The UK Food & Drink Shows 2026: Three days that brought the industry together

For three amazing days, tens of thousands of visitors came together from across the UK food and drink sector to build new business relationships, be inspired by industry experts and sample the latest products.

From Monday 13 to Wednesday 15 April, the NEC Birmingham became home to The UK Food & Drink Shows – the annual event that shines a spotlight on the grocery, hospitality, specialist retail, forecourt convenience and forecourt sectors.

This year’s event comprised four individual shows, each dedicated to a trade sector: Farm Shop & Deli Show, Food & Drink Expo, National Convenience Show and Forecourt Show.

Around 1,200 exhibitors, from the world’s biggest names in fmcg and manufacturing to start-up businesses taking their first steps, travelled from across the globe to present their products and services. And the halls were buzzing with energy with packed aisles with buyers and trade visitors travelling from across the UK, from the largest multiple retailers to independent operators. Here's what a few had to say about their time at the event:

The UK Food & Drink Shows is a real opportunity for everybody to come together. It's a great opportunity to speak to people, immerse yourself in the products and see things for yourself, which is such a rarity now.

Abigail Mines, food waste & communities manager, Ocado Retail.

All four shows featured expert speakers, inspiring demonstrations and insightful panels on the topics and trends driving the industry. This year's speakers included PizzaExpress Customer Technology Director Ross Pyres, Borough Market operations director Nicole Casey, Booker retail managing director Colm Johnson and Co-Op Wholesale managing director Katie Secretan.

The UK Food & Drink Shows make a massive impact. There are new trends coming up all the time and food tastes are constantly changing. Shows like this are a fantastic way to fully experience what's trending and what's available.

Mark Tate, director and owner, Field to Fork farm shop & restaurant.

The UK Food & Drink Show continue to evolve to keep pace with the rapid changes happening in the food and drink industry, and popular new features introduced for 2026 included the Spotlight on Coffee Shop & Café and Spotlight on Future Foods. Also a big hit with exhibitors and visitors was new-look branding that retained the event’s existing colour palette but featured a contemporary typeface and new background textures to reflect the vibrance of the industry.

Everything is technology based today, and attending Forecourt Show has helped us learn about the latest technologies. If you don’t know what’s happening in the market, no business can survive.

Adil Kohli, regional manager, Rondel Trading Ltd.

Another new feature was the Taste the Future competition that gives visitors the chance to sample and score 40 trailblazing products across a range of categories, with the winning supplier from each category will going forward to the live final. The ultimate winner, which receives a package worth £5,000 from consumer testing agency Stickybeak, was MisoHeat Chili Paste.

Competitions are a big part of The UK Food & Drink Shows line-up, with the winners of the Farm Shop & Deli Retailer Awards announced at the event. The top accolade of retailer of the year went to Leamington Spa-based butchers Aubrey Allen, which was praised by judges for its work in the community and care of its employees.

A host of suppliers braved the Dragons' Pantry and pitched their products to a panel of highly experienced industry ‘dragons’ who declared Irish brand Chimac, which produces Korean-inspired sauces, the overall winner.

Congratulations also go to the winners of the Britain's Best Loaf and Britain's Best Cake contests, which were judged live at The UK Food & Drink Shows. The Best Loaf accolade went to a Basque-style baguette from Imma the Bakery, while the Best Cake was a Miso Caramel Hazelnut Brownie from Two Magpies Bakery.

The UK Food & Drink Shows is organised by William Reed. A family-owned global media business, bringing clarity and intelligence to the fast-moving world of food and drink. William Reed publishes digital and print media including The Grocer, and organises prestigious awards, business events and conferences.

It has once again given us great pleasure to present The UK Food & Drink Shows and showcase what makes this one of the country's most exciting, welcoming and innovative industries.

The halls of the NEC Birmingham were once again filled with excitement as thousands of visitors connected, forged business partnerships and sampled products that will be delighting consumers in the weeks and months to come.

Planning is under way for The UK Food & Drink Shows 2027, with 65% of stand space already secured for next year. We look forward to seeing you all again in 12 months’ time!

Dan Dixon, managing director of exhibitions at William Reed.

The UK Food & Drink Shows 2027 – comprising Farm Shop & Deli Show, Food & Drink Expo, Foodex Manufacturing Solutions, National Convenience Show and Forecourt Show – will take place at the NEC Birmingham from 12 to 14 April. For more information see ukfoodanddrinkshows.co.uk