101 Reasons You Should Attend the Bread & Jam Festival 2023
If you’re not sure if the legendary annual Bread & Jam Festival is for you, here’s 101 reasons why you should join us on the 18-19 July 2023 at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, UK.
What is Bread & Jam Fest?
It’s the biggest event and largest gathering of the year for food & drink entrepreneurs. It’s the #1 place to make connections, pitch to UK retailers, and learn trade secrets from industry icons. Grab your ticket HERE
Here’s 101 reasons why you should grab your ticket today.
You can make new friends (!!!) and expand your network in the food & drink industry
100+ speakers and industry icons will tell be sharing their real-life, personal stories and trade secrets
You’ll hear from brands like MOTH drinks, Urban Legend, PerfectTed, Charlie Bingham’s, the Cheeky Panda, Planet Organic, THIS, Oddbox, innocent drinks, the Sauce Shop and many more
Your ticket for the 18-19 July 2023 Bread & Jam Festival includes FULL ACCESS to both days of the Festival AND 70+ hours of content 😍
With your ticket, you’ll get access to all of the stages (Leaders’ Lectures, Shop Talk, Start-up Studios, the Marketplace Stage, Growth-Labs), the Chill Zone, Producers’ Shop and Industry Marketplace at the Festival.
Whatever stage you’re in within your food & drink journey (from pre-launch to securing funding to scaling) there are talks and sessions for you to choose from. You can self-select what content is best for you and your brand.
The Festival is legendary for being the place where you can make key connections in industry. We make it easy for you with networking sessions built into the programme.
Don’t just take our word for it - "The strong network and support of founders and operators in early and growth stage food and beverage businesses in the UK, have been crucial in helping us build MOJU to where it is today. And there’s no better place to surround yourself with these people than at Bread & Jam" - Rich Goldsmith, cofounder of MOJU
You get a name badge when you arrive, and we promise EVERYONE is nice, friendly, and there to meet people 🤝
It’s okay if you’re coming alone! Lots of people are & if you’re feeling awkward, just come say hi to one of the Bread & Jam Team. We can help introduce you to others, and be a friendly face when you arrive.
PLUS, the event starts with morning networking coffee of the 18th of July so you can make a fast-friend while grabbing your morning cuppa or cup of joe ☕️ 🫖
You can meet attendees before the event! Chat with them by joining our Facebook Group of 12K+ food & drink entrepreneurs across the UK called the Foodhub. There’s a special Festival Chat on the group page.
You can apply to pitch to 20+ top retailers in the UK (deadline to apply Sunday 9 July 2023 at midnight)
You can apply to as many retailers as you want, all included in your ticket
Pitching REALLY works: Read about how Better Nature Tempeh pitched at Bread & Jam Fest and is now listed in 300+ Tesco shops across the UK
Your ticket also includes access to the industry marketplace where 60+ service providers will be there for you to learn who’s out there, what they are offering, and how they might be able to help you
You can also chat 1:1 with as many service providers as you wish in the marketplace. Think trademarking lawyers, food manufacturing experts, branding agencies, packaging design partners, and more ⚖️ 📦 🛍️
🔥Hot Tip: a lot of service providers are offering special discounts on their services to Bread & Jam Fest attendees, go say hi and check them out
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Hear directly from 3 retail supermarket buyers from Co-op, Sainsbury’s and Ocado about how to get your foot in the door with retailers and the awesome support programmes available to challenger brands. Uncover the secrets of successfully navigating this competitive landscape and how to forge long-lasting and lucrative relationships with buyers in the session “Challenger Brand Incubators: Hear from Supermarket Buyers.” 🛒
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Are you eager to take your food operation to the next level? We know that finding a manufacturing partner is one of the biggest challenges when starting a brand. Gain practical advice on finding and working with a manufacturer and supercharging your growth in the session “Want Beyond the Kitchen: Collaborating with Food Manufactures” with Ramona Hazan founder of Ramona's Kitchen, Alex Taylor cofounder of Kept Foods and Raphael Ogunrinde founder & CEO of Calyx Drinks Ltd. It’s chaired by Amelia Christie-Miller the founder of Bold Bean Co.
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Join Anthony Fletcher, who was Innovation Director at innocent drinks, ran Graze for 10 years and is now founder of Urban Legend, as he reveals why so many FMCG businesses struggle to scale in the session “The 3 Big Problems Being an Entrepreneur in the Industry I Love (FMCG) and Thoughts on Getting Around Them.” Learn how he overcame obstacles, all about responsive business models, building strong brands, and securing funding. This insightful session will be packed with practical insights to help you thrive in the FMCG world! 🍩
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Don’t miss the keynote “How We Sell a Canned Cocktail Every 11 Seconds” with the cofounder of MOTH, Rob Wallis. Hear how they’ve made it into 2,775 UK supermarkets, popular on-trade venues like Camden Roundhouse, The Hoxton, on British Airways, Iceland Air, and his strategies for success.
Bread & Jam Festival is a unique event, with nothing else really like it out there. It’s NOT a trade show - so you don’t have to pay a lot of money to exhibit your products at a stand. Instead, the cost of entry is much lower. You get to network, learn from speakers and fellow attendees who will all benefit your entrepreneurship journey, plus show your products off for free at the Producers’ Shop.
Showcase your products to all attendees at the PRODUCERS’ SHOP (included in your ticket). You donate products to the shop and during the Festival they are "on-sale" for delegates to purchase. All proceeds and leftover products will go to our charity partner City Harvest.
City Harvest redistributes surplus food to vulnerable people in our community. They rescue & deliver food from all arms of the food industry including farms, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, caterers and events. Over 1.1 million meals a month are donated through their efforts. 💌 🚐 🌏
When donating products to the Producers’ Shop, you pick one of the retail price stickers to put on your products. It’s a great opportunity to find out if your RRP is achievable - could you go higher? Do you need to go lower? You can experiment with different price points across the two days and see how the market behaves.
You can put your products anywhere you like on the Producers’ Shop shelves so you can feel free to experiment with different positioning (don't forget that eye line is the buy line). You can add as many products as you like, but please note that the Bread & Jam team may move your products and/or place surplus.
The Producers’ Shop is also there for you to do some shopping! Purchase and try some of the trendiest food & drink brands at the shop. CBD gum? Edible straws? Sustainable olive oil? Give new challenger brands a try, and feel good knowing the proceeds are going to support City Harvest.
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Hear from founder of Planet Organic, Renée Elliot about the fascinating journey of building the retail store over the past 30 years, the perfect storm that lead it into administration and spearheading the rescue effort in the session “Bringing Planet Organic Back to Earth: What's Next for this Iconic Health Store?”
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Join AJ Sharp - Sharp Relations in the workshop “PR & Marketing Hacks: The Secrets to Growing your Brand.” Supercharge your brand's visibility with proven strategies that amplify brand awareness, improve engagement and skyrocket reach. Uncover the techniques that top brands use to create a buzz and grow a loyal following and learn how to optimise your communications to connect with your customers on a new level.
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Interested in A.I.? Come listen to the session, “A.I. for Start-Ups: Save Time, Save Money, and Increase Efficiency by A.I.” by Zamir Cajee & Ali Shariat of This Way Up to get an introduction to A.I. and some ways that you can harness it for your business. 🤖
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Hear from Charlie Bigham of Bigham's on How to Disrupt the Market and Create a New £100m Category Selling Nice Food. He’ll share how their sales have skyrocketed by 16% to £121 million and how they’ve had a 29% revenue surge last year. Get insights into their thriving journey, learn from their innovative approach, and their investment in their new production facilities.
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Hear from Olivia Ferdi and Daniel Khoury the cofounders of TRIP in the talk “From Pioneering a New Category to Become the UK’s Fastest Growing Soft Drinks Brand.” Learn how in just 52 weeks, TRIP's sales surged by a whopping 522% and can be found in 20,000+ stores. They’ll share how they’ve secured an 88% share of the CBD drinks market and secured a £10 million investment. 🍵
Did we mention there’s complimentary networking drinks on Tuesday night the 18th 🍻 🍷?
Don’t just take our word on why you should buy a ticket - “You can’t miss the annual Bread & Jam Festival no matter what stage you’re in!” - Chris Kong, cofounder of Better Nature Tempeh
Get guaranteed time in front of retail buyers with the Tasting Panel Tickets Add-On
The Tasting Panel is is great opportunity, especially if you missed the retail pitching deadline. You can still get 1:1 time with a panel of 3 retail buyers from Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Planet Organic, Whole Foods, Superette and more with your Tasting Panel Ticket
There’s complimentary free Wifi 🛜
If you’re a newer brand or not seeing success, get help with nailing your point of difference and unique selling point with POD POD add-on tickets. You’ll get bespoke advice from a panel of 3 seasoned industry experts.
“"For the exciting and lonely road of being a food & drink entrepreneur, the Bread & Jam family and the great people you meet at these events make you feel like you're not alone" - Pat & Pinkys
Festival Line-Up Highlight: “Foodservice 101: What Do You Need to know to Breakthrough?” with Dan Head will help you discover the vast opportunities in the £57bn UK foodservice industry. Learn if your product fits this market, target the right sectors, find suitable wholesalers, and learn how to create a strategic plan. Understand pricing, logistics, packaging, accreditation, and how to approach key targets. Explore post-launch strategies, promotions and marketing, leveraging the changes brought by COVID-19.
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Don’t miss “Party in the Front, Party in the Back: Get your Label Right” with Tessa Stuart of Asset Research and Luke Turner of Froghop. Getting your labelling right is absolutely crucial as it serves as the face of your brand and communicates essential information to consumers (nutritional facts, allergens, certifications etc). Don't underestimate the impact of your label and learn how it can be the key to attracting customers, driving sales and fostering long-term loyalty.
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Don’t miss the “Startup Stories - How to Launch a Food Business” with Jagir Mankodi cofounder of Superfoodio, Shu Han Lee founder Rempapa and Tina Chen founder Humanitea for an insightful discussion where seasoned entrepreneurs will guide you through the essentials for launching your own successful food or drink brand.
Festival Line-Up Highlight: "The Killer Pitch Deck to Make Supermarket Buyers Sit Up and Listen” by Kate Dowling of Red Key Commercial will unveil the secrets of persuasive storytelling, impactful visuals and compelling data that will make your presentation shine bright and get the attention of the buyer. From showcasing your unique selling points to demonstrating your market potential, you’ll learn how to craft a deck that commands attention and seals the deal.
Pitching REALLY works! Read about how Bath Culture House pitched at Bread & Jam Festival and is now listed at Selfridges
If you need a minute to take a call or answer a few emails, we now have some spaces dedicated for taking a quick break, having a quick meeting and getting some work done if you need it in the CHILL ZONE
The content of the Bread & Jam Festival is only available 100% in-person. We won’t be recording any of the sessions, just one big melting pot of education, inspiration and peer-to-peer connection.🤜💥🤛
Festival Line-Up Highlight: The workshop “Food & Bev Goes Direct-to-Consumer: How Shopify Plus Drives Explosive Growth” will let you learn how to sell like a pro with Shopify Plus. Discover the secrets to building a successful e-commerce empire from the comfort of your own home. Gain practical insight on setting up your Shopify store from optimising product listings and driving traffic, to tips on the best place to invest your hard-earned cash and how YOU can maximise your potential from Tom Carew of Superco and Igor Tolkachev of Shopify
Festival Line-Up Highlight: From a startup to a £75m success in just five years, come hear from the Cheeky Panda’s Julie Chen in the session “From Bedroom to Bog Roll, Getting to 8 Figures in Turnover”. This award-winning net-zero business creates eco-friendly tissue alternatives from responsibly sourced bamboo. Their products can be found at Ocado, Milk & More, Boots, Booths, Waitrose, Whole Foods and more. Be inspired by Julie's journey and learn from her sustainable business expertise!
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Discover the opportunities, challenges, and strategies involved in taking your brand global in the session “Europe and beyond - 5 Steps to Export Success” with Sandra Sullivan of the FDEA. From market research to logistics, packaging to regulations, this session will cover key considerations for success.
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Learn "The Pathway to Exit: Setting up your Business for the Best Sale with Ed Carstairs of GJE, Melanie Goldsmith of Juicy Brick and Paul Chiappe of Joelson. This session will guide you through the intricacies of selling your business and provide you with a roadmap to achieve a successful and profitable exit.
"Love what you guys have created! Bread & Jam is SUCH an amazing community and resource for food and drink founders!" - Three Robins
Pitching REALLY works! Read how Seriously Sound Food Co. pitched at Bread & Jam’s Plant Based Summit and is now listed in Planet Organic.
For those who applied to pitch and are selected for a 1:1 slot by the retail buyers, this your chance to get listed in retail giants like Sainsbury’s, get listed in Tesco, get listed in Whole Foods Market, get listed in Co-op, and more.
There will be 3 live podcast sessions at Bread & Jam Fest. Don’t miss Dan Hope of the Hungry Podcast & Harry Turpin of the Savourists and the *Untold Podcast hosting on the Leader’s Lecture Stage and Marketplace Stage 🎧 🎙️
We’ve prepped and researched over 120 questions for the Q&A panels across the 70+ hours of content at the Festival
For those who applied to pitch and are selected for a 1:1 slot by the retail buyers, this your chance to get listed in airlines like Virgin Atlantic and British Airways ✈️
Think of all of the social media opportunities! Get new followers, take some snazzy product shots, and get mingling 🥰
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Hear from Emma Grant of Bio&Me, Frances Duffy of Simply Roasted and Chester Robinson of Raise Snacks on how to get your foot in the door in supermarkets, how to navigate the buyer relationship, the big question of offering exclusivity, how to ace your marketing, in-store promotions and more in the session “Unlocking the Supermarkets: Getting Listed without Being Eaten Alive.”
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Don’t miss Samantha Murphy of Sealed Air in the session “How to Guarantee ROI Through the Power of Packaging.” Join us as we explore five key aspects of packaging: Market penetration, revenue/profits, brand loyalty, social media and scalability. Samantha will share practical examples and reveal how packaging can work wonders for your brand. Get ready to unlock the potential of your packaging and take your business to new heights!
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Gain an insight to the exciting world of working with independent retailers. Our panel of indie pioneers and trailblazing entrepreneurs, Lorcan Quinn of White Mausu, Jamie Paley founder of RISE Porridge and Nicola Hart founder Agua De Madre will share first-hand experiences on building authentic relationships and fostering lasting relationships. They'll discuss how to supply into indies, pricing structures, expected volumes, the role of wholesalers and much more in the session “The Magic of Working with Indies and Foodhalls.”
Sense power of community connecting with other challenger brands from across the UK 💥👯♀️
Are you a founder of an emerging food & drink brand interested in accelerating the growth of your business? Bread & Jam Festival is made for you!
Are you an early stage entrepreneur who want to understand the opportunities in the food & drink industry? Bread & Jam Festival is made for you!
Are you a team member of fast growth food brands looking to up-skill and gather industry insights? Bread & Jam Festival is made for you!
Are you a scaling food & drink brand keen to secure your next supermarket listing? Bread & Jam Festival is made for you!
Don’t just take our word for it, “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
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Don’t miss the session with cofounders Marisa Poster and Teddie Levenfiche, PerfectTed: Taking on Dragons, Monsters & Bulls with Matcha Energy. With a £50k investment from Steven Bartlett and Peter Jones of Dragon’s Den, learn how they’ve hit £200k in year one and are aiming for £4m in year two. You can find PerfectTed in 3,000 stores including Holland & Barrett, Whole Foods, M&S, Joe & the Juice and more.
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Master the crowdfunding game with our session “Fueling Dreams: Unleashing the Power of Crowdfunding for Success.” Discover how to become "investment ready," create pre-hype buzz, launch with impact, and leverage hundreds or thousands of investors with the advice from Guy Hayler, Leo Castellanos and Morgan Steinfeld of Wavelength Ventures
“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
We have a professional photographer coming, so don’t forget to wear branded clothing and try and spot yourself in the post-event pictures 📸
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Don’t miss the session “Revenue is Vanity, Profit is Sanity” to look at cost modelling, market routes, profit calculation, and cash flow management. Discover how to optimise costs, analyse margins and calculate profit and more with Eddie Stableford of Brand Clock
Festival Line-Up Highlight: You've got a great product - what else do you need to capture the heart of a buyer? Come to the session “Seduce and Sell: Wooing Buyers for Your Food or Drink Brand” with Wizz Selvey of WIZZ & CO on the three main mistakes brands make when trading, how to look pro, and other inside info you need to know!
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Come hear the expert panel of Jacob Thundil MBE of Cocofina, Gary Lavin founder of VitHit and Liam White founder of Dr. Will's on how to “Export Your Way to Success.” Join us for a session on post-Brexit territory exploration! Which territories should we focus on and how do you work out if there is a product/territory fit? Do you really need a local partner? Learn the essential first steps and discover helpful resources from the Department of Trade & Industry so you can navigate post-Brexit opportunities with confidence.
For those who applied to pitch and are selected for a 1:1 slot by the retail buyers, this your chance to get listed with online retailer giants. It’s your chance to get listed in Ocado, get listed in Go Puff, get listed in Getir and get listed on Amazon.
“If you are a new or existing brand looking to learn, meet and grow. There isn't another show that even rivals this one!”— Dominie Fearn, Founder & Director of The Wild Hare Group
Retail pitching & tasting panel slots work! Learn how Yogita Joshi, cofounder of Gudness Foods got pitching slots before they had event launched their product and got listed in Co-op. 👏👏👏
Look at how many amazing brands will be speaking & involved in this year’s #breadandjamfest 🤩
You can get 20% off your first year of membership at GS1 UK. They’re powering the Festival and will be around for you to meet the team and see how barcodes are necessary on your food & drink journey.
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Discover the potential of Tiktok and the opportunities to smash your D2C targets with engaging content that your tribe will thank you for. Learn how to hack the algorithm, explore how to skyrocket your brand's visibility and make content that will have your followers double-tapping with delight during the session “Bossing it on Tiktok: Going Viral & Keeping it Real” with James Brooks of Team Brooks, Naveed B of Maters & Co and Samantha Pascal cofounder of Hot 'N' Juicy Shrimp London.
Festival Line-Up Highlight: “Field Sales: The Crucial Frontline for your Brand” can help you learn how to ignite your brand growth through field sales with successful bottom-up planning and make this a game-changing channel. Discover how to nail the key techniques to winning new business and the mistakes not to make.
Festival Line-Up Highlight: When your product gets onto the shelves of a few test stores, how do you give it the best chance of going national? Advertising can be the key, but you need to make bigger noises in smaller areas. Meet Orange Panther (OPC)and learn how to maximise your swagger in the session “Advertising: Spend small. Act big. Get bigger”
Festival Line-Up Highlight: “I Wish it Could be Christmas Every Day - Maximising Festive Season Profits” with Julie Mills of the Shrewd Foodie 🎄 will help you learn about festival marketing strategies, the key to gaining new stockists, clever seasonal innovations and proven techniques to make your brand shine during seasonal periods.
16,000 food and drink brands emerge into the UK market and yet, 90% of them don't make it past their first year of trading. Bread & Jam is a celebration of the food and drink industry's entrepreneurial spirit. There are many reasons for a food business to cease trading but the absence of opportunity, information and industry support should no longer be one of them. Bread & Jam Festival is the best place to start.
Don’t miss the Tea Break networking sessions taking place in the afternoon of the Festival. It’s your chance to start a conversation with the person next to you and say hi 👋
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, founder of Insane Grain
For those who applied to pitch and are selected for a 1:1 slot by the retail buyers, this your chance to get listed in indie food halls and speciality retailers to get listed by Cress & Co, get listed by Diverse Fine Food, get listed by Cotswolds Fayre and get listed by Mahalo Supplies.
Get re-inspired. Being a food & drink entrepreneur is tough work 😅 but days like Bread & Jam Festival can be the perfect break to help you feel the passion as to why you started your journey in the first place and what you can do to drive sales and growth of your brand.
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Learn “How to Raise investment and Superboost your Brand” from the stellar panel of Sahil Verma of The Cookaway, Andy Shovel founder of THIS and David Abrahamovitch cofounder of Grind.
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Hear from James Perry in “COOK - How We Got Here and Where We’re Going,” about their £100 million family-run ethical business shaking up the UK catering scene with frozen meal vending machines. Discover their incredible success like a 31% sales increase during Easter 2022 and learn about their early design features, survival through the 2008 crisis and their co-founding of the UK's B Corp movement.
Festival Line-Up Highlight: Come hear the session “Slash the Carbon Footprint of your Packaging” with Katie Roselaar Director of Innovate to Zero to understand a few simple packaging switches that could deliver a tenfold reduction in the carbon footprint of your brand. ♻️
You’ll get to meet the Bread & Jam Team 🚀 Come say hi! Cofounders Jason Gibb, Tara Mei and the wider Bread & Jam Team like Rachel Moreira, Sarah Morrisey, Amber Milne-Barron will be there to say hello.
You can save £80 on your Bread & Jam Festival tickets by purchasing them before the 13 of July 2023 at 11:59PM when late bird tickets go on-sale. Grab your tickets NOW
The Business Design Centre is super easy to get to. It’s conveniently located right next to the Angel Tube Stop and can easily be accessed via other bus stops, overground, underground and is a short walk from King’s Cross Station.
For those who applied to pitch and are selected for a 1:1 slot by the retail buyers, this your chance to get listed across 19 managed houses & 130 tenanted pubs across the UK at Wadworth Pubs 🍺
There are over 750+ other attendees, across different challenger food & drink brands
It’s not just London based - we have quite a large contingent of attendees coming from Scotland, Ireland, Europe, the Midlands, and more.
This is your chance to save time and money. In two action packed days, you won’t just meet other food & drink founders but also hundreds of potential investors, buyers, and decision makers.
There’s even MORE talks, panels, and speakers than we could mention in this blog. Don’t forget to download our show guide to see the full line-up.
To be honest, the two days of Bread & Jam Fest are just plain old FUN 🚀🚀🚀
