Leading the way
It’s described as the definitive event for the café, coffee shop and food to go sector. So, make sure 27-28 September is in your diary for lunch! Hosted across two days at ExCeL London, it also incorporates Casual Dining and Commercial Kitchen. They will offer insight, inspiration and the latest products and services for restaurants, food to go, pubs, bars caves, coffee shops supermarkets, contract caterers, hotels, delivery and so much more.
Group event director, Chris Brazier, said: “We’re excited to be planning another industry-leading event for 2023, that offers even more opportunities for trade buyers to connect, collaborate and innovate. This is THE place to learn about everything that’s happening in the industry and meet the trendsetting suppliers and brands that will elevate ambitious operators across the UK. With free registration now open, we can’t wait to welcome our visitors.”
Here is a selection of the record number of brands confirmed for 2023:
- Lunch! – Biopak, Sproud, Fri-Jado, GRIND Coffee Roasters, Rollover UK, Biotiful Dairy, Milliways, Tony’s Chocoloney, Lavazza Coffee, Magrini, Nestle Professional, Radnor Hills, Raynor Foods, TRIP drinks, Bridge Coffee Roasters, Kelloggs, PG Tips, Pukka, Whole Earth, Clipper Teas, Kallo Foods, Simply Lunch, UCC Coffee and Huel.
- Commercial Kitchen – Confirmed leading names: Smeg Foodservice UK, Adande Refrigeration, Lincat, Hobart UK and UNOX.
- Casual Dining – Crops UK, Essential Cuisine, SquareUP, Beyond Meat, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Cadbury and Philadelphia, Peppadew, Tom Savano Cocktails, Siren Craft Brew, Funkin, Nestle, Zonal, General Mills and more.
Land of opportunity
The three shows will offer carefully curated content, with a range of high-profile presenters and panel discussions set to cover key industry issues. Speakers confirmed so far are Will Stratton-Morris, CEO Caffe Nero; Jo Hayward, VP of Convenience Europe, BP; Marta Pogroszewska, MD, Gail’s Bakery; Simon Stenning, strategic advisor and futurist, Future food service; Gavin Rothwell, founder, Food Future Insights; and Shereen Ritchie, COO, Buns From Home.
Last year, there were over 8,200 in attendance, including representatives from Itsu, Pret, LEON, Wahaca, JD Wetherspoon, Caravan and Dishoom. Also delivering their expertise were top chefs, including Tom Aikens, Cyrus Todiwala OBE DL DBA and Cherish Finden. A full programme will be updated in the coming weeks.
“lunch! Is a great opportunity to see current suppliers and explore potential new ones. Nothing really beats having a full range laid out in front of you, alongside any NPD a supplier might be working on – you never what you might come across,” said Amanda Lowe, head of innovation, Soho Coffee.”
“Attending Commercial Kitchen is extremely important to discover industry innovations. It ensures my kitchen is more sustainable and helps me improve the way I run my kitchen,” said Todiwala, chef patron at Café Spice Namaste.