London Discovery Programme & Meet the Buyer Showcase

We are pleased to announce our exclusive London Discovery Programme & Meet the Buyer Showcase, brought to you by Scotland Food & Drink and The Knowledge Bank, in partnership with Scotland House London.

This is a very exciting opportunity for Scottish suppliers to explore and learn more about the London market, and to showcase their products to key buyers.

This event kicks off our London-focused strategy as we look to strengthen the Scottish food and drink industry's position in the UK. In recent analysis published in our industry strategy ‘Sustaining Scotland. Supplying the World.’, there is a £4 billion market opportunity for the Scottish food and drink sector to capture across key markets within the next five years, including a £1 billion market opportunity in the rest of the UK. 

Part 1: Webinar – The London Market & Consumer  

• Online 
• 29 May 2024

The Knowledge Bank will host an exclusive webinar for attendees which aims to set the scene for the programme. It will provide early bird access to data that The Knowledge Bank will share wider at a later date.

The webinar will use new data and insights to uncover:

• Trends and characteristics of the London market
• Trends and characteristics of the London-centric consumer
• How these trends and characteristics contrast to Scotland. 

Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions on the above.

Part 2: Discovery Tours 

• In-person, London. The starting point for each tour will be at Scotland House on Victoria Embankment.
• 5 & 6 June 2024

Themed around innovations in retail, foodservice and on-trade channels, you will have the choice of three discovery experiences*, which will take place in London. The tours will be led by Scotland Food & Drink’s Data and Market Insights Partners who will offer insight and inspiration in their field of expertise.

Each tour will include:

• A briefing and presentation, hosted by an insight expert of the channel
• A full day and a half of guided visits to a range of outlets and experiences across the city

Option A - Innovations in Retail, hosted by IGD 

We will visit a rich blend of stores showcasing the latest innovations in: 

• Store digitisation, including technologies supporting frictionless shopping 
• Ranging, merchandising and provenance as category elevators 
• Foodservice in retail as combined food experiences 
• Experiential retail and how theatre is delivered beyond food and grocery  

Option B - A Focus on Foodservice, hosted by Lumina Intelligence 

We will visit a vibrant mix of outlets presenting inspiring eating out experiences: 

• Heritage food markets, global street food and sustainable community concepts 
• Destinations of the extraordinary to inspire the ultimate dining experience 
• Restaurants pioneering circular economy principles and regenerative farming 
• Omni-channel stores and daytime bars pairing high-quality food with beverages     

Option C – Stirring it up in the On-Trade, hosted by CGA by NIQ 

We will visit a diverse range of concepts stimulating growth in social drinking: 

• Experience-led venues, competitive socialising and theatre in the capital  
• Burgeoning healthy drinking, new high-end and the importance of sustainability  
• Heart of the community: south London suburban village and community venues  
• The omnichannel: taking inspiration from the ingenuity and individuality of hospitality   

We’ll hear from industry experts and will be joined at stages by experienced operators who will share their stories and the language of building successful trading relationships in each market. 

* Each supplier can only attend one of the three tour options. However, colleagues from the same business are welcome to register on one or two of the other tour options (additional costs will apply).

Part 3: Networking Lunch and Meet the Buyer Showcase 

• Scotland House, London
• 6 June 2024

After the discovery tours, we will meet back at Scotland House for a delicious networking lunch of Scottish produce. This will be followed by a producer showcase where you will have the opportunity to meet and discuss your business and products with a range of buyers, influencers, and decision makers from retail, foodservice and on-trade.