Bread & Jam 2026: The UK's Biggest Challenger Brand Festival

The must-attend annual gathering for challenger brands looking to accelerate their growth, powered by GS1 UK.
About this Event

Bread & Jam Festival is back for its biggest year yet, join us on the 14th-15th July 2026 at the Business Design Centre, Islington.

Since launching in 2016, Bread & Jam has grown from a scrappy startup gathering into the must-attend event of the year for hundreds of ambitious FMCG challenger brands. This summer, we’re celebrating a whole decade of bold ideas, brilliant networking and business-building and we’d love you to be part of it.

Check out the show preview 📖

What can you expect at Bread & Jam Festival 2026?

• Two day, in-person event held at the Business Design Centre, powered by GS1 UK
• You'll learn invaluable trade secrets from over 40+ hours of ground-breaking industry content
• Learn from those who have been there and done it - Founders of Bold Bean, Two Chicks and many more! Previous speakers have included the likes of Tenzing, Love Corn, The Gym Kitchen, The Popcorn Shed, Karma Cola, Simply Roasted. More to be announced soon...
• Pitch to top UK retailers and secure a listing - Apply to pitch to 100+ retailers such as Waitrose, Planet Organic, British Airways, Co-op, Holland & Barrett, Ocado & more!
• Showcase your products and get-real time feedback from attendees in the Producers' Shop
• Meet 60+ industry experts in the Marketplace. They're specially curated for working with fast growth food & drink brands
• Network with 100s of like-minded, ambitious food & drink founders
• The Festival is THE place to build the connections you need to grow your business, and networking is built directly into the programme.
• Get feedback from a panel of retail buyers at the Tasting Panel.
• Get personalised advice on your branding, packaging and point of difference from industry experts at The Advisor Zone.
• Pitch live on stage to a panel of investors. Whether you're looking for pre-seed, seed or series A investment, this is your chance.

Who should be there?

• Founders of emerging FMCG brands interested in accelerating the growth of their business
• Early-stage entrepreneurs who want to understand the opportunities in the FMCG world.
• Industry experts keen to give back to the industry and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs
• Team members of fast growth challenger brands looking to up-skill and gather industry insights
• Investors looking for food and drink startups keen to secure their first round of funding
• Scaling FMCG brands keen to secure their next supermarket listing

What's on the agenda?

The Leaders' Room: be inspired by the hottest thought leaders that have disrupted the industry on this stage and take part in lively panel discussions with successful food founders who have been there and done it. Powered by Joelson.

Retail Buyers' Panels: hear straight from the horse's mouth and understand the latest opportunities in retail, as retail buyers share what they're really looking for and how to get listed

FMCG Masterclasses: the Masterclasses will arm you with the skills and knowledge you need in the three key areas of running a challenger business: sales, marketing, AI and operations. Enhance your expertise in these comprehensive sessions. Whether you're a soloprenuer or a head of department with a growing brand, there will be something for you in these tiered topics.

Roundtables: get the latest know how from seasoned industry experts in an intimate, small-group setting. Engage in meaningful discussions, receive personalised advice and walk away with actionable strategies you can implement right away in your business.

I'm an industry expert. How can I exhibit or sponsor?

If you're an industry expert or service provider that loves working with emerging food and drink brands, please reach out to our Partnerships Manager Nancy Calvo at [email protected] and she'll be able to take you through the opportunities for this year's festival and how you can get involved.

Don't just take our word for it....

“I joined the very first Bread & Jam Festival 8 years ago and it’s amazing to see that it continues to bring together and inspire food & beverage brands today. The event is like no other - the networking opportunity and camaraderie it brings is absolutely invaluable for challenger brands. — Rushina Shah, Insane Grain

“The reputation of Bread & Jam has in the food & drink industry speaks for itself - a genuine must attend event for anyone working in this field.” — Ed Carstairs, GJE

“As a food startup, this was the best investment I made last year both financially and time-wise. From a personal point of view, it was incredibly inspiring and seriously useful to be in the same room as so many founders in the same boat.” — Andrew Walker, TeaRex

“I always find B&J invaluable, not just in terms of meeting and connecting with people and brands (both old and new) but also as a reminder to me of why we all do what we do.” — Zoe Berry, Buyer at GoPuff

“Thanks to Bread & Jam, we were able to get pitching slots with 2 national supermarkets before we had even launched our product . So grateful to Bread & Jam for being such spectacular facilitator." — Yogita Joshi, Gudness

“Bread & Jam Fest is THE absolute must-attended event if you plan to start a food or beverage brand or want to scale your existing business.” — Jürgen Ellensohn, Van Der Berg

“Thanks for putting on such an awesome event. The fact that we have a platform to tell these stories, only helps make the community stronger (and hopefully healthier). —Hugh Thomas, UGLY Drinks

“The first event of its kind, offering a comprehensive programme of talks workshops and networking, covering every aspect of how to start or build a food or drink business.” — The Grocer

About Bread & Jam

Bread & Jam are the organisers of the UK's biggest food and drink founders' festival. This year's 2-day conference for emerging and scaling food and drink brands, will bring together entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, buyers, media and industry leaders.

There will also be opportunities to pitch your product to buyers from delis, foodhalls (Selfridges, Harrods, Fortnum & Masons), speciality retailers (Whole Foods, Planet Organic, Holland & Barrett), supermarkets (Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Co-op and more).

Bread & Jam also run a comprehensive programme of deep-dive Summits into specialist topics.

Who are the founders?

Bread & Jam was founded by Jason Gibb and Tara Mei. Passionate about giving emerging brands the opportunities and network to succeed, they held the first food founders' festival in October 2016 at the Institute of Directors.

Day 1 - Leaders' Room

🕑: 10:20 AM - 10:30 AM
COMPERE AND WELCOME
Host: Harry Turpin - The Savourists
🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM
KEYNOTE - From Creator to Founder: Inside the AMA’S Brand Story
Host: Rachel Ama - AMA's
🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
LEADERS FIRESIDE CHAT - Sales & Marketing
Host: Elin Roberts - Better Nature
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:15 PM
How PerfectTed Built Europe’s Largest Matcha Brand
Host: Levi Levenfiche - PerfectTed
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:15 PM
LEADERS FIRESIDE CHAT - Profits, Exits & Everything Inbetween
Host: Phil Hails-Smith - Joelson
🕑: 04:00 PM - 04:45 PM
The Pitching Playbook
Host: Laura Tudor - Waitrose
Day 1 - FMCG Masterclass
Title
🕑: 10:20 AM - 10:25 AM
WELCOME
🕑: 10:25 AM - 11:00 AM
AI BEGINNER - Smarter Finance: Using AI & Systems to Scale Your Food Brand
Host: Phillip Oakley - Outserve
🕑: 11:10 AM - 11:45 AM
OPERATIONS INTERMEDIATE - What Your Manufacturer Won't Tell You
Host: Phil Peters; Lara Rodrigues; Tom Felice - Young Foodies
🕑: 11:55 AM - 12:30 PM
FINANCE INTERMEDIATE - The 5 Rules of Raising Investment in FMCG
Host: Stewart Pennington - Johnston Carmichael Scotland LTD
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:05 PM
FINANCE BEGINNER - Margins, COGS, Value Chains: Launching
Host: Marcus Carter - Artisan Food Club
🕑: 02:15 PM - 02:50 PM
SALES BEGINNER-The Supplier’s Guide to building a Sell-In Deck for Supermarket
Host: Julie Mills - Shrewd Foodie
🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:35 PM
SALES ADVANCED - The Founder’s Guide to Amazon, Citrus and Retail Media
Host: Ali Shariat - This Way Up
🕑: 04:00 PM - 04:35 PM
OPERATIONS ADVANCED - From Listing to Long-Term Growth: The Practical Realitie
Host: Rosie Long - Blue Turaco Coffee
Day 1 - Roundtables

🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM
Filling Your Future: Bridging the Gap Between Pure Craft & Production Efficien
Host: Lena Hebestreit-Mentors for Makers by Adelphi Manufactur
🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
How to Develop a Winning Beverage That Keeps Customers Coming Back for More
Host: Tracy Gorman - Treatt
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:15 PM
Should your next ops hire be a person or an AI? The £55k question every food
Host: Kate Hoffman - Pesto
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:15 PM
Why Google AI Overview and Chat GPT Aren't Recommending Your Brand
Host: Rachel Havers - NIQ
🕑: 04:00 PM - 04:45 PM
Your website is your pitch deck: how to make eCommerce win customers AND
Host: Jamie Derrick - Real Agency
🕑: 10:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Are Your Packaging Choices Fuelling Your Growth - or Holding You Back?
Host: Harry Baker - BakPac
🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
What's Your End Game?
Host: Bonnie Chung - Miso Tasty
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:15 PM
Influence the Influencers: The Art of Creative Sampling
Host: Colin Butcher - N-Fuze
Day 2 - Leaders' Room
Title
🕑: 10:20 AM - 10:30 AM
COMPERE AND WELCOME
Host: Zoe Fox - Getting To Grow/The Coconut Collab
🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM
KEYNOTE - How We Made Our Mission Our Superpower: The Bold Bean Co Story
Host: Amelia Christie-Miller - Bold Bean Co
🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
LEADERS FIRESIDE CHAT - Scaling & Manufacturing (GS1 UK podcast)
Host: Gulrez Arora - Gymkhana Fine Foods
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:15 PM
KEYNOTE-Cracking the Category: How Two Chicks Went From Zero to Shelf to Exit
Host: Anna Richey - Two Chicks
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:15 PM
The Bread & Jam Time Capsule: 10 Years On (Podcast Powered by GS1 UK)
Host: Cemal Ezel - Change Please
🕑: 04:00 PM - 04:45 PM
INVEST STAGE - The Breadwinner Final
Host: Giles Brook - White Space
Day 2 - FMCG Masterclass
Title
🕑: 10:25 AM - 10:30 AM
WELCOME
🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:05 AM
AI INTERMEDIATE - Build Your Company Brain: How AI Can Unlock Growth f
Host: Robert Berry - Asterley Bros
🕑: 11:15 AM - 11:50 AM
SALES INTER MEDIATE - More Marketing, Same Sales? Here’s What’s Missing
Host: Kate Williams - KW Marketing
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:05 PM
OPERATIONS BEGINNER - Maximising Sales & Profit:The Hidden Logistics Advantage
Host: Angelos Panayiotou - Windfall Logistics
🕑: 02:15 PM - 02:50 PM
FINANCE ADVANCED -Stop the Leaks and Get Paid Faster at Every Stage
Host: Stacey van den Aardweg - Fluxo
🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:35 PM
AI ADVANCED-Stay Nimble, Move Fast:How Bold Bean Co Scales Smarter with AI
Host: Alex Haldane - Bold Bean Co
Day 2 - Roundtables

🕑: 10:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Why Investing in Brand is Crucial to Success: How Can Better Branding Unlock G
Host: Marcus Allan - Our Creative
🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Do I Really Need Certification to Grow My Food Brand — and When Is the Right
Host: Zoe Plant - The Food WorksSW
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:15 PM
THREE OPTIONS: 1. Your Brand, Their Factory, Your Problem 2. Don’t K*ll your B
Host: Ed Mitchell - BluNiche UK
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:15 PM
Depodone
Host: Beril Oturmazer - Depodone
🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
The FMCG Team of the Future/What Is an MCP, and Why Should a Food Brand Care?
Host: Marie Petrovicka - DELLI
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:15 PM
The Signals That Drive Growth: Turning Consumer Insight into Commercial Advant
Host: Tyson McKeown - Brand Traction