UK Food & Drink Shows 2025: panels grocery businesses won’t want to miss

Senior figures from Booths, Morrisons and Waitrose will be among the speakers at this year’s UK Food & Drink Shows.

Thirty thousand visitors and 1,500 exhibitors will come together in April from across the grocery, hospitality, specialist retail and manufacturing sectors to network, see the latest innovations and gain invaluable insights.

This year’s event, at the NEC Birmingham from Monday 7 April to Wednesday 9 April, comprises four shows. Each targets a sector of the food and drink industry:

• Food & Drink Expo provides buyers from retail, hospitality, wholesale, foodservice and manufacturing with information and product sourcing opportunities.
• Farm Shop & Deli Show brings together hundreds of suppliers to showcase the best of local and speciality produce to retailers and buyers.
• National Convenience Show provides a platform for the convenience retailing sector to come together, from suppliers and wholesalers through to retailers.
• Foodex Manufacturing Solutions is the UK’s leading trade event for the food and drink processing, packaging and logistics industries.

The UK Food & Drink Shows will feature a packed programme of expert speakers, insightful panels and inspiring demonstrations on topics and trends that are driving the industry (see below).

One focus for 2025 is a series of panels recognising women leaders in various food and drink industry sectors. As part of this, the female leaders shaping the future of grocery panel will feature Fazeela Ratnani, sales controller at Nestlé UK&I, and Emma King, dining director at CarlsbergBritvic, They will be in conversation with Emma Weinbren, managing editor of The Grocer.

Other highlights include:

• Booths MD Nigel Murray discussing the state of the UK food and drink market, the changing needs of consumers and the growth of Booths.
• Morrisons wholesale & franchise director Paul Dobson on the retailer’s plans to grow its estate to 2,000 outlets by the end of 2025, as well as the wider trends affecting the UK convenience retail sector.
• Waitrose retail director Tina Mitchell talking about the convenience retail landscape and plans to open 100 new Little Waitrose stores over the next five years.

New themed areas are being introduced this year, including the Packaging Zone, the Future Food Zone, the Coffee Zone and the Business Advice Hub, which will provide access to free business advice and services.

Making its debut at Foodex is Food Manufacturing: Past, present and future, a 20-minute documentary looking at what the manufacturing industry was like 50 years ago, how it has evolved and what the next 10 years may hold. Playing on a loop at the show, the film features interviews with senior figures from across the industry alongside historical and present-day factory footage.

To ensure visitors make the most of their visit, an online digital event companion will offer an event guide, interactive floorplan, indoor navigation and real-time notifications.

To find out more and register for free tickets visit the UK Food & Drink Shows website.

Panels and presentations

A round-up of some of the panels and presentations that grocery businesses won’t want to miss.

Monday 7 April

From lockdown to award-winning: building a business and making it a success

11am, Farm Shop & Deli Stage

An exclusive interview with 2024 Farm Shop & Deli Retailer Awards Newcomer of the Year The Cheesy Living Co.

The Convenience shopper: everything you need to know

11am, Convenience Store Stage

Food and drink insight expert Lumina Intelligence offers the latest data and insight on the convenience shopper.

Claire Pointon: expanding the possibilities of delivery

12.45pm, The Grocer Stage

Claire Pointon, managing director at Just Eat, on working with retailers, grocers, independents and brands to tap into audiences they might not otherwise reach.

Food to go trends in 2025: foodservice vs retail

1.30pm, The Grocer Stage

Insight expert Lumina Intelligence identifies where consumers are going for their food-to-go, what they are buying, why they are buying it, how much they are spending, how frequently they are visiting and more.

Convenience retail: looking ahead

1:45pm, Convenience Store Stage

Experts and leaders from across the UK convenience retail sector discuss the future of the industry and how the supply chain continues to evolve.

Lovingly Artisan: the key to building an award-winning store

2.15pm, Farm Shop & Deli Stage

Farm Shop & Deli Retailer of the Year 2024, Aidan Monks of Lovingly Artisan Bakery, on what makes Lovingly Artisan stand out from the crowd, his views on the future of the industry and how Lovingly Artisan is adapting to the challenges the sector is facing.

Morrisons: the future of convenience

2.45pm, Convenience Store Stage

Morrisons’ wholesale and franchise director Paul Dobson on the retailer’s plans to grow its estate to 2,000 outlets by the end of 2025 and the wider trends impacting the UK convenience retail sector.

Tuesday 8 April

Farm shops: a force for nature

10.45am, Farm Shop & Deli Stage

This expert panel discusses consumer expectations around sustainable practices, whether sustainability needs to impact profit and looks at how leading retailers are driving change.

Booths: catering for your customers

11am, The Grocer Stage

Booths managing director Nigel Murray discusses the state of the UK food and drink market, the changing needs of consumers, the growth of Booths, plans for the future and the importance of catering to customers and how to buck the trends to do so.

Win big with TikTok Shop: how to grow and scale your food & drink business

11.45am, The Grocer Stage

TikTok Shop has been establishing itself as one of the fastest-growing e-commerce platforms in the market. Hear how to launch and grow your business through this channel.

The roadmap to US market success: supply chains, compliance and more

12:45pm, The Grocer Stage

This session will provide actionable insights into how international brands can effectively position themselves for success in the US market.

The female leaders shaping the future of grocery

1.45pm, The Grocer Stage

Hearing from influential, inspiring women leaders that are paving the way. Learn about their journey, what they have achieved and be inspired to make a positive change in your business.

Alex Emmanuel-Jones: the future of farm shops

1.45pm, Farm Shop & Deli Stage

Alex Emmanuel-Jones, commercial director at The Black Farmer, will share his journey and insights on building a brand with purpose, overcoming industry challenges, and navigating the evolving retail and food landscape.

Wednesday 9 April

The Bakewell Tart Shop: balancing heritage and growth

10.45am, Farm Shop & Deli Stage

In 2019, former senior retail leader Duncan Kirk left his high-profile career to take over The Bakewell Tart Shop, which has been the home of the famous Bakewell Tart for more than 100 years. In this interview he discusses how he has balanced heritage with growth to transform the business into a seven-figure operation.

Packaging unwrapped: trends to watch in 2025

11am, Food Manufacture Stage

From business trends to materials and legislation, join our panel of industry experts and award-winning brands as we analyse the things that need to be on your radar.

Social media trends 2025: how to stay ahead of the game

11am, The Grocer Stage

Learn where growth is happening, what audiences want and how to use AI for creating impactful, future-proof content. This session will give actionable insights to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Waitrose: investing £1bn into convenience

11.30am, Convenience Store Stage

Waitrose retail director Tina Mitchell discusses the retailer’s plans to open 100 new Little Waitrose stores over the next five years, the convenience retail landscape as a whole, and the changing needs of consumers.

Building a brand sustainably: from startup to global giant

11.45am, The Grocer Stage

Perry Haydn Taylor, founder of branding agency Big Fish, sits down with The Grocer editor-in-chief Adam Leyland to discuss the expectations brands face when starting out, the key steps to building a sustainable brand, the common mistakes brands make and much more.

Dr Dolly van Tulleken: nourishing Britain

12.45pm, The Grocer Stage

In this session, leading public health expert Dr van Tulleken discusses what need to be done to tackle food-related ill health in the UK, both at an industry level and through tougher government intervention.

Department for Business & Trade: explore opportunities across Europe

1.30pm, The Grocer Stage

Join the Department for Business & Trade and equip yourself with the knowledge necessary to navigate and thrive in this vibrant and diverse market. There will also be a panel discussion from established businesses who have successfully penetrated the European market.