REVIEW
Combined shows draw the crowds On 21- 23 March 2022, thousands of key buyers in the global food and drink industry descended on IFE, International Food & Drink Event at ExCeL London for three days of product tasting, networking, learning and doing business. A WELCOME RETURN The hotly anticipated 22nd edition of the event took place alongside Hotel, Restaurant & Catering (HRC), IFE Manufacturing, the London Produce Show and the Pub Show, creating the UK’s largest gathering of food, drink and hospitality professionals. Visitors from major retailers, wholesalers, distributors, caterers and hospitality businesses including Bidfood, Compass Group, Fortnum & Mason, Hello Fresh, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Selfridges, Budgens, Waitrose and many more used the show to gain vital industry insights
and to discover new products to meet customer demand for 2022 and beyond. The shows also welcomed a number of famous faces in the world of food and drink, with celebrity chefs Michel Roux Jr, Tom Kerridge and Gennaro Contaldo all making an appearance. Finlay Warren, Pan EU category manager at Amazon, commented: “IFE demonstrated the forward-thinking and constantly innovating global catering and hospitality sector, showcasing key developments within the sector from sustainability to new product developments.
“IFE is a great event to network and build on existing relationships and develop new one, understanding the changes and challenges faced by the sector, and drive exposures and opportunities for business at all levels.” Emma Piercy, head of climate change & energy policy at the Food & Drink Federation said: “My first thought arriving at IFE was the scale! Having been in lockdown for two years to finally meet people in the industry and see all the amazing businesses, from the smaller suppliers to the larger pavilions from all around the world, has been great.” THE FUTURE OF FOOD The Future Food Stage at IFE hosted a wide range of panel discussions and presentations across the three days of the event, tackling some of the most urgent challenges and opportunities in the sector. From evolving the customer experience through 24/7 service, speedy delivery and reuse and refill stations to driving progress in sustainability, health foods and nonanimal proteins, the stage was packed each day with visitors eager to stay ahead of industry trends. One standing room-only session took a close look at the industry’s road to net zero, with an all-star panel including Dr Stephen Mackenzie, Greenhouse Gases Specialist
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