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Gama spoke to Nicola Woods, Event Manager, ahead of the latest edition of Speciality & Fine Food Fair.
What are your expectations for the 2025 edition of Speciality & Fine Food Fair?
The 2025 edition of Speciality & Fine Food Fair is gearing up to be one of our most exciting yet, with a bunch of new features, networking events and opportunities for food & drink brands to connect with leading buyers and retailers.
With the return of popular features like the Start-Up Village and the continued growth of Pitch Live in partnership with IND!E, there’s a real focus this year on innovation and emerging talent. The Start-Up Village has been expanded for this year’s event, reflecting the huge number of new and emerging brand in the world of artisan food & drink. Pitch Live this year will see retailers such as Ocado, Selfridges, and Booths providing personalised feedback and potential listing opportunities to innovative speciality brands.
Our new Village Square area will offer a fresh opportunity for networking and discovery, adding another layer of interaction and community to the event. We’re also looking forward to welcoming a broad mix of UK and international brands, which really reflects the Fair’s unique position as a hub for retailers to uncover artisanal excellence from around the world.
Read more Tradeshow Look Aheads in the next issue of Gama News.
You identify provenance and local sourcing as a key trend this year. Why do you think this resonates so much with artisanal food and drink consumers?
Provenance and local sourcing continue to resonate because today’s consumers want authenticity and transparency in the products they buy. Especially in the speciality food & drink space, shoppers are looking for that deeper connection to the story behind a product: who made it, where it came from, and how it was produced. As part of this year’s event, we have a particular emphasis on innovative regional producers and have even named 25 Regional Stars who will be celebrated at the event.
What other key trends do you expect to shape artisanal food and drink in 2025 and beyond?
We’re continuing seeing increased interest in functional and purpose-driven products as consumers take a more holistic view of wellbeing and are paying particular attention to what goes into their food. Sustainability and ethical production remain crucial, not just as add-ons but as fundamental expectations. Finally, innovation remains at the core of the sector, whether that’s coming from exciting emerging startups and inspiring entrepreneurs or more established brands expanding their already well-established ranges.
About Speciality & Fine Food Fair
Over the last 26 years Speciality & Fine Food Fair has built up a rich heritage and has become the home of fine food & drink discovery for buyers from across the retail, hospitality, foodservice, manufacturing, import & export, and wholesale sectors. Whether you’re looking for product inspiration for your business, or you’d like to learn the latest trends and insights from top industry experts, then we’re confident you’ll uncover the ideas you’re searching for at the Fair.
specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk
