Speciality Food March 2026

around health, sustainability and transparency are converging with regulatory pressure, cost inflation and the need for resilient supply chains, forcing businesses to rethink how they innovate and operate. The theme explores how emerging ingredients, new formats and evolving flavours are responding to these shifts, while also acknowledging the tensionmany businesses face between ambition and affordability. Fromnational health strategies and reformulation targets to ethical sourcing, environmental impact and digital transformation, Feeding the Future recognises that progress will require collaboration across the supply chain. Andy RichardsonMBE, Chairman of Frive, Partner at EFFP, Government Advisor and IFE Ambassador, sees the theme as a reflection of a sector in transition. He says, “‘Feeding the Uncovering the future of food and drink on the Future Food Stage At the heart of IFE’s content programme sits the Future Food Stage, sponsored by Brambles Digital, which brings Feeding the Future to life through a packed schedule of insight-led sessions. Designed for food and drink professionals across retail, wholesale and hospitality, the stage focuses on the trends, behaviours and strategic decisions shaping category growth. With speakers sharing a wide range of case studies and practical takeaways, the programme is firmly grounded in commercial reality. Sessions will explore how trends are already influencing product development, range decisions and shopper behaviour – and what businesses should be doing now to stay competitive. Charles Banks, managing director of thefoodpeople, returns to IFE for the sixth time to unpack the key food and beverage trends shaping 2026 and 2027. He comments, “Staying ahead of consumer and cultural change is no longer optional – it’s essential. In this session, I’ll be unveiling the key food and drink trends shaping 2026 and 2027, and crucially, how they’re already influencing the products you’ll see at IFE. “Whether you’re in retail, manufacturing, or hospitality, you’ll leave with the clarity and inspiration you need to future-proof your offering and lead with confidence in an ever- evolvingmarket.” Future’ shines a light on the profound shifts and priorities reshaping our food and drink system. From changing consumer expectations for healthy diets, tomore resilient, sustainable supply chains, to the need to understand and adopt digital technologies and AI, the industry is entering a period where collaboration and bold thinking are essential. “IFE provides an important platform for us to come together, share insight and champion the ideas that will drive growth across the sector. I’mhugely looking forward to discussing the future of food at next year’s event.” This focus on shared challenge and collective response underpins both IFE and IFEManufacturing, positioning the shows not simply as marketplaces, but as forums for practical problem-solving and informed debate. 20 I n a food and drink sector shaped by rapid change, competing pressures and rising expectations, the need for clarity has never been greater. From reformulation and responsible sourcing to shifting consumer behaviours, global supply chain volatility and the accelerating role of technology, businesses across retail, wholesale, manufacturing and foodservice are being asked to do more, faster, and with fewer margins for error. IFE and IFEManufacturing return in 2026 with a shared theme that reflects both the urgency and the opportunity facing the industry: Feeding the Future. More than a strapline, the theme provides a lens through which to explore how food and drink will be developed, manufactured, marketed and sold in the years ahead - and how the sector can respond collectively to the challenges it faces. As the homes of new product discovery, IFE and IFEManufacturing bring together the brands, ingredients, technologies and ideas shaping what ends up on supermarket shelves, hospitalitymenus and wholesale lists. Taking place as part of Food, Drink & HospitalityWeek at Excel London on 30th March to 1st April, the shows offer a rare opportunity to examine the entire value chain in one place – fromearly-stage innovation and ingredient development through to finished products, certification, compliance and export opportunities. Feeding the Future: A theme shaped by pressure and possibility For 2026, the theme of ‘Feeding the Future’ reflects the growing responsibility placed on the food and drink industry to deliver products that are not only exciting and commercially viable, but genuinely better for people and planet. The sector has a serious role to play in the health of the nation and a host of new challenges to tackle, including the rise of GLP-1 use, popular emerging ingredients such as fibre, and ongoing consumer wariness of ultra processed foods. Changing consumer expectations @specialityfood Feeding the Future at IFE and IFE Manufacturing 2026 I E 2026