IFE 2022

Visit the UK’S BIGGEST

trade event for food, drink and hospitality

On 21-23 March 2022, IFE (International Food & Drink Event) will be joining forces with Hotel, Restaurant & Catering (HRC) and London Produce Show and new launch, IFE Manufacturing, to bring to life the UK’s largest gathering of food, drink and hospitality professionals.

COMBINED

Over three days, visitors will have the chance to meet with over 1,500 innovative suppliers covering food and drink, catering equipment, design and décor, hospitality tech, food production and much more.

The combined event will give food and drink retailers and hospitality business owners the opportunity to meet face to face with potential suppliers, taste and test their products in person and find solutions to grow every aspect of their business.

IFE

For over 40 years, IFE has been a go-to event for sourcing quality food and drink products, with the UK’s largest selection of British products and brands representing over 100 countries present at the show.

In addition to an unparalleled selection of suppliers, this year’s event promises a wealth of resources available to visitors to support their business growth and reach wider audiences.

The Advice-to-Go Zone will have representatives from organisations including City Harvest, BSI, the FDEA, Sugarwise, Green Seed Group, the Institute of Food Science & Technology and the Institute of Export & International Trade on call throughout the show to provide bespoke advice and guidance.

IFE organisers say they are also pleased to be hosting the Department for International Trade at the 2022 event. Visitors are invited to meet with representatives from DIT to hear how the department can advise on export opportunities and to learn about other services and resources available to professionals and businesses operating in food and drink.

INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE

As always, IFE is set to welcome a wide range of international food and drink brands from all around the globe, including over 70 businesses attending the show as part of the Italian Trade Agency pavilion for 2022.

From quality pestos, pastas, wines, coffees and more from historic Italian businesses to innovators such as Oryza, a producer of organic gluten-free cereal cakes, and Fratelli Fratta - a company with a fresh take on superior quality extra virgin olive oil.

Sandra Sullivan, events manager at the Food & Drink Exporters Association, commented: “The Food & Drink Exporters Association team are buzzing to get back to IFE to connect with our export community and seek out brands that have yet to take their first steps into export. IFE is always such a strong showcase of UK food and drink. UK products that offer something unique and brands that are well established in the UK are always in demand by international buyers. Can’t wait to see what we can find at IFE!”

In the spotlight

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Mediterranean food supplier, Dina Foods, will be in the party mood as it showcases its range of authentic breads, savouries and confectionery at IFE. Some of its best-selling ranges will be on show including its traditional artisanal flatbreads, ranging from Pitta to its signature Paninette® wraps and Lavash bread.

Panasonic has announced it is to exhibit at HRC with its range of microwave ovens; its SCV2 Speed Convection Oven taking centre stage, and a grab and go offer likely to be the model to adopt to maintain the ‘bounce-back’ and maximise sales in the hospitality sector, feel the company.

To learn more about everything happening at IFE visit ife.co.uk, and for HRC head to hrc.co.uk

IFE’s Future Food Stage will be playing host to a number of insightful discussions throughout the event, from industry disruptors such as speedy delivery service Gorillas discussing the changing needs of the 24/7 consumer and marketing consultant Karen Fewell examining the psychology of spending, to innovation in the world of vegan & plant-based foods with category leaders such as BOSH! and Crackd.

Vegan and plant-based is a particular focus of IFE 2022, with the launch of a new dedicated section in partnership with the Vegan Society and a range of panel discussions focussed on these products across IFE and IFE Manufacturing.

Veg Capital managing director, Matthew Glover, commented: “I’m delighted to hear that IFE has chosen to allocate a Vegan & Plant-based section at the next show. From a movement perspective, it’s important for vegan businesses to not be seen as niche products, but part of the mainstream. There’s a huge opportunity for retailers and food service providers to expand their plant-based offerings, and trade shows provide that opportunity for buyers to sample the latest innovations, and keep abreast of this new trend.”

For business owners and buyers eager to learn more about the work that the Vegan Society do, including the process of obtaining the Vegan Trademark, the authentic international vegan standard for product labelling, the Certification Clinic will be running 9.30-11am on the Innovation Platform stage as part of IFE Manufacturing.

Organisations taking part in the Clinic include BSI, the Soil Association, Sugarwise, BRCGS, the Vegetarian Society, KLBD Worldwide Kosher Certification, RSPCA Assured, Salsa, B Lab and Halal Certification Europe, and all will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the steps needed to meet their certification requirements.

Event director Philippa Christer commented: “We’re privileged to be partnering with some fantastic organisations for IFE 2022 and to be able to provide bespoke, face to face and confidential advice to businesses looking to learn more about product certification and promotion.

“In an increasingly crowded and diverse marketplace, both consumers and retailers are eager to see these trusted markers on products and to understand more about the companies they are investing in.”

HRC

HRC has become the must-attend event for the foodservice and hospitality sector to discover product innovation and hear from some of the leading figures in hotels, restaurants and professional catering.

This year’s show will be aiming to cover everything needed in a modern hospitality business across four show sections - professional kitchen, foodservice, design and décor and hospitality tech. Plus, this year HRC is joining forces with the Pub Show to welcome a number of additional alcohol brands and pub-focussed suppliers to the show for 2022.

As part of the Pub Show at HRC, On-Trade Consultancy will be hosting a number of guided ‘Pub crawls’ around the event, focusing on key trends and product categories in the sector. The show will also see the return of the popular Tap Room feature, a networking space highlighting breweries including Old Street Brewery, Siren Craft Brew and Anspach & Hobday. Returning to HRC is historic chef event International Salon Culinaire, which is celebrating 120 years at the forefront of UK culinary competition at HRC 2022. To celebrate the anniversary, and in recognition of the events of the past two years, the competition is adding a number of new categories including the Restaurant Home Meal Kit Challenge, the Apprentice Challenge and Pub Chef of the Year.

HRC 2022 will also see over 50 presentations, panel discussions, live cooking demos and more take place across the three days of the show. The Vision Stage, designed by Harp Design, will welcome big-name brands in hospitality and foodservice including Pizza Pilgrims, Market Halls, Yummy Pubs, Grind, Honest Burger and Wonderland Restaurants as they discuss the latest topics and trends impacting on the sector. Plus, HRC chef ambassador Michael Roux Jr will be taking part in a keynote discussion on shifting kitchen cultures with an all-star panel of top chefs.

TECH

Meanwhile, the Tech X stage will be covering topics including the smart use of data, digital transformation, and the effective integration of tech into pub, bars and hospitality businesses.

Dub Lee, culture systems architect at Honest Burger, commented: “Our customers and team members are now using technology in almost every aspect of their lives and have come to expect a level of convenience and tech savviness with the businesses they interact with. As the workforce gets younger, modern consumer-grade tech will be essential to engage our teams.

“Hospitality isn’t often seen as a tech-focused sector, it’s often seen as a badge of honour to be fearful of technology in our industry. I believe technology can free up operators to focus on the teams, and their customers instead of handling admin.”