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IFE, International Food & Drink Event, the annual London-based get-together for the food and drink sector, returned for its latest outing this March, once again proving a key opportunity for a diverse range of brands to pitch their wares to a UK and international audience of industry professionals.
Gama with HE Inigo Lambertini, Ambassador of Italy to the UK
With ExCel in London’s Docklands again playing host, IFE welcomed some 1,500 exhibitors representing over 100 countries, along with 27,000 trade visitors that included buyers from across the retail, foodservice, hospitality, wholesale, distribution, and import and export sectors. The exhibition hall was divided into 14 distinct zones that each represented a particular category or theme, ranging from vegan & plant-based through to hot beverages, speciality food and free from.
Gama with Rio Santo
Alongside a varied programme of talks and presentations at the Future Food Stage and Trends & Innovation Platform, IFE also featured the Startup Market to help newly-founded companies meet face-to-face with buyers, as well as the New Products Tasting Theatre, acting as an “immersive experience” for buyers to sample new-to-market products. Meanwhile, valuable advice for food and drink brands was shared in sections such as the Exporters Hub, Certification Club and Business Services @ HRC & IFE. Elsewhere the World Food Innovation Awards, in association with IFE, celebrated innovation and excellence across every category of the global food industry.
Gama with John Winnard MBE, Managing Director, William Santus
Part of Food & Drink Hospitality Week, IFE ran alongside a number of co-located events, including IFE Manufacturing, The Pub Show, the hospitality-oriented HRC and International Salon Culinaire, claimed to be the UK’s largest and most prestigious programme of culinary competitions.
Out on the show floor, well-established themes such as convenience, sustainability (in terms of both products and packaging) and functionality continued to define much of the NPD on show, with segments such as “healthy” energy drinks particularly prevalent, and protein enhancement still much in evidence. The trend for using fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices in creative new ways was exemplified through products such as a ketchup made using bananas and a sparkling soft drink with cinnamon as a hero ingredient.
The next edition of IFE is due to take place in March 2025.
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