Keynote Programme 2025

With 30+ years’ experience of working in (Hilton, Pret A Manger, Compass, Albert Roux), developing, analysing and commentating (creating MCA from a merger of Allegra Foodservice & M&C report) on the UK foodservice/hospitality industry, Simon is acknowledged as the leading analyst of the market and recognised as an expert in making sense out of all the data and insight available, Simon is expertly placed to advise on what will happen in the future, having founded FutureFoodservice in 2019.

With 20 years of experience in the hospitality sector, Edyta Stec, Operations Director at GAIL’s bakery is a passionate leader, consistently striving for growth across operational delivery and experience with a renowned history of nurturing and developing her teams to reach their full potential. Drawing from a decade’s experience at wagamama across the UK and America, Edyta has grown a operational suite of knowledge spanning from new openings to brand visions at scale. She is proud of be a part of the GAIL’s team as they continue their food mission, to make world-class baking a part of every neighbourhood.

Tortilla’s Head of Central Operations, Emily Bagshaw, joined the burrito brand in 2024 to oversee all major strategic operational projects. Previously having worked in operations for TGI Fridays and Merlin Entertainments, Emily knows what it takes to achieve strategic business objectives within the day-to-day operations of hospitality. As well as a new-found obsession with guacamole, Emily has a true passion for driving exceptional guest and operational excellence.

Emily has over 15 years in casual, fast casual and QSR Operations. Grown from a waitress in TGI Fridays, she has dedicated her career to hospitality. She’s a conscientious female leader with genuine passion for people focused businesses who celebrate diverse and mindful working spaces.

Shoaib has 15+ years of experience in QSR businesses having worked across UK, Europe and the Middle East. He is known for striving operational excellence to deliver great customer experience while nurturing and developing teams to support business growth and profitability. Having previously worked for Burger King, Five Guys, Subway. He is currently the Director of Operations for Wendy’s – Square Burgers, leading the brand growth across the UK.

With 30+ years’ experience of working in (Hilton, Pret A Manger, Compass, Albert Roux), developing, analysing and commentating (creating MCA from a merger of Allegra Foodservice & M&C report) on the UK foodservice/hospitality industry, Simon is acknowledged as the leading analyst of the market and recognised as an expert in making sense out of all the data and insight available, Simon is expertly placed to advise on what will happen in the future, having founded FutureFoodservice in 2019.

After a number of years in the military, research sector and retail Brett has spent the last 7 years working with GAIL’s Bakery and The Bread Factory to roll out sites and deliver brand enhancing sites in a variety of locations and formats while continuing to keep to the brand values of sustainability and quality.

Co founder of Brewski, American pies and Foldies. Specializing in product, people and marketing, James has helped create brands with some of the largest followings in the North of England.

Mat is leading the rapid expansion of Cornish Bakery, which traces its roots to Mevagissey in Cornwall and now has 66 bakeries across the UK. Mat, working alongside founder Steve Grouctt, leads an 800-strong team with a people-first culture and ambition to change to hospitality for good.

The brand predicted that ‘Bakery is the new coffee shop’ and has plans to expand significantly following recent successful openings in Winchester, Chelmsford, Milton Keynes, and Cirencester.

Claudio Ribeiro is a Manchester-based hospitality professional, originally from Portugal, who discovered his passion for service in his mother’s family restaurant. After completing catering college, he moved to the UK, progressing from a kitchen porter to various management roles in major hotels. Determined to create a people-first culture, he founded Federal Café & Bar, focused on consistently excellent service and genuine human connection. Claudio’s mission is simple but powerful: make every individual—guest or employee—feel genuinely seen and cared for.

Jack Brewitt is the founder of 92 Degrees, a UK-based chain of coffee shops and roastery. Under his leadership, the company has expanded to 20 locations in 5 cities and plans to double its footprint.

Most recently, January 2025, 92 Degrees announced that they will be available to franchise across the UK with over 1,000 enquires already. This will allow the brand to expand into new territories, utilising local knowledge and experience in operating business in areas 92 Degrees have not been before.

Currently operates stores in travel locations and high streets in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

My early career started in the computer games industry. Frequently travelling by train for business, I experienced a frustration by the lack of great coffee and good quality food. I really loved the rising antipodean-style coffee culture flourishing in London, and I saw an opportunity to bring this to railway commuters.

In 2007 I set up Gourmet, designed to provide a premium coffee experience for passengers on the go. Today we operate 32 sites across the UK, partnering with several major railway operators, including Avanti, GWR, Northern, East Midlands Railway, Transport for Wales and others.

With more than 15 years of experience in the food and beverage industry and a solid restaurant background, I hold a degree in Tourism and have extended my portfolio to become a published travel writer. As a co-founder of Graffiti Spirits Group, I oversee the culinary and business facets of our ventures. My mission is to position Liverpool as a leading UK hub for gastronomic innovation and excellence. I am deeply passionate about staying at the forefront of new trends, promoting local produce, and ensuring that both locals and visitors enjoy a perfect blend of quality and cutting-edge experiences.

Will has worked in the UK’s coffee industry for over 20 years supporting coffee strategies for some of the biggest names on the hight street. As Commercial Director with 200 Degrees Coffee he oversee’s the coffee programs within the business combined with the marketing and wholesale functions.

200 Degrees operate a roastery in Nottingham, 21 owned shops, 7 barista schools alongside thriving wholesale and online operations.

Adrian Frid has over 40 years’ experience in the hospitality Industry as the Operations Director for some of the biggest brands in the country. In a career spanning over 23 years at Mitchells & Butlers, Adrian’s multi-site expertise oversaw the opening of over 100 pubs in the Premium Pub sector, before his role as Retail Director of Miller & Carter focused on shaping and redefining the brand for future growth while ensuring operational excellence was maintained. After joining Caffè Nero as Operations Director in 2014, Adrian spent 11 years leading over 600 UK stores, and consulting into four other brands.

Christian has over 20 years of experience in retail and food service. He has worked extensively in manufacturing and, over the last 8 years, exclusively in the food service area, working for YUM brands in the Middle East and, most recently, for Burger King UK, where he has been for over 6 years.

Christian is a passionate food leader who enjoys nothing more than creating big-tasting innovative menu platforms to keep the guests returning for more and more. In his current role, Christian is responsible for the whole menu, from ideation to execution.

Gavin’s focus is on helping businesses enhance their food-to-go proposition, working with clients across Europe to deliver this, often through his retail & food-to-go safari solutions. A core part of this is tracking innovative and inspirational food-to-go concept development. Prior to founding Food Futures Insights in 2019, he established and led IGD’s food-to-go insight and retail safari programmes.

Dimeji Sadiq is the owner & founder of Vegan Shack. A rapidly growing fast food joint with locations in Manchester and London. From selling on-demand orders out of his 1-bedroom apartment in Manchester, Vegan Shack has managed to grow to a flagship locations in Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens in the short space of 2 years.

Fran is co-founder of Stray, a neighbourhood bar in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Relaxed and understated, Stray is known for innovative drinks—big in flavour, small in theatre; inspired by everything from experiences to ingredients.

I replaced the hyphen with an em dash for better readability, as it’s more appropriate in this case. I also added a comma after “”Stray”” for clarity.

Opened just over a year ago, Stray has become a hangout for locals, a must visit spot for visitors to the city and having recently made it into the UK Top 50 Cocktails bars; a bar gathering industry attention both in the UK and overseas.

In her “spare time” Fran is freelance hospitality PR working with brands including Hawksmoor, Madre, Doug’s, Soho House and a number of the Northwests most exciting independent venues.

Jon Lake is Managing Director of Europe’s largest Asian QSR brand Chopstix and has been at the helm of the company since 2018.

Working closely with co-founders, Sam Elia and Menashe Sadik, Jon has overseen the rapid growth of the group, which comprises Chopstix Noodle Bar, Yangtze and Chozen Noodle, following an acquisition in 2023.

Last year Jon was instrumental in securing a strategic investment in the brand from leading QSR platform QSRP, which has taken a majority share in Chopstix. This partnership looks set to accelerate growth for both companies in the UK and across Europe.

William Gordon-Harris is an Experienced Entrepreneur, early stage seed investor and incubator. He first discovered Knoops in 2017 as a single shop in Rye on the south coast of the UK and since 2019 now leads this ultra-fast growth, omni channel international brand building the chocolate drinks category as a disruptive first mover.

Hannah Munns is a seasoned retail executive with over 20 years of experience across the UK’s leading retail brands. Currently serving as bp’s UK Convenience Trading Director, she oversees the company’s retail partnership with M&S, branded grocery operations, and Wild Bean Café business. Prior to joining bp, Hannah held leadership positions at major British retailers including M&S, Sainsbury’s, and ASDA. In her current role, she focuses on transforming bp’s food-on-the-go offering and driving innovation.

Fran is co-founder of Stray, a neighbourhood bar in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Relaxed and understated, Stray is known for innovative drinks—big in flavour, small in theatre; inspired by everything from experiences to ingredients.

I replaced the hyphen with an em dash for better readability, as it’s more appropriate in this case. I also added a comma after “”Stray”” for clarity.

Opened just over a year ago, Stray has become a hangout for locals, a must visit spot for visitors to the city and having recently made it into the UK Top 50 Cocktails bars; a bar gathering industry attention both in the UK and overseas.

In her “spare time” Fran is freelance hospitality PR working with brands including Hawksmoor, Madre, Doug’s, Soho House and a number of the Northwests most exciting independent venues.

Megan is the Head of Marketing & Social Media for 92 Degrees Coffee, recently named the third most viral coffee hotspot in the UK. With a passion for storytelling and brand growth, she specialises in creating engaging digital campaigns that connect with audiences. Megan has a track record of driving brand visibility and community engagement through innovative content strategies.

Rob Burns is the Marketing Director of Chopstix, the UKs largest Asian-inspired QSR, and has been leading the company’s marketing function for over seven years.

Highly respected within the hospitality sector, Rob has over 25 years’ experience in several key marketing roles with renowned operators, including Herald Inns and Bars, Kout Food Group and Boparan Ventures

Working closely with Managing Director Jon Lake and Chopstix co-founders, Sam Elia and Menashe Sadik, Rob has delivered complete brand refresh for Chopstix supporting the company’s rapid expansion over the past seven years, now operating over 150 sites nationwide.

Jessica has been fortunate enough to work for respectable roasters and brands across the UK – starting as a Barista and then working her way up to Management, Events, Sales and Barista Trainer. After spending the last 6 years in London, she made the move North to expand her skills and share her knowledge. Now proudly working for Gourmet Coffee Bar & Kitchen as their Head of Coffee, she is restructuring their training programme and quality across 30 locations UK wide.

Jessica is Head of Coffee at Gail’s Bakery and has led the coffee program over the past decade. She also serves on the Board of the Specialty Coffee Association.

She is passionate about building culture, creating experiences for consumers and building opportunities for personal development. She fundamentally believes that specialty coffee can serve as a vehicle for driving both local and global change, especially at scale.

Meet Sam, a seasoned coffee aficionado with over a decade of experience in hospitality and specialty coffee. He’s our go-to expert for everything caffeinated, dedicated to sourcing and brewing delicious coffees from around the world, enhancing the coffee experience at our GSG sites.

Sam joined us on the back of 10 years overseas, making wine in Australia and running businesses in Romania before entering the world of specialty coffee. Working with award-winning coffee roasteries, his coffee journey has taken him around some of the most innovative farms in Central America as well as opening a specialty coffee shop in Antigua.

Will has worked in the UK’s coffee industry for over 20 years supporting coffee strategies for some of the biggest names on the hight street. As Commercial Director with 200 Degrees Coffee he oversee’s the coffee programs within the business combined with the marketing and wholesale functions.

200 Degrees operate a roastery in Nottingham, 21 owned shops, 7 barista schools alongside thriving wholesale and online operations.

Nicola specialises in providing insight on global strategic developments and sector trends in the eating out and food-to-go channel. She is one of the co-creators of IGD’s eating out market size universe and unique total consumption view, linking IGD’s UK retail and eating out forecasts. Nicola has 20 years’ experience in the UK eating out sector, working with food manufacturers, wholesalers and customers in a range of marketing and insight roles.

With 30+ years’ experience of working in (Hilton, Pret A Manger, Compass, Albert Roux), developing, analysing and commentating (creating MCA from a merger of Allegra Foodservice & M&C report) on the UK foodservice/hospitality industry, Simon is acknowledged as the leading analyst of the market and recognised as an expert in making sense out of all the data and insight available, Simon is expertly placed to advise on what will happen in the future, having founded FutureFoodservice in 2019.

With 20 years of experience in the hospitality sector, Edyta Stec, Operations Director at GAIL’s bakery is a passionate leader, consistently striving for growth across operational delivery and experience with a renowned history of nurturing and developing her teams to reach their full potential. Drawing from a decade’s experience at wagamama across the UK and America, Edyta has grown a operational suite of knowledge spanning from new openings to brand visions at scale. She is proud of be a part of the GAIL’s team as they continue their food mission, to make world-class baking a part of every neighbourhood.

Tortilla’s Head of Central Operations, Emily Bagshaw, joined the burrito brand in 2024 to oversee all major strategic operational projects. Previously having worked in operations for TGI Fridays and Merlin Entertainments, Emily knows what it takes to achieve strategic business objectives within the day-to-day operations of hospitality. As well as a new-found obsession with guacamole, Emily has a true passion for driving exceptional guest and operational excellence.

Emily has over 15 years in casual, fast casual and QSR Operations. Grown from a waitress in TGI Fridays, she has dedicated her career to hospitality. She’s a conscientious female leader with genuine passion for people focused businesses who celebrate diverse and mindful working spaces.

Shoaib has 15+ years of experience in QSR businesses having worked across UK, Europe and the Middle East. He is known for striving operational excellence to deliver great customer experience while nurturing and developing teams to support business growth and profitability. Having previously worked for Burger King, Five Guys, Subway. He is currently the Director of Operations for Wendy’s – Square Burgers, leading the brand growth across the UK.

With 30+ years’ experience of working in (Hilton, Pret A Manger, Compass, Albert Roux), developing, analysing and commentating (creating MCA from a merger of Allegra Foodservice & M&C report) on the UK foodservice/hospitality industry, Simon is acknowledged as the leading analyst of the market and recognised as an expert in making sense out of all the data and insight available, Simon is expertly placed to advise on what will happen in the future, having founded FutureFoodservice in 2019.

After a number of years in the military, research sector and retail Brett has spent the last 7 years working with GAIL’s Bakery and The Bread Factory to roll out sites and deliver brand enhancing sites in a variety of locations and formats while continuing to keep to the brand values of sustainability and quality.

Co founder of Brewski, American pies and Foldies. Specializing in product, people and marketing, James has helped create brands with some of the largest followings in the North of England.

Mat is leading the rapid expansion of Cornish Bakery, which traces its roots to Mevagissey in Cornwall and now has 66 bakeries across the UK. Mat, working alongside founder Steve Grouctt, leads an 800-strong team with a people-first culture and ambition to change to hospitality for good.

The brand predicted that ‘Bakery is the new coffee shop’ and has plans to expand significantly following recent successful openings in Winchester, Chelmsford, Milton Keynes, and Cirencester.

Claudio Ribeiro is a Manchester-based hospitality professional, originally from Portugal, who discovered his passion for service in his mother’s family restaurant. After completing catering college, he moved to the UK, progressing from a kitchen porter to various management roles in major hotels. Determined to create a people-first culture, he founded Federal Café & Bar, focused on consistently excellent service and genuine human connection. Claudio’s mission is simple but powerful: make every individual—guest or employee—feel genuinely seen and cared for.

Jack Brewitt is the founder of 92 Degrees, a UK-based chain of coffee shops and roastery. Under his leadership, the company has expanded to 20 locations in 5 cities and plans to double its footprint.

Most recently, January 2025, 92 Degrees announced that they will be available to franchise across the UK with over 1,000 enquires already. This will allow the brand to expand into new territories, utilising local knowledge and experience in operating business in areas 92 Degrees have not been before.

Currently operates stores in travel locations and high streets in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

My early career started in the computer games industry. Frequently travelling by train for business, I experienced a frustration by the lack of great coffee and good quality food. I really loved the rising antipodean-style coffee culture flourishing in London, and I saw an opportunity to bring this to railway commuters.

In 2007 I set up Gourmet, designed to provide a premium coffee experience for passengers on the go. Today we operate 32 sites across the UK, partnering with several major railway operators, including Avanti, GWR, Northern, East Midlands Railway, Transport for Wales and others.

With more than 15 years of experience in the food and beverage industry and a solid restaurant background, I hold a degree in Tourism and have extended my portfolio to become a published travel writer. As a co-founder of Graffiti Spirits Group, I oversee the culinary and business facets of our ventures. My mission is to position Liverpool as a leading UK hub for gastronomic innovation and excellence. I am deeply passionate about staying at the forefront of new trends, promoting local produce, and ensuring that both locals and visitors enjoy a perfect blend of quality and cutting-edge experiences.

Will has worked in the UK’s coffee industry for over 20 years supporting coffee strategies for some of the biggest names on the hight street. As Commercial Director with 200 Degrees Coffee he oversee’s the coffee programs within the business combined with the marketing and wholesale functions.

200 Degrees operate a roastery in Nottingham, 21 owned shops, 7 barista schools alongside thriving wholesale and online operations.

Adrian Frid has over 40 years’ experience in the hospitality Industry as the Operations Director for some of the biggest brands in the country. In a career spanning over 23 years at Mitchells & Butlers, Adrian’s multi-site expertise oversaw the opening of over 100 pubs in the Premium Pub sector, before his role as Retail Director of Miller & Carter focused on shaping and redefining the brand for future growth while ensuring operational excellence was maintained. After joining Caffè Nero as Operations Director in 2014, Adrian spent 11 years leading over 600 UK stores, and consulting into four other brands.

Christian has over 20 years of experience in retail and food service. He has worked extensively in manufacturing and, over the last 8 years, exclusively in the food service area, working for YUM brands in the Middle East and, most recently, for Burger King UK, where he has been for over 6 years.

Christian is a passionate food leader who enjoys nothing more than creating big-tasting innovative menu platforms to keep the guests returning for more and more. In his current role, Christian is responsible for the whole menu, from ideation to execution.

Gavin’s focus is on helping businesses enhance their food-to-go proposition, working with clients across Europe to deliver this, often through his retail & food-to-go safari solutions. A core part of this is tracking innovative and inspirational food-to-go concept development. Prior to founding Food Futures Insights in 2019, he established and led IGD’s food-to-go insight and retail safari programmes.

Dimeji Sadiq is the owner & founder of Vegan Shack. A rapidly growing fast food joint with locations in Manchester and London. From selling on-demand orders out of his 1-bedroom apartment in Manchester, Vegan Shack has managed to grow to a flagship locations in Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens in the short space of 2 years.

Fran is co-founder of Stray, a neighbourhood bar in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Relaxed and understated, Stray is known for innovative drinks—big in flavour, small in theatre; inspired by everything from experiences to ingredients.

I replaced the hyphen with an em dash for better readability, as it’s more appropriate in this case. I also added a comma after “”Stray”” for clarity.

Opened just over a year ago, Stray has become a hangout for locals, a must visit spot for visitors to the city and having recently made it into the UK Top 50 Cocktails bars; a bar gathering industry attention both in the UK and overseas.

In her “spare time” Fran is freelance hospitality PR working with brands including Hawksmoor, Madre, Doug’s, Soho House and a number of the Northwests most exciting independent venues.

Jon Lake is Managing Director of Europe’s largest Asian QSR brand Chopstix and has been at the helm of the company since 2018.

Working closely with co-founders, Sam Elia and Menashe Sadik, Jon has overseen the rapid growth of the group, which comprises Chopstix Noodle Bar, Yangtze and Chozen Noodle, following an acquisition in 2023.

Last year Jon was instrumental in securing a strategic investment in the brand from leading QSR platform QSRP, which has taken a majority share in Chopstix. This partnership looks set to accelerate growth for both companies in the UK and across Europe.

William Gordon-Harris is an Experienced Entrepreneur, early stage seed investor and incubator. He first discovered Knoops in 2017 as a single shop in Rye on the south coast of the UK and since 2019 now leads this ultra-fast growth, omni channel international brand building the chocolate drinks category as a disruptive first mover.

Hannah Munns is a seasoned retail executive with over 20 years of experience across the UK’s leading retail brands. Currently serving as bp’s UK Convenience Trading Director, she oversees the company’s retail partnership with M&S, branded grocery operations, and Wild Bean Café business. Prior to joining bp, Hannah held leadership positions at major British retailers including M&S, Sainsbury’s, and ASDA. In her current role, she focuses on transforming bp’s food-on-the-go offering and driving innovation.

Fran is co-founder of Stray, a neighbourhood bar in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Relaxed and understated, Stray is known for innovative drinks—big in flavour, small in theatre; inspired by everything from experiences to ingredients.

I replaced the hyphen with an em dash for better readability, as it’s more appropriate in this case. I also added a comma after “”Stray”” for clarity.

Opened just over a year ago, Stray has become a hangout for locals, a must visit spot for visitors to the city and having recently made it into the UK Top 50 Cocktails bars; a bar gathering industry attention both in the UK and overseas.

In her “spare time” Fran is freelance hospitality PR working with brands including Hawksmoor, Madre, Doug’s, Soho House and a number of the Northwests most exciting independent venues.

Megan is the Head of Marketing & Social Media for 92 Degrees Coffee, recently named the third most viral coffee hotspot in the UK. With a passion for storytelling and brand growth, she specialises in creating engaging digital campaigns that connect with audiences. Megan has a track record of driving brand visibility and community engagement through innovative content strategies.

Rob Burns is the Marketing Director of Chopstix, the UKs largest Asian-inspired QSR, and has been leading the company’s marketing function for over seven years.

Highly respected within the hospitality sector, Rob has over 25 years’ experience in several key marketing roles with renowned operators, including Herald Inns and Bars, Kout Food Group and Boparan Ventures

Working closely with Managing Director Jon Lake and Chopstix co-founders, Sam Elia and Menashe Sadik, Rob has delivered complete brand refresh for Chopstix supporting the company’s rapid expansion over the past seven years, now operating over 150 sites nationwide.

Jessica has been fortunate enough to work for respectable roasters and brands across the UK – starting as a Barista and then working her way up to Management, Events, Sales and Barista Trainer. After spending the last 6 years in London, she made the move North to expand her skills and share her knowledge. Now proudly working for Gourmet Coffee Bar & Kitchen as their Head of Coffee, she is restructuring their training programme and quality across 30 locations UK wide.

Jessica is Head of Coffee at Gail’s Bakery and has led the coffee program over the past decade. She also serves on the Board of the Specialty Coffee Association.

She is passionate about building culture, creating experiences for consumers and building opportunities for personal development. She fundamentally believes that specialty coffee can serve as a vehicle for driving both local and global change, especially at scale.

Meet Sam, a seasoned coffee aficionado with over a decade of experience in hospitality and specialty coffee. He’s our go-to expert for everything caffeinated, dedicated to sourcing and brewing delicious coffees from around the world, enhancing the coffee experience at our GSG sites.

Sam joined us on the back of 10 years overseas, making wine in Australia and running businesses in Romania before entering the world of specialty coffee. Working with award-winning coffee roasteries, his coffee journey has taken him around some of the most innovative farms in Central America as well as opening a specialty coffee shop in Antigua.

Will has worked in the UK’s coffee industry for over 20 years supporting coffee strategies for some of the biggest names on the hight street. As Commercial Director with 200 Degrees Coffee he oversee’s the coffee programs within the business combined with the marketing and wholesale functions.

200 Degrees operate a roastery in Nottingham, 21 owned shops, 7 barista schools alongside thriving wholesale and online operations.

Nicola specialises in providing insight on global strategic developments and sector trends in the eating out and food-to-go channel. She is one of the co-creators of IGD’s eating out market size universe and unique total consumption view, linking IGD’s UK retail and eating out forecasts. Nicola has 20 years’ experience in the UK eating out sector, working with food manufacturers, wholesalers and customers in a range of marketing and insight roles.