UK’s biggest lunch! show returns to London tomorrow!

Thanks to a new three floor venue and an unprecedented 236 exhibitors, the 5th anniversary edition of lunch! looks set to take food-to-go to new heights this 20-21 September at the Business Design Centre London.
By: Diversified Business Communications UK
 
Sept. 19, 2012 - PRLog -- Visitors to this week’s lunch! trade show will be spoilt for choice when it comes to sourcing a fantastic array of all the latest food-to-go products, packaging, equipment, services and technologies, when the sold out event opens its doors at 10am tomorrow at its new venue – The Business Design Centre in Islington, London.

The award-winning, two day trade event is poised to connect more than 4,500 key buyers and decision-makers from the UK’s £11.3bn out of home food and drinks sector with 236 of the industry’s most innovative manufacturers and suppliers – from emerging start-ups and niche, speciality producers to a host of big brand names.

“I visited lunch! 2011 to find one or two new innovations and came away with an array of new and exciting products.  If you only go to one trade show [this] year then lunch! has to be it,” says Mark Parfait, head of food operation at Sodexo Prestige, echoing the sentiments of thousands of lunch! devotees who annually travel from all across the UK to see the latest new product developments before they reach their competitor's shelves.

Confirmed exhibitors include Kimbo UK; The Fresh Olive Company; Cheese Cellar; Crantock Bakery; Tri-Star Packaging; Bunzl Catering Supplies; Pan’Artisan; Exquisite Handmade Cakes; Bagel Nash; Gadsby; Tayto; Matthew Algie; Filbert’s Fine Food; Equip Line; Danora AS; Pidy; Williams Refrigeration; Irwin’s Bakery; Impress Sandwiches; Mash Direct; BerryWhite Organic Drinks; The Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company; and H.J Heinz Foodservice.  The full lunch! 2012 exhibitor list is available to view on the show’s website at https://onlineexhibitormanual.com/divLunch12/exhi/exhibit....

The most noticeable difference for the event’s 5th year anniversary is of course the new, larger venue; with the Business Design Centre in Islington accommodating more exhibitors, bigger stands, and much more maneuverability around the busy show floor.  The Innovation Zone is another growth area for 2012.  Designed to showcase innovative new start-ups within their first few years of trading, it’s doubled in size to accommodate 48 exhibitors and is now positioned right at the front of the show.

Aside from the wealth of new launches being unveiled at lunch! 2012, tomorrow’s visitors will also be the first to see the results of the show’s annual Innovation Challenge Live!.  Taking place on Thursday 20 September in the Magrini-sponsored Working lunch! Theatre, the Innovation Challenge Live! celebrates truly innovative ideas in the food-to-go market.  It offers a unique opportunity for buyers to see participating exhibitors ‘pitch’ their new product innovations and ideas live to an illustrious panel of industry judges.  This year’s shortlisted finalists includes Bear Nibbles; Carrs Foods International; Dawson Foodservice Equipment; Delice de France; Discovery Foods Limited; Dr. Oats; Eltoni Pasta/Good Pots; Equip Line Ltd; Grasshopper Foods; IHEART THIS; P4ck (Packaging Brands); Seed & Bean Ethical Chocolatiers; Tasty Little Numbers; Terrafertil UK Ltd; The Interesting Drinks Co; Vita Coco; and more.

Often the first port of call for buyers looking for the next big seller being launched onto the market, all new products entered into the Innovation Challenge awards will be on display in the Innovation Challenge Showcase throughout the event.

Other opening day highlights in the Working lunch! Theatre include ‘An Appetite for Insight’, hosted by Emma Read, director of marketing and business development with foodservice analyst Horizons, who’ll be analysing current lunch market trends; ‘Pret: Our 25 Year Vision’ with Caroline Cromar, Pret A Manger’s director of food; a BSA (British Sandwich Association) Masterclass hosted by Simon Ambrose, editor of International Sandwich & Snack News; and a BSA Academy Start Up Masterclass, with independent restaurant consultant Franklyn Boltman, founder of independent sandwich bar Thanks for Franks.

Those visitors unable to attend on Thursday will be sure to find plenty to keep them busy at the show on the Friday.  Keynote highlights include ‘Key findings from the 2012 Sodexo Lunch at Work report’ hosted by Simon Stenning, foodservice strategy director at Allegra, which includes significant insights from over 2,000 consumers on the importance of lunch to the health and well-being of adults at work (1:30pm).  This is followed by an unmissable session from street food champion, TV presenter and journalist Richard Johnson, who’ll be discussing the ‘Street Food Revolution’ – another key trend currently transforming consumers’ expectations of eating out of home entirely.  The full Working lunch! Theatre programme is available to view on the show’s website at https://s3.amazonaws.com/Lunch/Working_lunch!_theatre_pro....

Friday 21 September also sees the return of the popular British Smoothie Championships (sponsored by Magrini).  Kicking off at 12.15pm, the popular live finals have built an exciting reputation for keeping the lunch! show audience firmly on the edge of their seats.

Open to all professional smoothie baristas in the UK, the championships feature nine shortlisted contestants, who put their considerable talents to the test as they move through heats to earn a place in the grand final.  Audience participation is a key ingredient of the judging process, and the competition is widely-recognised as an inspirational catalyst for new ideas for never-before-tasted smoothie recipes.

Defending smoothie champions Crussh will be back for 2012, as will Shaketastic (winners in 2009 and 2010).  Whilst other finalists include Milk In It; Shake My Shake Ltd; Bartlett Mitchell; World Juice Limited T/A YAYA; Smoothies Etc; Vida Verde Juices; and Juicafe (runner-up in 2010 and 2011), who’ll be hoping to make it third time lucky.

The event’s organiser Diversified Business Communications UK have recently launched a brand new lunch! 2012 show app, which has been designed to provide attendees with everything they need before, during and after their visit; including a map to the venue, exhibitor details, a floor plan and seminar listings.  The lunch! 2012 App is available in the Apple App Store (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lunch!-2012/id560302463?mt=8) or Google Play for Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adorecms.lunch_show).

lunch!, will take place at the new venue of Business Design Centre, Islington, London, on 20-21 September 2012 (the nearest London Underground station is The Angel, Islington).  To register for a free trade pass to lunch! 2012, which includes free entry to the Working lunch! Theatre, please visit https://secure.smartregister.co.uk/events/divcom/2012/Lunch/start.aspx?code=LUN12PR.  Please note, a door charge will apply for visitors who have not pre-registered online in advance of attending.

-Ends-


Media enquiries & press pass requests to:
Emma-Louise Jones, PR Manager
t: +44 (0)1273 645134                 e: ejones@divcom.co.uk            
http://twitter.com/DiversifiedUK
http://www.divcom.co.uk

lunch! 2013 exhibitor enquiries to:
Chris Brazier, Event Manager
t: +44 (0)1273 645123                 e: cbrazier@divcom.co.uk
Website: http://www.lunchshow.co.uk
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=3143327&mostPopular=&trk=tyah
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lunchexhibition
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/lunch/106355532742317 http://www.lunchshow.co.uk

Venue map: http://www.businessdesigncentre.co.uk/Pages/DocumentManager/BDC%20Map.pdf

Notes:

lunch! is the UK’s only dedicated trade show for the UK’s out of home food and drink market.  lunch! 2012 will feature 236 exhibitors showcasing a distinctive array of products, services and technologies to thousands of speciality buyers from all the major food-to-go chains, supermarkets, contract caterers, wholesalers, distributors, and quality independents.
End
Source:Diversified Business Communications UK
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Tags:Trade Show, Lunch Show, Food-to-go, Food Service, Contract Catering
Industry:Food, Event
Location:Brighton - East Sussex - England
Subject:Products
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