The UK’s leading showcase for artisanal food and drink, Speciality & Fine Food Fair, marked its 25th anniversary with a spectacular edition on 10-11 September 2024 at Olympia London.
The milestone event attracted farm shops, delis, independent retailers, wholesalers, supermarket professionals, and hospitality experts eager to discover the latest trends in the world of fine food and drink.
This year’s Fair saw renowned broadcaster and food industry advocate Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall take to the stage with Emma Mosey, Chair of the Farm Retail Association, to discuss the power of local food as part of the Fair’s Power Breakfast event, in partnership with Invest Northern Ireland.
Fearnley-Whittingstall remarked: “We want not just great food but food with a great story, we’re better nourished by food when we know its story. Everyone at Speciality & Fine Food Fair has come to tell the story of their food.”
He later joined the Farm Retail Association to unveil the organisation’s rebrand, signifying a new phase of growth for the association. Mosey said: “Today marks the start of a new chapter for the FRA which we are taking to the next level in bringing farm retailers and farmers markets together. It is vital to have one strong voice for the industry, to promote local food, low food miles and local producers to consumers and to ensure farm retailers and farmers markets continue to thrive.
“We really want to encourage all farm retailers and farmers markets to join the FRA to really put our industry at the forefront.”
The FRA also announced the launch of its highly anticipated annual conference in March 2025, with the theme of ‘Profit with purpose: Let’s grow with integrity.’
Celebrating 25 years of fine food & drink
As part of the Fair’s 25th anniversary celebration, the event introduced a host of exciting new features and initiatives this year to enhance the visitor and producer experience.
One standout feature was the tasting station, where attendees had the opportunity to sample the latest innovative products in food and drink, fostering a direct connection between producers and potential buyers. In addition, the new Drinks Uncovered stage spotlighted cutting-edge trends in the drinks industry, offering in-depth insights and live demonstrations from top experts, making it a must-visit destination for drinks buyers.
In partnership with Speciality Food magazine, the Fair also recognised 25 Rising Star founders in the food and drink industry during a special event, celebrating their innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.
Another key introduction was a new visitor vetting process, which ensured that the right mix of food & drink producers and buyers from across retail, wholesale and hospitality attended the event. These changes enhanced the overall networking opportunities and business potential and underscored the Fair’s commitment to fostering meaningful connections and providing valuable experiences for its community.
The change was welcomed by long-standing exhibitors at the Fair, with Daniel Smith, Sales & Marketing Manager at Stag Bakeries, commenting: “We had a fantastic experience exhibiting at Speciality & Fine Food Fair this year.
“We were delighted with the quality of leads that were generated over the course of the two days and the visitors to our stand were without exception people genuinely interested in trying our products and learning about our brand. We made new connections with contacts in the UK, Central Europe and North America and can’t wait to attend again next year!”
Celebrating excellence in artisan food & drink
In an exciting collaboration with IND!E, the Fair offered a unique opportunity for one food and one drinks brand to secure an online listing with Ocado. Four startup producers in both the food and drinks categories pitched live to a panel of senior Ocado buyers.
Tess Reed, Founder of All Dressed UP Dressings and winner of the food product Pitch Live , shared her excitement, stating: “We had a great couple of days at Speciality & Fine Food Fair! The Start Up Village had such a buzzing atmosphere, and you feel really connected to other brands sharing the same journey. The quality of buyers was fantastic, ranging from brilliant farm shops and delis to bigger retailers.
“Having the opportunity to take part in Pitch Live was a great experience, and really good fun! I wasn’t sure what to expect given it was our first time exhibiting – but it was a really well-organised event, with great energy and we’re looking forward to hopefully returning in the future!”
Yandis Ying, Co-Founder of Dot Dot Tea and winner of Drinks Pitch Live commented: “We’re very grateful, this show is alive with global trends. We’ve loved meeting everyone and we’re feeling a lot of support from the community.”
Nicola Woods, Event Manager for Speciality & Fine Food Fair, said: “We love partnering with IND!E and Ocado to provide this amazing opportunity for new artisan brands to take a huge leap forward in their journey. Congratulations to both the winners, you smashed it!”
The Speciality & Fine Food Fair Awards in Partnership with FICT returned for their fourth year recognising innovative producers and retailers. Low Sizergh Barn and The Cheese Lady were celebrated for their outstanding commitment to their communities and dedication to artisan food, while NEMI Teas Ltd won in new category Best DEI Initiative.
Vhari Russell of Food Marketing Experts and charity Creating Nature’s Corridors was presented with an award for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry. Russell expressed her surprise and gratitude, commenting: “I’m chuffed to bits. I love the industry I work in and love making a difference, you don’t do it for the accolades, but this is really lovely!”
As part of the Fair’s commitment to giving back, City Harvest, the event’s charity partner, commemorated the 25th anniversary with a plaque. Producers taking part in the Fair donated 1.4 tonnes of leftover food to City Harvest, translating to 3,521 meals for Londoners in need and preventing 3.6 tonnes of GHG emissions. This long-standing partnership continues to play a pivotal role in redistributing food to communities across the capital.
Visitors to the Fair were full of praise for the event. Steve Matthews, Partner & Branded Innovation Coordinator at Waitrose, said: “Thoroughly enjoyed attending Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2024, it was great to see so many new and growing brands and to meet their founders and find out about their products.
“Waitrose is always on the lookout for new and exciting products to delight our customers and as part of our newly formed Branded Innovation team – it was a great opportunity to engage with suppliers and understand their products journey from conception to listings in stores.”
Paul Donoughue, Owner of Green & Lovely, added: “Speciality & Fine Food Fair has become a firm date for our diaries, and it is considered essential to the success of our business.
“It’s here we get to scope out exciting new products and the producers behind them, to catch up with existing suppliers to see what they are up to and to see what new plans we can hatch. We also love attending the various talks as there are always new things to learn and hear about. This year, especially with the anniversary, there was a real buzz in the hall and we came away with plenty to follow-up on.”
Producers too praised the organisation of the Fair and the invaluable networking opportunities with key buyers it presented. Andy Valentine, Head of Marketing at Stockley’s, concluded: “This was the first time that Stockley’s have exhibited at Speciality & Fine Food Fair with their range of handcrafted British confectionery and it was a fantastic experience.
“Well-organised, quality conversations with a good spread of retailers, it really is an essential trade show for any ambitious, up-and-coming food brand that is targeting speciality retail channels. Would strongly recommend!”
Speciality & Fine Food Fair will return to Olympia London on 9-10 September. Find out more about exhibiting or visiting the event at specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk