Big speaker announcements are coming in fast for next February’s Casual Dining show, as it adds industry leaders and influencers from Mowgli Street Food, Pizza Hut Restaurants UK, The Alchemist Bars & Restaurants, Bill’s Restaurant, and the Soil Association to its high-profile Keynote line-up.
The countdown to Casual Dining 2019 has begun, with the announcement of its first raft of expert speakers plus an exclusive preview of new exhibitors. The UK’s biggest restaurant, pub and bar event of the year, Casual Dining takes place at the new venue of ExCeL London on 27-28 February. Its compelling line-up will include a record 220 exhibitors, plus 50 speakers appearing in 25 free business seminars across two dedicated keynote theatres (both sponsored by Yumpingo). Among the big names announced today are five CEOs, including Casual Dining Group’s Steve Richards (who oversees brands including Bella Italia, Café Rouge…
Casual Dining – the restaurant, pub and bar event of the year – was making headlines last week, with its biggest event yet securing another record turnout. 200 exhibitors, 31 Keynote speakers and 4,803 unique attendees – are the top line figures from the 2018 show, which bid farewell to its Business Design Centre venue in style over 21-22 February. Known for being a magnet for top buyers from across the casual dining sector, visitors included thousands of senior executives from all the UK’s biggest restaurant, pub and bar groups, plus the best independent operators, hotels, wholesalers, distributors, attractions, and…
London was the capital of the casual dining world this week – as Casual Dining returned to the BDC to showcase the best new products, solutions, insights, and innovations of the year. We’ll be publishing the post-show review soon, in the meantime here’s a few photos from the show floor:
Freedom Brewery has retained its crown — winning King of Craft at Casual Dining for a second year running. It took the top spot with its (vegan certified) Freedom Pils – Pilsner Lager. As in previous years, it was a close-run competition. Over the last two days at the show, the 2018 judges — including dozens of VIP drinks buyers, press and beer experts — have been sampling their way around the many delights of the Craft Beer & Cider Pavilion. It’s a tough job… King of Craft contenders also included: Black Storm Porter from Black Storm Brewery Thundering Molly from…
New innovations by Carlsberg UK, Crooked Beverage Co, Double Dutch Drinks, Heineken UK – Blade, and Yumpingo scored top marks with the judges at Casual Dining today. All five were awarded Gold in the show’s prestigious Innovation Challenge Awards, which recognise the best casual dining products and solutions of the year.
Casual Dining visitors were busy casting their votes yesterday at the Innovation Challenge Awards Gallery. Their top-picks (13 in all) have now been shortlisted for today’s Innovation Challenge Live ‘pitching’ session, taking place at 11.15am in the BDC’s Executive Centre, with the results to be announced at 2.15pm. Exhibitors hoping their products will come away with a coveted ‘Gold Award’ will need to impress this year’s judges first – including Alice Elwes (Côte Brasserie), Megan Lewis-Thomas (Casual Dining Group), Chris Knight (Young’s & Geronimo Inns), Simon Xavier (The Restaurant Group), chef/restaurant consultant Jay Morjaria, and Keith Bird (former chief operating…
The nation’s best casual dining restaurants and pubs were revealed tonight at the Casual Dining Restaurant & Pub Awards 2018, which took place at the Marriott London Grosvenor Square, following the first day of the Casual Dining show. Living Ventures, wagamama, Bistrot Pierre, Brewhouse & Kitchen, Loungers, The Alchemist, Flat Iron, GBK, and The New World Trading Co (NWTC) were among the operators who took home awards. It was a memorable night for Living Ventures, which won three trophies including the newly introduced, and hotly-contested, Casual Dining Group of the Year Award. Its opulent Grand Pacific venue, in Manchester, also…
Here’s some video highlights from a fantastic first day at Casual Dining 2018. We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow!
Casual dining restaurant, pub and bar operators will be out in force at the Business Design Centre in London this week (21-22 February), checking out the latest new products and services on offer from over 200 exhibitors at Casual Dining 2018.