a standout speaker programme including interviews and talks with Julian Metcalfe OBE, Founder, itsu; Jason Cotta, Chief Growth Officer, itsu; Roland Horne, Founder & CEO, WatchHouse; Emma Woods, Chair, Tortilla; David Campbell, Chair, Ole & Steen; Will Stratton-Morris, CEO UK, Caffè Nero, and many more.
“Innovation is important in our business and here you can see years and years of innovation and unbelievable ideas in just a few hours!” says Julian Metcalfe OBE, Founder, itsu.
“It’s very rare to get the opportunity to come to a place that’s got such a breadth of suppliers under one roof. Also, listening to the industry experts is unparalleled and for that reason, we love coming to lunch!,” says Roland Horne, Founder & CEO, WatchHouse.
“I’m a big fan of lunch! I’ve been to many events in my time, but what I’ve always liked about lunch! is the quality of suppliers. I also like the energy of the event because the Keynote content is strong – you can really learn a lot if you’re in the industry. I will always support this show!” says Will Stratton-Morris, CEO UK, Caffè Nero.
Innovation Challenge Winners
The Innovation Challenges showcased new products launched in the last 12 months. Winners were decided through a popular vote and live pitches (in front of industry judges), with the finalists receiving Bronze, Silver, or Gold Awards. The results were:
lunch! Gold Winners:
- The Collective (Epicurean Diary UK) – The Collective Mixers Vanilla Yoghurt with Cocoa Cereal Crispies
- Dot Dot Bubble Tea – Dot Dot Bubble Tea
- Kooky – Freeze Dried Mangosteen
- More Toddler Meals – More Toddler Meals’ 5 Veg Macaroni
- Pip & Nut – Pip & Nut’s Peanut Butter Stuffed Oat Bars
- Westpak – Heatwave
- Win Win Water – Win Win Water
lunch! Silver Winners:
- Bar1Brands – Vegan Collagen Marshmallow Biscuit Chocolate Coated Protein
- The Curators – The Curators BBQ Veggie Puffs 30g
- Neat Sweets – Fruity Berry Bears 50g
- Russell & Atwell – Dirty Blond Fresh Chocolate Impulse Pouch
- Walkers Shortbread Ltd – Walker’s Giant All Butter Shortbread Finger
- Yogoody – Yogoody Mango Shake – Pack of 4
- Zombie – Zombie Body Partz
lunch! Bronze Winners
- Aviko UK & Ireland – Hash Brown Bites
Casual Dining Gold Winners:
- Biff’s Plant Shack – Lion’s Mane Mushroom Steak
- Destiny Foods – Tirami-Chou
- Leathams – Roquito® Candied Green Jalapeños
- Minor Figures – Minor Figures Atomised
- Nutritics – Good Food Talks
- Sweet Street Desserts – Caramel Brownie Bite Cheesecake
- Synergy Grill – Synergy Griddle
Casual Dining Silver Winners:
- Adams PLC – Adams Ghost Ship North 0.5% Pale Ale
- Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company – 1664 Blanc
- Peppadew® – Peppadew® Mac Bites
Save the Date for 2025
The co-located events will return to ExCeL London on 24-25 September 2025. Stay updated with the latest news and updates regarding the shows by visiting the official websites: www.lunchshow.co.uk & www.nrpbs.co.uk.
