OPINION: Five reasons why you must visit the Speciality & Fine Food Fair

The Speciality & Fine Food Fair is returning to Kensington Olympia in London from 2-4 September.

The event will bring more than 700 artisan food and drink producers under one roof and, with 64% of independent retailers claiming they visit trade shows to seek out new suppliers, there is a huge opportunity for you to discover a point of difference.

Here are five things you can discover this year:

1)    Planet-friendly bites

Sustainability is the big theme of 2018 as consumers increasingly demand products that are responsibly sourced. Products such as Sea Chips (Stand 261) and Bites We Love (Stand 1636f) have waste reduction as part of their ethos.

2)    Healthy treats that offer more

Protein and sugar-free products are still a relevant trend, but now no longer the cutting edge of artisanal products. Veggie Plot (Stand 3092) will be sampling its new vegetable yoghurts, with flavours such as Cucumber & Dill, Beetroot with Cumin and Avocado & Lime Juice.

There’s also Dadima (stand 3092), which will be launching a high-fibre product called Panjiri, an Indian snack that is new to the UK market.

3)    Global ingredients

World foods are booming in the UK as consumers become more adventurous with their tastes. Joe and Avrels (stand 3261) will be showcasing their premium African sweet juices while Drink Baotic (stand 2870) will be showing how it uses the latest superfood trend – the baobab fruit.

4)    The very latest products

Still looking for even newer products? Stop by the Start-Up Spotlight feature to see entrepreneurs pitching their new business concepts to a panel of experts. This is your chance to spot the next big thing and stock it before the grocers do.

5)    Food for thought

And finally, on 4 September we’ll be chairing a panel – A Glimpse into the Future of Retail. We’ll sit down with John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food; Richard Maryniak, global chief insight & innovation officer at Black Swan Data; and Milena Lazarevska, future brands at Sainsbury’s.

We’ll be exploring how retailers are taking on digital competition, how you can capitalise on younger consumers and what the best retailers might look like in the future. Don’t miss it!

More: Our top picks from last year’s Speciality & Fine Food Fair