Next week, Northern Restaurant & Bar (NRB) - the leading hospitality trade show in the North - will be making its eagerly anticipated return to Manchester Central alongside the brand-new lunch! NORTH, an event dedicated to the region's thriving café, coffee shop and food-to-go sector.
The event in question, which will bring together over 10,000 visitors and 400 exhibitors for two days of business, networking, and education, will be taking place on Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th March.
All about bringing together the best of Northern hospitality under one roof, highlights include a stellar lineup of keynote speakers, exclusive interviews and live demonstrations, as well as some proper good networking opportunities.
Industry leaders including Kate Nicholls OBE (UKHospitality), Simon Potts (The Alchemist), and Roy Ellis (Mission Mars) will be discussing key hospitality challenges and opportunities while chefs Tom Barnes (Skof), Ruth Hansom (Hansom Restaurant & Wine Bar) and Danielle Heron (OSMA) will be showcasing their culinary expertise.
As for the 'Pub & Bar Theatre' part of the event, attendees can look forward to panels on leadership, brewing innovations and mixology featuring William Lees-Jones (JW Lees) and award-winning mixologist Joe Schofield of Scholfield's Bar.
This year’s event will be expanded upon with the arrival of lunch! NORTH, a sister event to NRB25 which will be taking place in the very same venue. lunch! NORTH is brought to Manchester for the first time by the same organisers behind NRB, and will be dedicated to the north’s flourishing café, coffee shop and food-to-go sector.
lunch! has been running successfully in London for 16 years and its northern counterpart is sponsored by Uber Eats for its inaugural year with confirmed brands including Hip Pop, TRIP DRINKS LTD, Britvic, Tony’s Chocolonely, Tiffin Sandwiches and The Exploding Bakery.
Lunch! NORTH highlights include; a first-ever Northern edition of the leading café, coffee shop & food-to-go trade show as well as talks from Simon Stenning (FutureFoodservice), Marta Pogroszewska (GAIL’s) and Christian Binney (Burger King UK).
There will also be a 'Food-To-Go' leaders panel featuring discussions with Jon Lake (Chopstix), Dimeji Sadiq (Vegan Shack) and William Gordon-Harris (Knoops).
Siobhan Thompson, event manager for NRB25 said: "We can’t wait to welcome everyone back to Manchester Central next week! NRB has always been the beating heart of Northern hospitality, bringing together the best talent, brands, and operators under one roof.
This year, we’re raising the bar once again with an incredible lineup of speakers, interactive sessions, and the introduction of lunch! NORTH. It’s a must-attend event for anyone in the industry who wants to be inspired, make connections, and stay ahead of the game.”
Katie Tyler, Event Director for lunch! NORTH, also commented: "We’re so excited to launch lunch! NORTH and welcome visitors to this brand-new event. The café, coffee shop, and food-to-go sector in the North is booming, and we’re bringing together the best brands, experts, and ideas to help businesses thrive. We can’t wait to open the doors next week and see the industry come together!"
Will Beckett, CEO and co-founder of Hawksmoor, who attended NRB last year, said: "NRB is the date in the calendar for Northern hospitality; an event that brings the industry together like no other in the UK."
Find out more here.