Industry News London & South East Premier Hospitality

Sold Out lunch! Show Confirms Record 370 Exhibitors for 2018

Aspire Executive Lounges, Swissport's global airport hospitality brand, has joined the British Institute of Hospitality, the world’s leading and award-winning membership body for hospitality professionals. Aspire Executive Lounges becomes the first business partner from the airport lounge hospitality sector to join the Institute of Hospitality. Aspire Executive Lounges, the fast-growing Swiss brand in the airport hospitality business, has joined the British Institute of Hospitality (IoH), the world’s leading membership body for professionals working and studying in the hospitality leisure and tourism industry. Aspire Executive Lounges is the first business from the airport lounge sector to become a member of IoH. The collaboration will foster an exchange of expertise and insights: IoH will benefit from Aspire's expertise in airport hospitality, while Aspire, by sharing its wealth of experience with IoH members, can extend its professional network to the hotel and catering sectors and hospitality management schools. “Our vision for Aspire Executive Lounges is clear and simple: We want to deliver a guest experience that is similar to what our guests are used to from their preferred hotels, meeting the needs and exceeding the expectations of today’s travelers,” says David Collyer, Global Vice President of Executive Lounges at Swissport International AG. “We strive to deliver an unparalleled experience and set a benchmark that transcends our industry, redefining excellence across the hospitality sector. The Institute of Hospitality is a great network to exchange insights and experiences, and to learn from others in the hospitality sector, which will help us bring our vision to life.” Robert Richardson, CEO of the Institute of Hospitality: “Our aspiration at the Institute of Hospitality has been to develop and grow our membership, the number of countries we operate in, and the number of hospitality sectors represented within our organization. With that in mind, it is a natural partnership for us to welcome Aspire into our family, and to learn from their teams, who serve travelers with passion and dedication. As two organizations with similar values, we look forward to collaborating in promoting high levels of excellence within our profession.” With over 30 years of experience, Aspire Executive Lounges is Europe’s largest brand in the airport lounges sector. In 2023, Swissport welcomed more than five million customers worldwide at over 69 lounges in 20 countries. The airport hospitality brand recently opened new lounges at Toronto City Airport in Canada, and Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in Finland. Aspire Executive Lounges recently created a new lounge concept in partnership with the airline alliance oneworld. The first oneworld branded lounge was launched at Incheon Airport in Seoul, Korea, in December 2023. Aspire Executive Lounges is owned by Swissport International AG, the global leader in aviation services, serving airlines at 286 airports in 44 countries across 6 continents
Written by Amy

A record 370 exhibitors – from the biggest to the newest names in food-to-go, are preparing to showcase 1000s of innovations at lunch! 2018, when it returns to London ExCeL on 20-21 September.

The premier trade event for the sector, lunch! has been serving the nation’s food-to-go operators and retailers for over a decade.  Having sold out of all available space three months in advance, its 6,300+ attendees will be able to see and sample more new food and drink products, packaging, equipment and catering technology than ever before.

“The support from the industry as always has been phenomenal,” says group event director Chris Brazier.  “Not only have we sold 10% more stand space this year – providing even more quality, innovation and differentiation to our visitors – but demand has been such that there’s already a waiting list for companies interested in exhibiting in 2019.

“It really does demonstrate just how important lunch! has become to suppliers looking to do business with coffee shops, cafés, food-to-go multiples, supermarkets, contract caterers, wholesalers and distributors.  While for food-to-go buyers, lunch! has proved itself year after year to be an essential visit to see what’s new and compare the latest products from leading and emerging brands.

“lunch! 2018 is not just our biggest event.  It also boasts our most eclectic line-up yet.  Every new product innovation that food-to-go buyers need to know about – from ingredients to kitchen equipment and counter displays, from food and drink to packaging, payment solutions and business services – will be on show this September,” he says.

“lunch! is a key date in the diary for the food-to-go and the coffee shop sector.  It is great to see so much innovation from such passionate people under one roof,” says Hannah McKay, head of food & beverage at Caffè Nero.

Exhibitor list goes live

The full exhibitor list – featuring the 370 companies that will be helping to shape the future of the food-to-go sector over the next twelve months – is now available online at www.lunchshow.co.uk/visiting/2018-exhibitor-list.

Eat Natural, Wholegood Supply, The berry company, Schur Star Systems, Sabert Europe, Kepak, Impress Sandwiches, HIPPEAS, Bord Bia, Raynor Foods, Natural Balance Foods, Magrini, Around Noon, The Alan Nuttall Partnership, UFit Drinks, NutriPot, Go2Grocery, Pip & Nut, RAP, Europastry, Menter a Busnes, Country Choice, Norseland, Karma Cola, Breckland Orchard, Tea Pigs, Doughlicious, Spare Fruit, POPS: Premium Popsicles, Bounce Energy Balls, Spikomat, Propercorn, Tom Chandley Ovens, Colour Heroes, Roller Grill UK, Welbilt UK, and Brands Unlimited are just some of the returning exhibitors listed.

First time exhibitors – there are 144 to choose from this year– include Panasonic UK, Mother, LBP Bakeries, Brazilian coconut water brand Obrigado, Yoyo Wallet, Simply Lunch, Remedy Kombuch, Fresh Marketing, Döhler, Curators of Flavour (100% natural British beef jerky), Rushdi Food Enterprises (Mighty Sesame Co), Bravura Foods, Creeds Direct, Daelmans Group, Honesty Group, Upbeat Drinks, No1 Rosemary Water, Pots & Co, Popcorn Shed, BEPPS Snacks, Huel, Luv Sum, Infinity Foods, Jude’s Ice Cream, Avery Dennison, Pactiv (the world’s largest foodservice packaging company), and Fine Cheese Company / Artisan Biscuits.

While over in the Start-up Zone, 28 emerging brands will be introducing their launch innovations to the market.  Among them are: Boundless (activated nuts and seeds), Green Sisters (vegan samosas), The Healthy Protein Co (vieve protein water), Modern Contradiction (Something & Nothing – low calorie, lightly carbonated seltzer), Push Chocolate (high protein, dairy free chocolate), Roqberry (tea blends and infusions), and Wallaroo Foods (children’s fruit snacks).

Buyers looking to refresh their coffee menus will also find plenty of choice for 2018.  From specialist Cold Brew companies – Sandows, Farside Coffee, Cool Cold Brew, Fitch Brew, Point Blank, Califia Farms, and Land & Tide, to big name artisan roasters and equipment suppliers, such as UCC Coffee UK & Ireland, Rombouts Coffee, Douwe Egberts, Union Hand-Roasted Coffee, CoffeeBAY, Modern Standard Coffee, Tudor Tea & Coffee, Beanies Flavour Coffee, Single Source, Wessenan UK, My Coffee Station and Melitta UK.

For eco-friendly coffee cups, check out Pockito, Ecoffeecup, Huskup, Benders Paper Cups, ButterflyCup, and Biopac UK.

Free visitor registration

“lunch! is the only show dedicated to the best sector in food and moving to ExCeL makes it even better.  Don’t miss it!,” says Guy Meakin, head of buying at Pret A Manger.

“ExCeL it is the perfect space for this on trend, innovative and brilliant event.  lunch! is definitely not one to miss,” says Sandy Anderson, senior buyer at Elior.

“lunch! is definitely the essential trade show if you’re in food-to-go,” says Patrick Crease, product development manager – food to go at Sainsbury’s Supermarkets.

 lunch! will return to ExCeL London on 20-21 September 2018.  For further information and to register for a free trade ticket, please visit www.lunchshow.co.uk and quote priority code LU26 (direct link: http://www.eventdata.co.uk/Forms/Default.aspx?FormRef=Lun98Visitor&TrackingCode=LU26).

 

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Amy