Tuesday 23rd September marks the return of the multi-award-winning lunch! show to the Business Design Centre in Islington, London. With its focus on new innovations from across the food-to-go sector, this popular two-day event has gained a loyal following among buyers and decision makers responsible for garden centre catering.
With nearly six thousand attendees last year from across the retailing, hospitality, snacking and catering sectors, lunch! may need little introduction. Since its launch in 2008, the event has enjoyed significant year-on-year growth in attendance (the 2013 show was 37% up on 2012) and won three best trade show awards along the way (including, most recently, the top prize at the Exhibition News Awards in March).
For 2014, it’s on track for its biggest sell-out edition yet. The 300-strong exhibitor line-up is as comprehensively eclectic as ever – filled with a who’s who of companies that will be helping to shape the future of the catering sector over the next twelve months.
“I think lunch! is the premier place for food retailers to get an insight into all the food innovation that is happening across the country,” comments frequent visitor Andrew Walker, former MD of Pret A Manger.
It is this focus on innovation, which keeps leading operators like Dobbies, Haskins, M&S, Tesco, EAT., Waitrose, Costa, Harrods, Gate Gourmet, Network Rail, Compass, Sodexo, Brakes and Hilton Worldwide to thousands of independents, returning year after year.
The latest innovations
Valued at over £14.9bn, the British lunchtime market is big business. And it’s only going to get bigger. Get your food-to-go offering right and your garden centre catering can offer plenty of lucrative sales.
New exhibitors for 2014 include Metcalfe's skinny, Manitowoc Foodservice, Meridian Foods, Of The Earth Superfoods, Sarrion’s Macarons, Jax Coco, CHOC +, Duke of Delhi, Jealous Sweets, Coburg Coffee Company, and Francino.
Returning exhibitors include Reynards (UK), Pidy, The Consett Popcorn Company, Taylors of Harrogate, eteaket Tea, Sweet Ideas, Sponge Cakes, Crown Foods - WAT KITCHEN, Square Pie, Freshfayre Chilled Foodservice, Adelie Foods Group, Odysea, Glen Dimplex Professional Appliances, Radnor Hills, SFD, Tudor Tea & Coffee, Butterware, Biopac, Bel UK Foodservice, Kavis, and Alan Nuttall.
Make a date with lunch!
The show’s Working lunch! Theatre (sponsored by Magrini) is renowned for attracting ‘inspirational’ big names from across the food to go retailing and contract catering industry, and this year is no exception. Confirmed speakers include representatives from Starbucks, EAT., Leon, Cook & Garcia, Pizza Rossa, British crowdfunding site Crowdcube, Horizons, and The NPD Group; plus an ‘Allergens Legislation Update’ from Wendy Duncan, R&D deploy manager at Unilever Food Solutions.
Martin Hambleton, head of procurement & innovation at En Route International, will also be adding lunch! speaker duties to his impressive resumé. As a former senior buyer at EAT. and Elior UK, Hambleton has been an “avid supporter of lunch! since the conception”, calling it “the best trade show a buyer can attend”.
“I always find lunch! a great source of trends and innovation,” comments Hambleton. “Lunch times are notoriously short these days, and food-to-go needs to deliver the lunch experience in short, sharp and innovative ways.”
The show’s free Keynotes, the popular 30-stand Innovation Zone, the annual British Smoothie Championships (also sponsored by Magrini), and the Innovation Challenge Showcase (offering a preview of all the latest new product developments) are all located on the show’s aptly-named Upper Feature Level.
lunch! returns to the Business Design Centre, London on 23-24 September 2014. To register for your free trade ticket to lunch! in advance, please visit www.lunchshow.co.uk (and quote priority code LUN98 where prompted).
