Speciality & Fine Food Fair to join Food, Drink & Hospitality Week from 2027, strengthening connections with IFE

Speciality & Fine Food Fair will begin a new chapter in 2027 as it moves to take place alongside Food, Drink & Hospitality Week at Excel London on 5-7 April 2027, bringing the UK's speciality food and drink community closer than ever to the wider food, drink and hospitality industry.

As part of this transition, the Fair will not take place in 2026 and will therefore not hold another edition at Olympia London.

For over a quarter of a century, Speciality & Fine Food Fair has been a trusted platform for producers and buyers to come together to discover exceptional food and drink, share stories and build lasting relationships.  

By taking place as part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, the Fair will be joining forces with IFE and its sister events, which welcome over 25,000 trade visitors across three days.

The new setting is designed to increase visibility and commercial opportunity for participating producers while preserving the distinctive spirit that has defined Speciality & Fine Food Fair for more than two decades. 

Speciality brands will continue to showcase high-quality food and drink in a curated environment championing craftmanship, innovation and storytelling, while gaining access to a larger and more diverse buyer audience.   

The move also places the Fair earlier in the year, aligning more closely with key buying cycles, budget planning and menu development across retail and hospitality. 

Mark Wiltshire, Co-Founder & Director of Diverse Fine Food, told That's Food and Drink: “Diverse Fine Food is delighted to support the new and improved Speciality & Fine Food Fair. 

"We truly appreciated being part of the discussions about the future of the show, and we're delighted with the plans taking shape. 

"The refreshed direction brings real momentum to the sector, and we're proud to support an event that consistently celebrates the best in food and drink.” 

Nicola Woods, Event Manager for Speciality & Fine Food Fair, added: “Speciality & Fine Food Fair has always been about bringing the industry together to celebrate exceptional producers and help them build meaningful relationships with buyers. 

"By joining Food, Drink & Hospitality Week and sitting alongside IFE, we're creating even more opportunities for those connections to happen. 

“This move allows us to preserve everything our community values about the Fair - its curated feel, its focus on discovery and its support for emerging brands - while giving our exhibitors access to a significantly larger and more diverse audience of buyers.” 

Speciality & Fine Food Fair will continue to champion emerging and established producers. Its Start-Up Village will remain a central feature, providing a dedicated platform for new brands to gain visibility, tell their stories and connect with buyers looking for the next generation of speciality products. 

Alongside the conversations taking place on the show floor, initiatives like the Meet the Buyer programme and Pitch Live, in partnership with IND!E, will be expanded to facilitate more curated introductions between producers and decision-makers, helping brands secure listings, build partnerships and grow their businesses. 

Matt Hopkins, Co-Founder at IND!E, commented: “Speciality & Fine Food Fair has always been one of the most important discovery destinations for emerging food and drink brands and the buyers looking to find them. IND!E has been attending and supporting the show for many years, so we're incredibly proud to be a key partner as it moves into its next chapter.  

“The move to new dates and a new venue is an exciting step that will allow the event to grow while preserving the unique atmosphere that makes it so special. We're looking forward to being there in April 2027, bigger and better than ever, championing the next generation of challenger brands.” 

The Fair will also continue to collaborate with long-standing industry partners such as the Guild of Fine Food. Managing Director John Farrand commented: “Speciality & Fine Food Fair has long been a key date in the food and drink calendar and an invaluable platform for celebrating and championing outstanding and worthy producers from across the sector.  

“The Guild of Fine Food is proud to have been involved with the show since its inception more than quarter of a century ago. We're excited to be a part of this new chapter and look forward to continuing our partnership, showcasing the annual crop of Great Taste stars as well as the most innovative food and drink makers, to a wider community of buyers.” 

While the setting may evolve, the Speciality & Fine Food Fair's identity will remain firmly rooted in its heritage. Producers and independent retail will still sit at the heart of the event, discovery will remain central to the experience, and the relationships that define the speciality food sector will continue to be built face-to-face. 

From 2027, the Fair will be transformed; combining the community spirit that has long defined the event with the commercial reach of the UK's largest gathering for food, drink and hospitality professionals. 

Find out more about Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2027 at specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk/next-chapter.co.uk 

New Product Launches Take Centre Stage at Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2025

The Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2025, which is to take place on 9-10 September at Olympia, will once again provide a vibrant platform for independent and specialty retailers to discover the very latest artisanal food and drink products, with an exciting mix of brand launches and emerging businesses set to showcase their creations.

Nicola Woods, who is the Event Manager for Speciality & Fine Food Fair, told That's Food and Drink: “One of the most exciting aspects of the Fair is seeing the incredible range of new products being introduced to the market. 

"For our buyers, discovering something fresh, whether it's a new flavour profile, a pioneering ingredient, or a reimagined classic, is one of the key reasons to attend.

“We're proud to provide a platform for both established brands and start-ups to showcase their latest creations and connect with the retailers, chefs, and hospitality professionals who are always on the lookout for the next big thing.”

This year's event will see East Forest introduce Kenari nuts to the UK for the first time. Sourced from Indonesia's rainforests, the organic and vegan nuts will be showcased in four flavours: Unsalted, Sea Salt, Spicy Salted Caramel and Cocoa Cinnamon.

Positioned as a sustainable superfood, the nuts will be available to sample at the Fair alongside visuals highlighting their provenance and social media activity to engage visitors.

Dublin-based Stillgarden Distillery will present Buí 43 and Glas 55, two new herbal liqueurs inspired by Chartreuse and created with botanicals harvested from its community garden. Both products reflect Stillgarden's focus on sustainable production methods, with flavour profiles designed to appeal to bartenders and discerning consumers.

COCOES will launch its Coconut Blossom Sap Beverages, made directly on the brand's own farm without artificial additives. The drinks will be available in four varieties, Original, Calamansi, Oolong & Citrus Grape, and Twist, each showcasing the natural flavour and subtle sweetness of coconut blossom sap.

Homi Kitchen will be showcasing its newly launched 'Hei Hei' Pepper Sauce from the famous Singapore Black Pepper Crab for the very first time. The Pepper Sauce delivers a bold, fiery kick, balancing a sweet soya sauce base with the aromatics of fresh ginger, garlic and chillies. A distinctive blend of black and Chinese white pepper brings depth and heat, capturing authentic Singaporean flavours in a format that makes them simple to recreate at home.

IVA PLANTS specialises in thoughtfully crafted blends made with carefully sourced herbal and black teas. Each blend is created to deliver a balanced, natural taste, free from artificial flavourings or shortcuts. At Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2025, the brand will unveil its latest launch: Vanilla and Cacao Black Tea. This new blend combines high-quality Ceylon black tea with whole vanilla beans that have been naturally infused over several months, offering a rich and aromatic profile.

Also new for 2025, Ruffingtons will present a line of patisserie-style dog treats, hand-decorated and packaged as luxury gifts. Designed to celebrate the bond between pets and families, the range is free from artificial additives and crafted as edible works of art.

The Start-Up Village will once again shine a spotlight on emerging talents. CHERICO will introduce chicory-based hot drinks as a natural, low-caffeine alternative to coffee. dffrnt will showcase its small-batch kombucha, double-fermented for a dry and complex finish.

Honest Umami will highlight a new range of MSG-based seasonings aimed at shifting perceptions around umami flavour, and Kwikish will demonstrate how its Jollof Paste simplifies the process of cooking African dishes at home, offering convenience without sacrificing authenticity.

Highlighting regional stars

This year's edition of the Fair will have a new, in-depth focus on connecting independent retailers from around the UK with producers from their region. 

The Regional Producer Showcase will enable retailers to shop local and connect with quality artisan brands to delight their customers.

Additionally, the Fair's new Village Square area, a bustling hub of networking and live demos at the heart of the event, will see Speciality Food Magazine hosting a number of regional product tastings, featuring brands including Welsh brand Radnor Preserves, award winning Northern Irish yoghurt brand Clandeboye Yoghurt, and Essence Foods, which makes a number of chutneys and preserves on its farm in rural Norfolk.

With such a strong line-up of new launches, regional stars and challenger brands, Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2025 promises to deliver fresh inspiration for retailers, wholesalers, chefs and hospitality operators seeking products that will capture the imagination of customers.

Speciality & Fine Food Fair takes place on 9-10 September 2025 at Olympia. To find out more and register to attend, visit www.specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk.