Guy Meakin, Pret A Manger’s UK food & coffee director, is the 60th and final speaker to be confirmed for lunch! 2019, which returns to ExCeL London this month on 19-20 September.
A frequent visitor to lunch! over the years: its ‘innovative and inspirational’ products and suppliers help the Pret team ‘keep up-to-date with developments’, he says. He’ll be appearing in his first live interview at the show on opening day, talking about his new role at the business and what’s next for the much-admired Pret brand.
With over a decade of foodservice and retail experience, including senior roles with Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s prior to joining Pret as its head of buying in 2017, he certainly has plenty of insights to share. Standing room crowds are expected, so arrive early at Keynote Theatre 1 for a 1.15pm session start (Thursday 19 September).
“lunch! is our industry show and I’m looking forward to speaking there, seeing the new products launching this year, and being inspired by the best and most innovative sector in food,” says Mr Meakin.
More industry experts
Other recently confirmed speakers include Katie Lister, marketing director at Chilango, who joins Mark McCulloch’s Supersonic Food Marketing Podcast panel. Mark Stretton, MD of Fleet Street Communications, will chair the Brands To Watch panel, featuring Paul Hopper (HOP Vietnamese), Benedict MacDonald (Cojean), JP Then (Crosstown) and Maurice Abboudi (K10 Restaurants). He’ll also be interviewing Caffè Nero UK’s CEO Will Stratton-Morris. Liz Forte, marketing director at workplace caterer Eurest (part of Compass group’s B&I business), joins the show’s new Contract Catering panel alongside representatives from Aramark, CH&CO Group, Elior and Sodexo. Plus, Jim Cathcart, policy director at UKHospitality, will be taking an expert look at the opportunities and potential threats for food-to-go operators from UK Government policies (including allergen and calorie labelling, Brexit, and staffing etc).
It’ll also be a busy few days for trends guru Simon Stenning, founder of FutureFoodservice.com. In addition to hosting a key food-to-go market update, he’ll be chairing four panels (focusing on ops directors, contract caterers, buying/procurement, and smaller coffee shop chains) plus interviewing Pure’s Ed Bentley and GAIL’s Bakery’s Marta Pogroszewska.
For timings and seminar details, please visit: www.lunchshow.co.uk/education.
The speaker line-up includes:
Will Stratton-Morris, CEO of Caffè Nero
Guy Meakin, UK food & coffee director at Pret A Manger
Hannah Squirrell, customer director at Greggs
Tara Gee, director of food safety, quality & regulatory (EMEA) at Starbucks
Barny Clevely, MD of FCB Coffee
Marta Pogroszewska, MD of GAIL’s Bakery
Maurice Abboudi, executive director at K10 Restaurants
Scott Macdonald, MD of Sourced Market
Nicola Morris, MD of corporate services at Sodexo
Matt Cundrick, head of convenience format & FTG at McColl’s
Josh Brown, commercial director & head of coffee at Harris & Hoole
Jonathan Jowett, corporate affairs director at Greggs
Jim Winship, director of the British Sandwich & Food to Go Association
Jim Cathcart, policy director at UKHospitality
Martin Kersh, director of Foodservice Packaging Association
Ollie Rosevear, head of environment at Costa Coffee
Liz Forte, marketing director at Eurest
Gareth Hiron, senior buyer at Elior
David Stanley, executive chef at BP International (Aramark)
Jim Wealands, group food development director at CH&CO Group
Edward Bentley, co-founder & co-CEO of Pure
Adnan Karim, managing director UK at Wayne’s Coffee
Ian Chant, head of food – food on the go at Holland & Barrett
Louise Broom, category manager at Holland & Barrett
Martyn Clover, head of food at Tortilla
Geoffrey Hunter, head of food at Pure
James Kidman, head of food at Crussh
Matt Chapman, operations director at Tortilla
Richard Franks, operations director at Chilango
Shereen Ritchie, operations director at LEON
Natasha Wilmans, UK operations director at Ole & Steen
Anya Marco, Consultant & UK Coffee Market Expert
Mark McCulloch, founder of Supersonic Inc
Fatima Diez, ex-Five Guys & Burger King
Helen Harrison, brand director at Crussh
Katie Lister, marketing director at Chilango
Paul Hopper, founder & co-MD at HOP Vietnamese
Benedict MacDonald, CEO UK at Cojean
JP Then, co-founder at Crosstown
Peter Mayley, business manager at La Baguetterie
Frank Boltman, director at TRADE
Henry Ayers, founder of The Gentlemen Baristas
Edward Parkes, founder of The Gentlemen Baristas
Andy Wells, co-founder of Press Coffee & Co
Max Dubiel, founder of Redemption Roasters
Cemal Ezel, CEO of Change Please
Julius Ibrahim, founder of Second Shot Coffee
Simon Mitchell, CEO of KERB
Kristian Katin, director of Feed Wagons
Monem Mansour, director of Cairovan
Simon Stenning, founder of FutureFoodservice.com
Lucy Chapman, strategic insight director at Kantar WorldPanel
Gavin Rothwell, head of food-to-go and retail safaris / senior retail insights manager at IGD
Dominic Allport, insights director – foodservice at The NPD Group
Diane Wehrle, marketing and insights director at Springboard
Fiona Speakman, client director at CGA
Katherine Prowse, insight manager at MCA Insights
Mark Stretton, MD of Fleet Street Communications
lunch! is “interesting, informative, and delicious…it helps showcase the innovation and constant development, which takes place in the sector, plus it’s a place to share ideas and get a broader understanding of what the industry is doing,”
says Will Stratton-Morris, CEO of Caffè Nero UK.
“lunch! is an essential date in the diary, as it’s a great opportunity to meet new suppliers and food brands showcasing their products, as well as learn about the challenges and journeys other companies are facing in the industry. I have been three times now and always leave with new contacts and ideas for our menu development,”
says Geoffrey Hunter, head of food at Pure.
Free trade registration
lunch! returns to ExCeL London on 19-20 September. To register free in advance, please visit www.lunchshow.co.uk and quote priority code LU22 (https://eventdata.uk/Forms/Default.aspx?FormRef=Lun99Visitor&PageNo=20&TrackingCode=LU22).
