Wetherspoon, Wahaca, Mowgli Street Food, D3 Collective, UKHospitality & BII confirmed
The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show 2026 has announced its first wave of speakers, bringing together some of the most influential names in hospitality to Excel London on 16-17 September.
These industry leaders include John Hutson, Chief Executive of JD Wetherspoon; Gemma Glasson, CEO of Wahaca; Nisha Katona MBE, Founder Director of Mowgli Street Food; Des Gunewardena, Founder and CEO of D3 Collective; Steve Alton, CEO of British Institute of Innkeeping; and Kate Nicholls OBE, Chair of UKHospitality.
“In such a broad and important industry, it is so important to have a place that unifies and nurtures us. The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show is that place,” says Nisha Katona, Founder Director, Mowgli Street Food.
Across the two days, speakers will take to three of the show’s new stages for 2026: Pub & Bar Stage, Casual DINING Stage, and the Restaurateurs Stage. Here they’ll share exclusive insights on everything from scaling a hospitality brand to navigating the pressures facing the industry today. Sessions will include interview style formats to interactive panel discussions.
This year, The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar will form part of the inaugural The London Food and Drink Festival. The full festival programme will offer something for every corner of the food and drink industry on the following stages:
- Chef Live! Stage
- Coffee Shop Stage
- Food To Go Stage
- Retail & Convenience Stage
- Natural & Organic Food Stage
Other expert speakers to see across these stages include Pano Christou, CEO of Pret A Manger; Alasdair Murdoch, CEO of Burger King; James Campbell, Director of Product & Innovation at Sainsbury’s; Annabel Mackie, Marketing Director at itsu; Caroline Ottoy, Managing Director of WatchHouse; and Alice Hutfield, Director of Development at KFC,
Event Manager of The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show and Casual Dining Awards, Stephen Herring comments: “The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show has always been about bringing the best minds in hospitality together in one place. This year’s speaker line-up is shaping up to be our strongest yet – and we’ve only just got started. Whether you run a single site or a national brand, the insight on offer across our eight stages will give you the tools to overcome business challenges and the inspiration to thrive.”
Register for a FREE trade ticket
The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show returns to Excel London on 16-17 September at part of The London Food & Drink Festival. One ticket will give operators access to co-located shows London Drinks Exchange, lunch!, Natural & Organic Food Show, and Artisan Food & Drink Show.
Operators can register in advance for FREE here.
