At a glance:
UK Food & Drink Shows
Comprising: Food & Drink Expo, Farm Shop & Deli Show, National Convenience Show, Foodex Manufacturing Solutions
Monday 7 to Wednesday 9 April 2025
NEC Birmingham
www.ukfoodanddrinkshows.co.uk
Taking place at the NEC Birmingham from Monday 7 to Wednesday 9 April, Foodex is the UK’s leading trade show for the food and drink processing, packaging and logistics industries.
The event is part of the UK Food & Drink Shows that brings together four shows under one roof, enabling businesses to network, see the latest innovations and gain invaluable insights.
The three shows taking place alongside Foodex are:
- Food & Drink Expo, which provides buyers from retail, hospitality, wholesale, foodservice and manufacturing with information and product sourcing opportunities.
- Farm Shop & Deli Show, which brings together hundreds of suppliers to showcase local and speciality produce to retailers and buyers.
- National Convenience Show, which provides a platform for the convenience retailing sector to come together, from suppliers and wholesalers through to retailers.
With around 1,500 businesses exhibiting across the four shows, visitors will have the chance to sample the latest food and drink creations and examine business solutions including services and equipment.
One focus for 2025 is recognising the women shaping the food and drink industry, with a Women in Manufacturing panel featuring Donna Fordyce, chief Executive of Seafood Scotland; Ramona Hazan, founder of houmous and falafel brand Ramona’s; and Francesca White, managing director of Porky Whites. The session will be chaired by Food Manufacture editor, Bethan Grylls.
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.
Foodex is also host to the Associations Lounge, a meeting area for associations that have partnered with the show. Dedicated networking sessions are being held by the Cold Chain Federation on Monday 7 April (10am-11.30am) and by the UKWA on Wednesday 9 April (10am-11.30am).
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.
Here we offer a round-up of some of the panels and presentation food and drink manufacturing businesses won’t want to miss.
To find out more and register for free tickets visit the UK Food & Drink Shows website.
Must-attend panels for F&B manufacturers
Monday 7 April
The implications of a Labour government on manufacturing
1.30pm Food Manufacture Stage
Industry trade associations that are responsible for lobbying on behalf of the UK food and drink market unpick the impact of the change of government.
Plant-based: Keeping it clean
2.15pm The Grocer Stage
Plant-based experts unpick the category, the barriers to growth and the trends shaping the future.
Trends to watch: The future of food and drink
2.30pm Food Manufacture Stage
What will the UK food and drink market look like in 2026? How will consumer and market behaviour evolve and what impact will it have?
Tuesday 8 April
Women in manufacturing: The leaders inspiring the future
12.15pm Food Manufacture Stage
ONS data suggests that just 28% of the UK manufacturing workforce is female. In this session, some of the inspiring female leaders from across UK manufacturing discuss the gender imbalance and the challenges and opportunities they have faced.
Reducing food waste: The future of frozen food
1.15pm
Food Manufacture Stage
This session will look at reducing food waste through modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), enhancing sustainability by using recyclable plastics and reduced headspace, and smart cryogenic freezing.
Autumn Budget: The immediate and future impact on manufacturing
2.15pm Food Manufacture Stage
In this session, Kate Fairhurst, head of policy at Make UK, discusses the implications of the Autumn Budget on the manufacturing industry and the way forward for the sector through a long-term industrial strategy.
Business leaders: The future of manufacturing
3pm Food Manufacture Stage
What does the future of UK manufacturing look like through the lens of industry leaders? In this panel discussion, leaders from across the industry dissect the sector and look at the opportunities and challenges on the horizon.
Plant-based: Insights from the US market
3.30pm The Grocer Stage
Noah Hyams, founder of Vegpreneur, shares the latest vegan and plant-based insights from across the Atlantic. Understand the trends shaping the US market, how they differ to the UK and the key to unlocking export potential.
Wednesday 9 April
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.
The Warehouse of the Future: Predictions from 2025 to 2050
11.45am Food Manufacture Stage
Clare Bottle, chief executive at UK Warehousing Association, offers insights into future innovations and likely trends ahead for the warehousing sector, highlighting potential changes in store that warehousing businesses should be preparing for right now.
Rebooting Digital Transformation: Leveraging Technology to Thrive in 2025
12.30pm Food Manufacture Stage
This roundtable will explore how companies can transform their digital strategies with a focus on cloud migration, real-time data access and integrating industry-specific solutions.
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.
Advance Steam Consulting: Your partner in the journey towards food safety, system optimisation & decarbonisation
1.30pm Food Manufacture Stage
Experts from Spirax Sarco on optimising your steam system, aligning equipment selection with food safety regulations and managing your system with real-time data.
