Bread & Jam Festival 2026
It’s back! And it’s massive. Join 1000+ challenger brands, 100+ retail buyers, industry investors, thought leaders & industry experts for a gamechanging 48 hours.
Business Design Centre, London | 14th - 15th July, 2026
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Bread & Jam is a great name but it is much more like Caviar & Champagne! The value the two days delivered is exceptional.
Jennie Bayliss, Letterbox Cocktails
Trailblazers. Disruptors. Challengers. Innovators. Welcome home.
Early-stage founders
Founders of challenger FMCG brands looking to supercharge the growth of their business.
Pre-launch entrepreneurs
Aspiring founders who want to check out the market and understand the opportunities.
Scaling FMCG brands
More established challenger brands focused on scaling distribution, sales and awareness.
Team members
Team members of FMCG brands looking to up-skill and gather industry insights.
Retail-ready brands
Brands ready to secure retail listings and strengthen relationships with buyers.
Investment-seekers
Founders looking to connect with investors and unlock funding opportunities for growth.
“You’ll learn things at Bread & Jam that could end up saving you 100x the cost of the ticket.”
Stu Macdonald, ManiLife
The Talks - Day One: Tuesday 14th July
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LEADERS’ ROOM Join Rachel Ama, founder of AMA'S, as she shares her journey from content creator to building a fast-growing food brand.
Rachel Ama - AMA's -
LEADER’S ROOM Founders from Better Nature, Doughlicious & Blue Turaco Coffee share the real stories behind successful pitches & how to craft a narrative that wins buyers & investors.
Elin Roberts - Better Nature, Kathryn Bricken - Doughlicious, Wycliffe Sande - Blue Turaco Coffee -
LEADERS’ ROOM In this session, Levi Levenfiche, co-founder of PerfectTed, shares how they built Europe’s largest matcha brand by breaking the rules - from early positioning decisions and retail strategy to the mistakes, trade-offs, and bold bets that fuelled rapid growth.
Levi Levenfiche - PerfectTed -
LEADERS’ ROOM Learn how to make and keep your business profitable with founders from Cheeky Panda & Miso Tasty, investor Kristian Li and law firm Joelson.
Phil Hails-Smith - Joelson, Kristian Li - Angel, Julie Chen - Cheeky Panda, Bonnie Chung - Miso Tasty -
LEADERS’ ROOM Landing a retail listing is part art, part science. Waitrose, Ocado, and Whole Foods buyers break down what they look for in a pitch (from product innovation and storytelling to supply readiness and category fit) and the red flags that make them pass.
Laura Tudor - Waitrose, Genevieve Fitch - Ocado, Jade Hoai - Whole Foods Market
Leaders’ Room: Keynotes & Panels
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FMCG MASTERCLASS - AI In this session, Outserve show how founders can use tools like Xero, inventory systems such as Unleashed, and AI (including Claude) to gain better visibility, improve decision-making, and stay in control of cash and margins.
Phillip Oakley - Outserve -
FMCG MASTERCLASS - OPERATIONS Picking the wrong manufacturing partner can quietly destroy an early-stage brand long before most founders see it coming. This session covers what to look for, what to ask and the warning signs most founders miss. Practical guidance from the YF Supply Chain team, bringing years of experience working alongside challenger brands navigating the make-or-break manufacturer decision.
Phil Peters, Lara Rodriguez & Tom Felice - Young Foodies -
FMCG MASTERCLASS - FINANCE Raising funding can feel complex, overwhelming, and full of unknowns. In this session, Johnston Carmichael simplify the process by breaking down the five key rules every founder should follow – from understanding your numbers to building investor-ready financials.
Stewart Pennington - Johnston Carmichael Scotland Limited - JCCA -
FMCG MASTERCLASS - FINANCE Covering everything from COGS and margins to value chains and pricing strategy, this session will help founders understand the commercial fundamentals needed to grow sustainably from day one — even when starting with just £500. Learn how to make smarter financial decisions, maximise limited resources and build a business model that actually works.
Marcus Carter - Artisan Food Club -
FMCG MASTERCLASS - SALES One deck does not fit all. This session will unpack the strategic blueprint behind a professional sell-in deck that balances the commercial data expected by supermarket buyers with the compelling storytelling that resonates with speciality retailers like Selfridges and Whole Foods Market.
Julie Mills - Shrewd Foodie
FMCG Masterclasses
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ROUNDTABLE Sustainability only works when the whole chain works. This session explores how growing food and drink brands can make smarter packaging choices that fuel their own growth, while enabling suppliers and manufacturers to deliver efficiently, cut waste, and improve performance across the system.
Harry Baker - BackPac
Roundtables
The Talks - Day Two: Wednesday 15th July
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LEADERS’ ROOM Discover how Amelia Christie-Miller turned humble beans into a category -defining brand. From a hangover epiphany in Spain to major listings, awards and a bestselling cookbook.
Amelia Christie-Miller - Bold Bean Co -
LEADERS’ ROOM Founders from Gymkhana Fine Foods, HOLOS and All The Aunties share how they scaled production, protected product quality and built supply chains that support rapid growth.
Gulrez Arora - Gymkhana Fine Foods, Tom Partridge - HOLOS Kombucha, Riya Patel - All The Aunties -
LEADERS’ ROOM Founder Anna Richey shares how Two Chicks created a brand new supermarket category. Hear how the brand scaled fast and partnered with a €1.25bn food giant.
Anna Richley - Two Chicks -
LEADERS’ ROOM Three founders from the first Bread & Jam Festival return to share what a decade of building an FMCG brand really looks like, from early wins to painful mistakes.
Cemal Ezel - Change Please, Sara Trechman - Well & Truly, Annie Morris - Spoon Cereals, Eugene Patterson - Revibed Drinks (chair) -
LEADERS’ ROOM Looking to raise? Head to the Leaders’ Room to watch 6 challenger brands pitch live on stage to investors in the Bread Winner final! Watch, learn and take notes on how to smash your own pitch.
Leaders’ Room: Keynotes & Panels
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FMCG MASTERCLASS - AI
Fiona Fitzpatrick - Brand Growth Heroes -
FMCG MASTERCLASS - SALES You’re doing “all the marketing”, posting, running ads, sending emails, but revenue still feels unpredictable. In this session, Kate Williams from KW Marketing breaks down what’s actually driving sales for food & drink brands right now, and how to turn email into a consistent, revenue-generating channel using proven flows, campaigns, and real brand results.
Kate Williams - KW Marketing -
FMCG MASTERCLASS - OPERATIONS If you’re a challenger brand ready to crack the supermarket code, this session is your go-to playbook. We’ll break down everything from EDI and 3PLs to inventory management, demand planning and new line forms, plus the tricky world of brand bank and retailer negotiations.
Angelos Panayiotou - Windfall Logistics -
FMCG MASTERCLASS - FINANCE What does it really cost to scale into supermarkets and foodservice? This session breaks down how to build a realistic 2–3 year commercial forecast, covering everything from pricing and margins to promotions, logistics, and growth assumptions — helping brands plan smarter, more profitable expansion.
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FMCG MASTERCLASS - AI Go beyond the basics and see how a fast-growing FMCG brand is embedding AI into day-to-day operations. In this session, Bold Bean Co share how they’re using AI across areas like forecasting, supply chain, content, and internal workflows — not as a gimmick, but as a practical tool to save time, improve decision-making, and scale smarter.
Bold Bean Co.
FMCG Masterclasses
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ROUNDTABLE In a competitive market, where almost all consumers can buy the same or similar products elsewhere, how do you use your brand to stand out from the crowd, connect and ultimately achieve brand loyalty?
Marcus Allan - Our Creative -
ROUNDTABLE When do food brands actually need certification and when is it just unnecessary pressure? This session will unpack retailer vs DTC vs foodservice expectations, what buyers really look for versus founder assumptions, and the most common timing mistakes.
Rebecca Hale - The Food WorksSW
Roundtables
Get the full picture & find out what else to expect at the Bread & Jam Festival 2026
Why should I be there?
Get listed
The Pitching Zone: Meet 100+ buyers in 1-1, 10 minute meetings.
Indie Walkway: Quick-fire pitching with buyers from farm shops, delis and speciality stores.
International Pitching Zone: Meet buyers from all over the world!
Buyer panel: Hear what Ocado, Waitrose & WFM buyers really look for, straight from the horse’s mouth.
Get funded
The Bread Winner: Pitch live on stage to a panel of investors & win an epic grand prize worth £90K! (check it out below ↓).
Founders X Funders: Get face-time with 30 FMCG investors who are actively looking for their next venture.
Networking sessions: Catch investors in the breaks, business cards at the ready.
Get connected
The Marketplace: Chat to 60+ service providers tailored to your needs.
Mingle With 1000+ Peers: Get amongst the brands, buyers, investors, industry experts, press & influencers.
The Advisor Zone: Get bespoke, tailored advice on your sales, branding and strategy from industry experts.
The Chill Zone: Take a break & catch up with new friends.
Get seen
The Producers’ Shop: Showcase your product to 1000+ attendees.
Concept Corner: Check out the hottest up-and-coming early stage brands looking for your advice.
Tasting Panel: Sit down with a panel of two retail buyers and get their live, honest feedback on your product.
Sampling Station: Stop by, taste something new and meet the founders.
Yeah yeah… but what about pitching to the retailers?
Apply online from 9th June to each individual retailer (you can apply to as many retailers as you wish). Applications close on 7th July. All eligible applications will be sent to the buyer, who will select the brands they wish to meet in person. If you’re successful, you’ll have 10 minutes to pitch to them on a one to one basis at the Festival in the Pitching Zone. You’ll find out via email on 10th July if you’ve been chosen. You must have a Festival ticket to apply.
Early Bird
£275 (inc. VAT)
Congrats to all you eager beavers who managed to score an Early Bird ticket before they sold out. See you in July.
Standard Rate
£335 (inc. VAT)
2 day all access ticket for FMCG brands
✓ Unlimited retail pitches
✓ 70+ hours of legendary content
✓ Apply to The Bread Winner competition
✓ Showcase your product in the Producers’ Shop
✓ Free lifestyle shots at the Photo Studio
✓ Pitch to angels & VCs
Late Bird
£450 (inc. VAT)
Late Bird tickets go on sale on 11th July. Grab your Standard Rate ticket while you still can for all the same benefits.
The Bread Winner
Ready to step into the spotlight and pitch your brand directly to investors live on stage? Get in front of a specially curated panel of seasoned FMCG focused Angels, VCs, Private Equity & Family Offices in a series of knockout rounds to win an incredible grand prize to propel your growth trajectory. Check out the prize pot (so far) in the Show Preview.
Applications open soon - you will need a Festival ticket to apply.