Innovation Challenge 2024 – the results

Press Releases

Discover new innovations before your competitors with the Innovation Challenge winners. New innovations were showcased from across the show floor including food, drink, technology and equipment products, the Innovation Challenge was the first port of call for visitors looking for products to differentiate their customer offering. The shortlisted companies pitched their products live on stage on day 2, the products were then tested by a panel of judges who determined whether it deserved a gold, silver of bronze award. The winners: Biff’s Plant Shack Lion’s Mane Mushroom Steak The judges said: “Bang on trend. Natural, healthy and agree that this is the steakiest vegetable…

Robust Approve and Deny System Drives Success at Casual Dining and lunch! 2024 

Press Releases

Casual Dining (now The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show) and lunch! celebrated their best ever shows at ExCeL London last week. The premier events in the hospitality, foodservice and food retail sector welcomed an impressive 8042 attendees – despite a robust approve and deny system put in place ahead of the show.    The implementation of the new vetting system, in response to exhibitor feedback expressing concerns about suppliers attending primarily to sell to exhibitors at industry trade shows, led to the rejection of 20% of visitor applications. Despite this rigorous screening process, the total event audience experienced only a marginal 8%…

Casual Dining Show Opens with Major New Announcement

Press Releases

The highly successful Casual Dining has opened its 10th anniversary show today at ExCeL London with the announcement that the show will change its name to the National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show. This important name change, made possible with support from the industry, will better reflect the full range of hospitality operators who regularly attend the event.    Chris Brazier, Group Event Director for the show says “This is big news and follows feedback from the industry, with both operators and exhibitors feeling that a more inclusive name will attract even more operators to the industry’s favourite event, which…

lunch! and Casual Dining open at ExCeL London this week!

Press Releases

Decision makers across the UK are preparing for the most important shows of the year, Casual Dining, and lunch! which return to London this week.   lunch! – the definitive event for the cafĂ©, coffee shop & food-to-go sector will co-locate with the 10th anniversary edition of Casual Dining – the definitive trade event for the restaurant, pub & bar sector when they return to ExCeL London on 18-19 September.  Together the shows will feature over 500 exhibitors, 6 Keynote Theatres (Casual Dining theatres sponsored by Uber Eats and lunch! Theatres sponsored by Lipton Ice Tea), and two Innovation Challenge Galleries…

Stonegate, CĂ´te, BrewDog and major investment panel added to the final seminar line-up for Casual Dining 2024

Press Releases

Casual Dining, the definitive restaurant, pub & bar event has announced its full speaker programme for its highly anticipated 10th anniversary show on 18-19 September at ExCeL London. Celebrated for featuring industry leaders, the event’s Keynote Programme promises valuable insights for operators in the restaurant, pub, and bar sectors. Over the two days, attendees can look forward to keynote interviews, data-driven insights, and engaging panel sessions across three theatres (sponsored by Uber Eats).  Jess Cooke, Head of Media & Loyalty at Stonegate Group; Lizzie Isles, Head of Food and Drink at CĂ´te; and Chad Crooks, Global Director of Food at BrewDog…

Equipment at Casual Dining

Industry News & Q&As

In the casual dining sector, kitchen equipment brands are crucial for ensuring quality, efficiency, and reliability in food preparation. They enhance operational productivity, ensure safety and compliance, and provide robust customer support. Additionally, these brands offer innovative, energy-efficient solutions that reduce long-term costs and bolster a restaurant’s reputation for excellence, ultimately leading to improved customer satisfaction and competitive advantage.  “Loved attending Casual Dining. It’s a great place to see what’s new and innovative and how it can add value to your business. Highly recommend a visit.” Alice Bowyer, Head of Food, The Liberation Group   Are you ready to showcase…

Sipping into the Future: Exploring 2024 Trends in the UK Spirits Industry

Industry News & Q&As

The UK spirits industry has always been a dynamic landscape, constantly evolving to meet changing consumer preferences, regulatory demands, and technological advancements. The world of spirits in the UK continues to undergo transformations, driven by a mix of cultural shifts, sustainability initiatives, and innovation in taste experiences. Let’s dive into the trends shaping the UK spirits industry.  No and low As drinking habits change, we see a huge shift within the spirits industry to no and low. There are a few reasons why people may choose to moderate their alcohol intake, for example, health and fitness, to improve sleep or…

Registration now open for Casual Dining and lunch! 2024

Press Releases

Free trade visitor registration for lunch!, and the much-anticipated 10th anniversary of Casual Dining, is now open. These industry leading shows return to ExCeL London on 18-19 September 2024. Casual Dining and lunch! are the premier trade events for innovation within the casual dining and food-to-go sectors – with a focus on discovering cutting-edge products, industry insights, and unrivalled networking.  As always, the thousands of attendees will be buyers and decision makers from leading restaurant and food-to-go operators, pubs, bars, cafĂ©s, coffee shops, supermarkets, contract caterers, hotels, delivery, wholesalers, distributors and more.    The co-located shows bring the whole industry together…

Casual Dining Awards 2024 announce winners of UK’s best restaurants, pubs & bars 

Press Releases

Dishoom, Loungers, Pizza Pilgrims, Mission Mars and wagamama were revealed as some of the UK’s best restaurants, pubs and bars at the 7th annual Casual Dining Awards last night (25th April) at the London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square.  Hawksmoor, Nando’s, Bill’s, Brightside, Blacklock, Caravan, Bundobust, All Bar One, Albert’s Schloss and Inamo were among the other leading brands who took home prestigious awards. These covered everything from New Concept of the Year and Sustainable Operator to Employer of the Year and Menu Innovation.  Stephen Herring, Event Manager of the Casual Dining Awards & the Casual Dining show, says: “The Casual Dining Awards surpassed…

The wonderful world of wine

Industry News & Q&As

Almost every operator that attends Casual Dining serves wine in their restaurants, pubs or bars. In this blog, we’ll talk about the history of dining with wine, a few trends to look out for this year, and how to boost your brand recognition with restaurants, pubs and bars.   Wine sales make an essential contribution to a restaurant’s turnover and profitability. But why do we dine with wine? Wine was introduced to England as far back as 43BC, evidence shows we adopted our love for wine and pubs (known as tabernae) from the Romans. We quickly adapted the name tabernae to…