About IFE (International Food & Drink Event)
IFE, the International Food & Drink Event, is one of the UK's major trade exhibitions for food and drink products. Organised by Montgomery Group at ExCeL London, it brings together producers and suppliers with buyers from retail, wholesale and foodservice who are looking for products to stock.
The exhibition is divided into dedicated product sectors, covering categories such as ambient, chilled and frozen foods, drinks, bakery, confectionery, free-from and plant-based lines. Exhibitors range from start-up producers to established brands and international suppliers testing the UK market.
IFE is part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, alongside HRC, IFE Manufacturing, The Pub Show, Hospitality Tech360, the Speciality & Fine Food Fair and International Salon Culinaire. That structure brings hospitality, pub, manufacturing and speciality food buyers into the same building, widening the range of people a stand can reach.
For producers, the appeal is concentration. Rather than chasing appointments one by one, exhibitors can meet several routes to market in three days. A seminar programme and a Meet the Buyers series add to the reasons buyers attend, while the World Food Innovation Awards and Manufacturing Ingredients Awards give new products a chance of recognition. Tasting is at the heart of the show, so sampling, refrigeration and hygiene provision usually shape a stand as much as display. Stand Between can match exhibitors with builders who understand food and drink stands at ExCeL.
Next edition
IFE (International Food & Drink Event) 2027: what to expect
IFE 2027 takes place from 5 to 7 April 2027 at ExCeL London as part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, which brings seven co-located events together across the same three days.
Montgomery Group cites more than 1,500 exhibitors across the week and 13 dedicated product sectors at IFE, and the organiser reported more than 25,000 verified trade visitors for the 2026 week.
Buyers will want pricing structures, pack formats and route-to-market details ready, so plan display as products would appear in store, with a small seated area for discussing volumes and terms. Check ExCeL's and the organiser's rules on food handling and any cooking equipment early.