Top 5 UK Food and Drink Shows

According to the FDF, food and drink is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, contributing £38 billion to the economy annually, and employing over 427,000 people. With this in mind, it’s unsurprising that the UK is home to some of Europe’s largest, most influential food and drink shows. Whether you’re looking to visit or exhibit, here are 5 food and drink shows you can’t miss!

UK Food and Drink Shows

The award-winning UK Food and Drink Shows take place at the NEC, Birmingham, from the 7th until the 9th of April 2025. The event hosts 5 co-located shows, including Farm Shop & Deli Show, Food & Drink Expo, The Restaurant Show, National Convenience Show, Foodex Manufacturing Solutions, and The Forecourt Show.

These shows unite the food and drink industry, including food development, manufacturing, grocery, retail, forecourt and convenience, wholesale, and food service.

It’s a great opportunity for anyone in the industry to exhibit and connect with a wide range of potential leads and visitors. The co-location of these shows allows for increased foot traffic, brand awareness, leads and valuable networking opportunities.

According to the 2024 report, the show garnered over 30,000 visitors and over 1500 exhibitors last year! The 2025 show also features three new sections; The Plant-Based Zone, Packaging Zone, and The Health & Wellbeing Zone.

If you can visit, make the most of the fantastic food samples from across the globe.

Foodex Manufacturing solutions

Part of the UK Food and Drink Shows, Foodex is the prime spot for those in the food packaging industry, bringing over 30,000 visitors!

Foodex provides an excellent platform for networking, discovering the latest industry trends, and exploring new packaging and processing technologies. If you are in the food packaging industry, Foodex is the leading event.

With its focus on food and drink processing, packaging, and logistics, it’s a valuable opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and connect with industry leaders.

International Food & Drink Event (IFE)

The International Food & Drink Event (IFE) is the UK’s largest and most successful event for product sourcing for buyers across the retail, food service, hospitality, wholesale, distribution and import and export sectors. The event will next take place from the 17th until the 19th of March 2025, at ExCel London.

This show is part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week; running alongside The Pub Show, IFE Manufacturing, HRC and International Salon Culinaire. Because this show is co-located, there are more visitors and higher footfall. Last year, the show hosted over 30,000 visitors from 105 different countries.

IFE is renowned for its variety of international visitors and exhibitors. The attendance makes the show a great place to source international suppliers and buyers.

This allows businesses to break into new markets without the costs of exhibiting abroad. Not to mention, if you visit, you will leave the show with an abundance of great samples. Last year, there were over 10,000 inspiring products to sample and source!

Lunch!

The fourth food and drink show you should add to your calendar is Lunch!. This vibrant show allows food-to-go retailers, delis, and cafes to discover new products, packaging, equipment, and technology to take their business to the next level! The show takes place this year from the 18th until the 19th of September 2024.

Lunch! is a great place to network with industry professionals, discover the latest trends, and sample a variety of products. With over 500 exhibitors and over 9000 attendees, Lunch! offers a fantastic platform to explore new business opportunities and stay ahead of the competition.

Attending Lunch! will give you valuable insights into the ever-evolving food-to-go sector and provide you with a wealth of inspiration for your business. So, mark your calendar for this unmissable event!

BBC Good Food Show Winter

The BBC Good Food Show Winter takes place at the NEC, Birmingham from the 21st until the 24th of November 2024. The event features live cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs, as well as tips and ideas for creating delicious festive meals. So far, confirmed to be attending this year’s show are James Martin, Nadiya Hussain, Michel Roux and there are many more to come!

This event is famous for kicking off the holiday season. As a visitor, it’s the best Christmas shopping experience with brilliant wines, cheeses and chocolates. As an exhibitor, this show is perfect for building brand awareness and meeting prospective buyers.

Impactful Stands

If you’re thinking of exhibiting at any of these fantastic food shows, you’re going to need a great exhibition stand.

As consumer demand for sustainable packaging grows, the food industry is under increasing pressure to adopt eco-friendly practices. As an exhibitor, sustainable brands must select environmentally friendly stands to align with their values.

Show organisers recommend Quadrant2Design, a UK-based exhibition stand design and build contractor for sustainable and impactful stands! Quadrant2Design uses a modular, reconfigurable, and reusable system. The system allows for unlimited customisable design opportunities, stands are reconfigurable for different stand spaces or sizes, and the stands are reusable!

Conclusion

The food and drink industry in the UK is thriving, with an array of trade shows and events to explore and participate in. Attending these shows presents invaluable networking opportunities and a chance to stay ahead of industry trends.

Whether you are an exhibitor or visitor, these top 5 food and drink shows are not to be missed. From the UK Food and Drink Shows to the International Food & Drink Event (IFE), these events offer a platform to showcase products, discover new trends, and connect with industry professionals.

Mark your calendar for these upcoming events and take advantage of the wealth of opportunities they offer.

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