Trade Show

Food & Drink Expo 2026: The Essential Guide for Buyers and Suppliers

Apr 13-15, 2026 · Birmingham, UK · 4 min read

Food & Drink Expo 2026 lands at the NEC Birmingham on April 13-15, bringing together 1,200+ suppliers and 25,000+ visitors across retail, foodservice, and hospitality.

One of the UK's most significant annual gatherings for the food and drink trade returns to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on April 13-15, 2026. Produced by William Reed, Food & Drink Expo draws together over 25,000 visitors and 1,200+ suppliers under one roof, making it the kind of event where a single conversation can unlock a retail listing, a new supplier relationship, or a product launch opportunity. Check out the Food & Drink Expo on TradeShowIntel for additional show details and updates.

The 2026 edition is part of The UK Food & Drink Shows, co-located with Farm Shop & Deli Show, National Convenience Show, and Forecourt Show. That means your badge gives you access to an ecosystem that spans artisan deli to forecourt retail, independent convenience to large-scale foodservice.

Who Comes to Food & Drink Expo 2026: Buyers, Buyers, and the People Who Supply Them

The visitor mix at this show is broad but purposeful. If you're exhibiting or attending, here's who you'll find walking the aisles:

• Retail category managers and buyers from supermarket chains and regional grocery groups, actively sourcing new products for the next range review cycle.
• Foodservice procurement leads representing contract caterers, restaurant groups, and pub chains looking for ingredients, branded products, and packaging solutions.
• Wholesale and distribution executives evaluating suppliers that can deliver at scale across the UK, with a particular eye on margin and logistics.
• Food and drink manufacturers scouting ingredients, processing technology, and co-manufacturing partners to feed their own production pipelines.

This isn't a consumer-facing event. Every person on that floor has a business reason to be there, which makes conversations sharper and more likely to go somewhere.

What to Expect on the Show Floor at Food & Drink Expo 2026

With 1,200+ suppliers across the co-located shows, the floor at the NEC Birmingham covers an enormous breadth of the food and drink supply chain. Expect to see:

• Ambient, chilled, and frozen branded products from both emerging challenger brands and established names
• Ingredients and flavour houses targeting manufacturers looking to reformulate or extend ranges
• Plant-based and free-from product categories, reflecting sustained retail and foodservice demand
• Beverages spanning soft drinks, functional waters, premium mixers, and alcohol-free alternatives
• Packaging suppliers and food tech platforms serving manufacturers and retailers
• Artisan and speciality producers crossing over from Farm Shop & Deli, accessible on the same badge

Product sampling is a core part of the Food & Drink Expo experience. Come hungry.

Exhibitor Playbook for Food & Drink Expo 2026: Reaching Retail and Foodservice Buyers

Lead with your retail-readiness credentials. Category buyers from grocery multiples and regional chains are not just evaluating whether your product tastes good. They want to know about shelf-life, packaging compliance, minimum order quantities, and distribution coverage before they'll consider a listing conversation. Have that data visible at your stand, not buried in a PDF you have to email later.

If you're targeting foodservice accounts, the conversation is different. Foodservice procurement leads care about portion consistency, allergen documentation, and your ability to supply through their preferred distributors. A common mistake is positioning a retail-packaged product at a foodservice buyer without any adaptation. If you have a catering-format SKU, that's what needs to be front and centre for those meetings.

Three days of conversations with buyers, distributors, and manufacturers means you'll accumulate contacts fast. Rather than relying on a stack of cards to sort through after the event, use Habsy to scan each card on the spot, add a voice note capturing what the buyer told you about their ranging timeline, and tag them by sector (retail, foodservice, wholesale). Your post-show follow-up list is structured and ready before the NEC empties out.

Visitor Tips for Getting the Most Out of Food & Drink Expo 2026

Map the co-located shows before you arrive. Your Food & Drink Expo badge covers Farm Shop & Deli Show, National Convenience Show, and Forecourt Show. If you're a buyer across more than one channel, or a supplier wanting to understand the full retail picture, this is significant. But the floor is large and these shows are distinct zones. Knowing which area holds the suppliers most relevant to your brief saves hours on the day.

If you're a wholesale buyer or distributor evaluating new brands to add to your portfolio, the sheer volume of product presentations can blur together by the afternoon of day one. When you find a supplier worth pursuing, take thirty seconds to note what made them stand out: the price point, the marketing support they're offering, the exclusivity angle. Details like that evaporate fast when you've seen forty more stands since then.

For visitors managing contacts across multiple days, Habsy's business card scanner lets you scan exhibitor cards and attach typed or voice notes immediately after a conversation. Search and filter by company or role when you're back at your desk, rather than trying to reconstruct which supplier said what from a pile of cards and fading memory.

Why Food & Drink Expo 2026 Belongs on Your Trade Calendar

For anyone operating in UK food and drink, this show is a concentrated snapshot of where the market is heading. New product development, shifting retailer requirements, emerging categories, and supplier capability all surface across three days in Birmingham. Missing it means catching up on intelligence your competitors gathered in person.

If you're exhibiting with a team across the four co-located shows, Habsy Platform gives you a centralized view of every contact your team captures across the event, so no high-value buyer conversation falls through the cracks. Set it up before April 13 and you'll leave Birmingham with a clean, actionable lead list rather than a coordination headache.

Register and plan your visit at foodanddrinkexpo.co.uk.

Frequently asked questions

What dates is Food & Drink Expo 2026?

Food & Drink Expo 2026 runs from April 13-15, 2026. The event is held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, UK.

Where is Food & Drink Expo 2026 held?

Food & Drink Expo 2026 takes place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, West Midlands, UK, postcode B40 1NT. The NEC is well connected by rail and road, with Birmingham International station directly adjacent to the venue.

Who organises Food & Drink Expo?

Food & Drink Expo is organised by William Reed, a UK-based media and events company specialising in the food and drink industry. The official event website is foodanddrinkexpo.co.uk.

Does a Food & Drink Expo 2026 badge get you into the other co-located shows?

Yes, a Food & Drink Expo badge also gives you access to the three other co-located events: Farm Shop & Deli Show, National Convenience Show, and Forecourt Show. Together these make up The UK Food & Drink Shows 2026.

How many exhibitors are at Food & Drink Expo 2026?

Food & Drink Expo 2026 features 1,200+ suppliers across The UK Food & Drink Shows. In 2025, thousands of visitors attended the combined event across all four co-located shows.

Is Food & Drink Expo a consumer event or trade only?

Food & Drink Expo is a strictly B2B trade event, not open to the general public. Visitors include retail buyers, foodservice procurement leads, wholesale and distribution executives, and food and drink manufacturers.

How do I register for Food & Drink Expo 2026?

Registration for Food & Drink Expo 2026 is handled through the official website at foodanddrinkexpo.co.uk. Visitors and exhibitors should check that site for ticketing details and deadlines.

What industries does Food & Drink Expo 2026 cover?

Food & Drink Expo covers the food, drink, retail, hospitality, foodservice, and manufacturing sectors. Suppliers range from ambient, chilled, and frozen branded products to ingredients, packaging, and food tech platforms.

What's the best way to capture leads at Food & Drink Expo 2026?

Using a dedicated lead capture tool like [Habsy](https://habsy.ai/event-lead-capture?utm_source=tradeshowintel&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=food-drink-expo&utm_content=faq) lets you scan business cards on the spot, attach voice notes, and tag contacts by sector so your follow-up list is ready before you leave the NEC. This is especially useful across a three-day show where conversations with buyers, distributors, and manufacturers accumulate quickly.

Does Food & Drink Expo happen every year?

Food & Drink Expo is a recurring industry event, with the 2026 edition taking place April 13-15 at the NEC Birmingham. For the latest information on future editions, check foodanddrinkexpo.co.uk or the event listing on TradeShowIntel.