The International Food & Drink Event (IFE 2025) has just taken place at ExCeL London from the 17 -19 of March, as part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week. The show is the UK’s largest food and drink event and most successful platform for product sourcing.
Food, Drink & Hospitality Week brings together the International Food and Drink Event, the Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Show, the Pub Show, IFE Manufacturing and the International Salon Culinaire. This collection of shows came at a perfect time for the industry, which has seen significant changes due to the new 10% tariffs in the US and budget changes in the UK.
By gathering together, businesses have been able to secure new local and European supply chains, boost morale, explore future strategies, and gain insights from experts. Maggie, our in-house videographer, was able to speak with many businesses at the show about the value of the event and their experience exhibiting.
A Bustling Platform
Businesses at this show shared that the event was bustling, bringing great brand awareness and leads!
Maggie spoke with Edward Rayment, E-Commerce and Digital Marketing Manager at Empire Bespoke Foods, who reflected on the great energy and busy atmosphere at the show.
It's been really busy. We have gone through more samples than we have done at any previous show!
Empire Bespoke Foods is a leading UK importer and distributor of speciality foods. At IFE 2025, they promoted their fabulous pickles, which our team thoroughly enjoyed.
Just across the hall, Wa Naude and Sarah Hodson, Founders of WH Silverbacks, appreciated the lively atmosphere, hustle and bustle and the traction garnered by the event.
The Pub Show element that we are sited in has been so bustling. We have met loads of people. It's been a very worthwhile three days!
WH Silverbacks has over 20 years of experience building stretch tents and temporary structures for the event industry. The team used our Hire to Self-Build plan, and built this gorgeous stand themselves ahead of the event.
Networking
The show’s busy atmosphere made it the perfect location for networking with new and existing clients. David Ashton, Director of Sales and Marketing at Jersey Dairy, shared his experience:
It's been a good show, we have met a lot of existing customers, a number of new customers and new leads. There has been a lot of interest! A lot of work ahead of us but that is exactly what we wanted to get from this show.
Jersey Dairy is a farmer-owned cooperative on the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands that produces and supplies fresh dairy products, including milk, cream and ice cream exclusively from pure-breed Jersey cows.
Connecting with Budget-Holders
Jersey Dairy were not the only company to connect with great budget-holders at IFE. Clara Cardillo, the Founder of The Cotswold Cardillo, shared that on the first day, she had a Meet the Buyer Event with Tesco and was also connected with some wonderful independent businesses throughout the 3 days.
The very first day was very positive for us. We had a Meet the Buyer event with Tesco!
The Cotswold Cardillo is an Italian company that blends the finest ingredients from the Cotswolds and Italy with Italian craftsmanship to create beautiful dishes.
Brand Awareness
Last but not least, businesses felt it was important to attend this show for brand awareness. Food, Drink & Hospitality Week is a major event for the industry, and a strong presence can significantly boost brand awareness.
Tony Franklin, Brand Ambassador at ICRTouch, reflected on the importance of exhibiting with the right image.
It is important to be here for many many reasons: brand awareness, meeting existing clients, new clients, that's the aim of the game, showcasing new technology, but equally to have the right image.
You can just be here but if you haven't got a good image you're not doing your brand much good.
ICRTouch offers software systems that allow clients to manage all areas of the business easily and efficiently! The business uses our Buy-to-Self-Build service plan and is a long-standing customer of Quadrant2Design.
Closing Thoughts
Our team thoroughly enjoyed IFE 2025. They adored the samples, but what they enjoyed even more was connecting with businesses. It has been great to witness how this in-person event series continues to support the industry through the developments it is undergoing.
While Maggie was at the show, the exhibitors shared feedback on our exhibition stands. Look out for updates soon! We also attended IFE last year; view our previous visit here.
Contact our design consultants if you’d like a memorable exhibition stand for your next food and drink event. Email design@quadrant2design.com or call 01202 723 500. Design proposals are free and without obligation.
For more information on Quadrant2Design, please take a look at our credentials.
