Registration opens for Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2021

Visitor registration has opened for Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2021, which takes place on 6-7 September at Olympia London.

The Fair will invite independent retailers, high-end caterers and speciality wholesalers to discover the very latest new products and trends in the world of speciality and fine food & drink at the first major post-lockdown trade show for the industry.

Speciality & Fine Food Fair will showcase a mixture of local British producers and unique food and drink products from around the world. This year’s edition will welcome producers from over 30 countries including first-time exhibitors Denmark, Lebanon, The Ivory Coast and more.

Returning for 2021 will be the event’s Discovery Zone, which provides a unique platform for new, up-and-coming producers in their first three years of trading, and The Drinks Cabinet, a vibrant hub of all the latest new-to-market drinks products and businesses.

Event manager Phillipa Christer commented: “We’re so excited to be opening registration for the 2021 edition of Speciality & Fine Food Fair and bringing our fine food community together once again. The past two years have seen an explosion in new products, new business and exciting individuals making their mark on the industry and we can’t wait to give them a chance to connect face-to-face and do business.”

Food for Thought

The Food for Thought stage at the Fair will be covering some of the most pressing issues facing the independent retailer community, from the rise in conscious consumerism to effective eCommerce strategies to white labelling and own-brand products. Global food trends agency thefoodpeople will also be taking a deep dive into some of the key themes of this year’s event, which include vegan & plant-based foods, health & wellbeing and sustainability.

Speakers from well-known brands and organisations such as Fortnum & Mason, Macknade, Daylesford, The Farm Retail Association and more will be taking to the stage for a fantastic programme of debate and discovery.

In addition to the content programme, the Food for Thought stage will host Pitch Live, a live pitching session open to exciting, up-and-coming suppliers, a session with the winners of the British Charcuterie Awards and the newly launched Speciality & Fine Food Awards, which closed for entries on 24 June.

This year’s Fair will have extended opening hours on Day 1 (6 September), closing at 8pm in order to give visitors more freedom and flexibility to visit outside of business hours. The evening of 6 September will also include an exclusive VIP event for key buyers and a very special guest speaker.

The Sustainability Zone

New for 2021 is The Sustainability Zone, which reflects the growing presence in the market of businesses with environmental and social issues at their heart. The zone will be a hub for sustainably minded buyers at the show to explore businesses that have demonstrated a long-term and comprehensive commitment to sustainable products and practices.

The Trend Trails

Also new at this year’s Fair will be the launch of three new ‘trend trails’ designed to guide visitors interested in certain key categories of product around the event, making it easier for visitors to source items which are on trend in order to meet consumer demands and discover exciting new products to drive their business forward.

The Vegan & Plant Based Trail will showcase a range of products free of meat and animal products, The Health & Wellbeing Trail will take visitors round the food & drink products which have a specific focus on wellness and nutrition, and The Non-Food Trail will open up the event to non-food products which are of interest to the Fair’s audience of independent retailers, farm shops, delis, garden centres and more.

Daniel Williams of Godfrey C. Williams & Son commented: “I’m looking forward to visiting the new non-food trail at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair. When selling cheese, upselling shouldn’t just be limited to biscuits, chutney, or accompaniments.

“Customers looking for a present or in the mood to impress at a gathering may be open to a pitch for cheese boards, knives, or ceramics. The new non-food trail will allow me to compare and consider new and existing products that fit this higher tier of upselling, so that we can maximise our sales.”

To discover the full list of exhibitors and products on offer on the Speciality & Fine Food Fair, visit the website here. To register to attend the event, click here. To find out more about the Fair’s VIP experience, email [email protected].

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