Taking place alongside the Pub Show, International Food & Drink Event, IFE Manufacturing and the London Produce Show, this year’s event delivered a comprehensive offering for the entire food, drink, hospitality and foodservice sector. 

Among the cookery competitions and product demos, a diverse range of speakers debated some of the industry’s most business-critical challenges on the show’s Vision Stage. Meanwhile, the Tech X stage hosted a wide range of sessions, and two additional conferences – the Better Hospitality Conference by Tried & Supplied, and Hospitality’s Talent Conundrum by Hospitality Jobs UK – took place among the many other attractions.  

Kate Nicholls OBE, CEO of UKHospitality, joined an all-star session examining the industry’s recruitment and retention challenges, and said: ‘It’s fantastic to be back at HRC, reuniting with the hospitality industry and debating the most important issues facing the sector. Hospitality professionals are innovative, entrepreneurial people and it’s been great to see the industry back meeting face-to-face and doing business.’

As part of the Pub Show at HRC, the Vision Stage included the unveiling of brand-new research on the pub and bar sector, followed by a session on the return of the pub featuring, among others, Yummy Pubs’ Anthony Pender, who said of the show: ‘By bringing so many events together under one roof, HRC made it worthwhile to really take stock and look for future innovation. It was a great day, well spent.’

Live cooking from the UK’s top chefs 

As always, top quality food was a central component of HRC and this year saw the return of the Staff Canteen Live, with top British chefs live-cooking their favourite meals in front of the the show’s audience. 

And the International Salon Culinaire celebrated its 120th anniversary at HRC, with hundreds of chefs competing. Salon Director, Steve Munkley, said: ‘We’re back! Salon Culinaire 2022 was an outstanding success and I was so proud to see the industry showing off its professionalism and tenacity. An amazing show.’

Hospitality suppliers hail the success of the show 

For the UK’s pub sector, the show was packed with quality suppliers from all areas of the market, including hospitality tech, kitchen equipment, foodservice and design. 

Jack Doolan, Director of Flightcase Bars, commented on the company’s partnership with The Taproom, which showcased a range of breweries at the show: It was great to see so many people from the trade back together, and the atmosphere at ExCeL was electric.’

The Vision Stage and Tech X stage panel discussions will soon be available on demand on the HRC Connects platform.

HRC will return to ExCeL London on 20-22 March 2023. Stay up to date with all the latest news at hrc.co.uk.