ExCeL London set the stage last week for Casual Dining, lunch! and Commercial Kitchen. The highly anticipated shows for the hospitality and food retail sector took place on 27-28 September and received an overwhelming number of attendees through its doors – 9129 in total.
Senior decision makers from Sainsburys, Center Parcs, Pret A Manger, PizzaExpress, Tesco, Starbucks, John Lewis, Bill’s, Leon, JD Wetherspoon, Hilton UK Hotels, wagamama, Nando’s, Wahaca, Big Table Group, Mowgli, Asda, Co-op, Amazon UK, Greggs, GAIL’s Bakery, WHSmith, BP, Marks & Spencer – and others – visited over the two days. These buyers took every opportunity to connect with the show’s 600 exhibitors, hear from 165+ expert speakers across 7 theatres and network with other professionals in the industry.
Reflecting on the resounding success of the shows, Group Event Director Chris Brazier expressed gratitude to participants, exhibitors, and sponsors for their enthusiastic involvement.
He comments, “lunch!, Casual Dining and Commercial Kitchen have once again demonstrated their indisputable position as the premier showcase for the hospitality and food retail industry. We are grateful for the overwhelming support and dedication from everyone involved. The industry’s collective commitment to driving innovation continues to shine through, and this year was no exception. The theatres were packed with standing room only sessions and the aisles were buzzing with quality buyers doing business from start to finish. Thank you to our supporters, partners, speakers, exhibitors and visitors. As many people have commented, these were our best shows yet. We can’t wait to do it again, even bigger and better, next year!”
“Most important shows for our industry”
As well as a bustling show floor, there were standing room only Keynotes with Nisha Katona, CEO and Founder of Mowgli; James Brown, CEO of BrewDog Bars; Guy Meakin, UK Shops & Franchise Director of Pret A Manger; Brian Trollip, Managing Director of Dishoom; James & Thom Elliot, Co-Founders of Pizza Pilgrims; and Marta Pogroszewska, Managing Director of GAIL’s.
Other packed sessions took place, which included discussions with CEO, founders, chefs and directors from Baxter Storey, Wahaca, WatchHouse Heartwood Collection, Las Iguanas, Honest Burgers, Marugame Udon (Europe), Slug & Lettuce, Tossed, Chopstix, Sketch London, PizzaExpress, BP, wagagmama, BloomsYard, Wingstop and many other new and established brands.
“lunch, Casual Dining and Commercial Kitchen are THE most important shows for our industry. Together, it’s the only event that is dedicated to hospitality and food retail, and an event at which you will see every single category – from premium to casual dining to QSR. This event is the national treasure of our industry and it’s so important to attend!” says Shereen Ritchie, COO of buns from home.
“What is so heartfelt about this show is that you get to meet so many people who are so important to your business. I’ve met people from one site to multiples and we’re all one big family and are all very useful to each other. I would highly recommend a visit,” says Nisha Katona, CEO and Founder of Mowgli Street Food.
“It’s great to be back at lunch! It’s always a highlight of the Autumn season and so many brands are kicking off their activity for next year. Brilliant to see old faces and meet new challenger brands that are emerging on the food-to-go scene,” says Rachel Chatterton, Head of Food & Drink Development at Holland & Barrett.
“It’s so important for me and my team to come to events like this because we like to see innovation and the exciting products coming to market. It’s also the perfect place to speak to other great operators that we admire so much in the industry. We really love this show and it’s getting bigger every year which is great to see,” says James Brown, CEO of Brewdog.
Innovation Challenge – Results
The three Innovation Challenges celebrated new products launched in the last 12 months. The shortlisted finalists were decided by a popular vote at the Innovation Challenge Galleries on the show’s opening day and then a panel of judges decided if the innovation was worth a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award based on some exciting live pitches.
To see the full results for each show, please visit:
Casual Dining Innovation Challenge.
Commercial kitchen Innovation Challenge.
The co-located events return to ExCeL London on 18-19 September 2024. To keep up to date with the show news, please visit www.lunchshow.co.uk, www.commercialkitchenshow.co.uk and www.casualdiningshow.co.uk.