Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall to champion local produce at Speciality & Fine Food Fair

Writer and broadcaster Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has joined the lineup for the 25th anniversary edition of Speciality & Fine Food Fair.

The event, taking place on Tuesday 10 to Wednesday 11 September at Olympia London, will see Fearnley-Whittingstall taking to the stage alongside the Farm Retail Association chair Emma Mosey at a Power Breakfast to discuss the future of local food. As patron of the association, he will also be taking part in an event unveiling the organisation’s new rebrand at the fair.

Fearnley-Whittingstall is known for his commitment to seasonal, ethically produced food and his concern for the environment. He presents his River Cottage TV series and authors books, as well as fronting campaigning documentary series such as Hugh’s Fish Fight, Hugh’s War on Waste, Britain’s Fat Fight and War on Plastic with Hugh and Anita.

He said: “I’m delighted to be joining the Farm Retail Association at Speciality & Fine Food Fair this September to celebrate the start of a new chapter for the association and to connect with the amazing farm retail community.”

Speciality & Fine Food Fair event manager Nicola Woods added: “It’s fantastic to have such an icon of the food and drink industry joining us for our special 25th anniversary celebration.

“Championing quality, local food and reducing waste are hugely important issues for the artisan food sector, and food and drink producers at the fair have been trailblazers in these areas ever since our first edition back in 1999.”

Additional speakers joining the fair’s 2024 seminar programme include Rosie Collins, marketing director at Macknade; Tom Foxwell, general manager at Hawksmoor; Priya Narain, purpose and culture manager at Kerb; and Laura Roberts, founder of Laura’s Larder.

This year’s event will also spotlight an array of new products, with feature area the Start-Up Village providing a platform for emerging brands trading for less than two years.

Among the new producers participating in this year’s fair is Dream of Sweden, introducing its Dream of Truffles; Di Santo & Family, a family-run business from Kent, specialising in handcrafted pastries and biscuits such as cannoli, bigné, and barchette; and All Dressed Up Dressings, founded by ex-private chef Tess, with flavours comprising everyday house, tahini and lime, miso and sesame and spicy harissa.

This year the fair has changed the its registration and attendance policy, introducing visitor registration approval with the aim of attracting the event’s intended audience of food and drink buyers and producers.

Image: Matt Austin