Updated: Check out our new report on UK Food & Drink Event Trends 2015

Last week we hosted a panel discussion on the future of food and drink events as part of our Summer School early morning classes. Hosted in Kingly Court, outside Pizza Pilgrims, we were joined by a great crowd interested in finding out just what the future will bring for the food and drink events.

After last week’s discussion, we decided to ask those within the food and drink industry to tell us what they thought the future of food and drink events was, and here is what they said.

Mark Jennings, Founder/Imbiber at Drinks Galore, Drinks Tastings For Spirited Amateurs.  

We heard some great insights into what the future of food and drink events might be. For me I took away the need for community and great product – the two are inseparable. It’s not a new approach, but remembering that great food and drink experiences are much more than just consumption, they are theatre. The story of the creators, the makers needs to be entwined with the consumers before, during and after the event to remain relevant. We must participate in the community rather than just tapping into it.

John Quilter, Hosts Food Busker YouTube channel, CCO & Founder of CruKafe.

The fastest growing element of the food is the event, popup, street food area. Resembling the music scene from 20 yrs ago, particularly the rave scene, this area will continue to influence all other areas of food. Similar to how street music and fashion has influenced their categories for the last 20 years.

Wilf Horsfall, Co-Founder of UBREW.

The transformation that we’re seeing is that people aren’t just demanding better stuff, they want to understand it, and be part of creating it. To the point where people are paying considerably more in order to butcher their own pig or brew their own beer – things that in centuries past would have been money saving tactics are now highly artisanal experiences that people can’t get enough of.

Dan Calladine, Founder of London Pop-ups.

The future of food and drinks in London will hopefully be just as varied as it is at the moment, with events from new organises and experienced organisers co-existing, and also luxury events co-existing with much cheaper but equally fun ones. I’m always impressed by the imagination of the organisers, and think this will continue for years to come.

Kemi Akinola, CEO of Be Enriched, incorporating Brixton People’s Kitchen.

The future is local and ethical. People want to be able to engage with their food and drink and knowing where food comes from, what’s in it and know how it is prepared is more and more important. People want to support local farmers, shops and businesses especially in these times of austerity. Knowing that great food can come from nearby and that you are helping to save the world by eating it is one of the messages we are trying to spread.

Joseph McGirr, COO at The London Distillery.

They’ll continue to become increasingly experimental while appealing to wider audiences, helping food and drink lovers to enjoy and learn about different flavour combinations in ways they’ve never considered before.’

Colin Pyle, Founder of CruKafe.

As technology continues to play a bigger part in peoples lives we’re seeing an isolation movement where often people would rather connect virtually than in person.  This one trend gets tossed on it’s head when it comes to cool and fun events either around food and drink or other common themes – music, secret cinema etc.  People are seeking out interaction and a community feel that they’re no longer getting by default in their daily life.  As leaders in the food and drink space we need to continue to provide great events that mesh the online and offline world into a great physical experience that can be shared and continually experienced virtually.  Because of the very nature of food and drink, in that it’s a physical good, and often like many other experiences is better enjoyed with others you’re seeing a huge growth and push towards these events.  At CRU Kafe we strive to build long term relationships with our customers, this means providing them with new and enriching experiences that ultimately brings them online to continue to be loyal customers.

Marie Cudennec, COO at Goldfinger Factory & Health Food Chef.

I believe the future of food and drinks events will move more towards pop-ups, supper clubs and the communal experience of meeting new people through a shared passion.

Vasken Jermakien, Founder and Manager of Foodication.

• People are looking for experiences rather than simple events.
• There will be an increase use the web & apps/technologies to maximise discovery and sales.
• Interaction with attendees has become a key feature of successful events. We’ll see technologies adapted for this purpose soon; many are on the market or in development.

Andrew Birkby, Co-founder and Director of Wildcard Brewery.

People are looking for food and drink events that bring together the full narrative of the food and drink they enjoy. It is no longer just about eating and drinking but about being immersed in how and why our favourite food and drink is made to be the way it is.

Summary

Patterns are emerging within the industry that make us believe the future is heading in a certain direction, but as we know, it only takes one person to disrupt the industry and shift us all in a new direction. Will it be technology? Consumers changing expectations? Or more immersive, more theatrical events?

Let us know what you think the future of food and drink events is below!