The Food and Drink Industry Dinner 2025
Wednesday 26th March, 2025
Guildhall, London
Welcome
Gerald Mason President, FDF
It’s with great pride that I welcome you to the second FDF Industry Dinner in my time as your President. The last year has been eye-opening for me, as I’ve been invited deep into the inner workings of FDF and understand much better what makes our organisation tick.
In almost all cases, I’ve found that the answer is its people. Whether it be the hard-working team at the FDF who have chosen to dedicate their careers to representing our industry. Or the people from member businesses who work with FDF on the pressing issues. And, of course, the people in politics and society more widely that we work with on our problems and opportunities.
The fact that people are central to our industry should come as no surprise to those of you that work in it. Every day the people of our industry come together in factories, warehouses and offices in every corner of the UK. These great people work hard to make sure that good, safe, affordable food is on supermarket shelves when shoppers want it.
It’s not easy. Our colleagues face many daily challenges. Machinery breaks down, supply chains are disrupted and demand from customers fluctuates. The list goes on and on. In fact, some days I stand back and just admire at how it actually all just works.
The people that make it work are not just in our businesses. We rely on a complex network of suppliers right across the UK to help us maintain and improve our factories and operations. Small and medium-sized engineering companies up and down our nation supply spare parts and expertise. Packaging manufacturers provide us with materials to get our products safely to our customers. Lorry drivers and warehouse staff get our products seamlessly from factory to customer. There are many more links I’ve missed.
And this is where real growth comes from. Companies big and small across the UK adding value to raw materials create growth. We should remember that when we are looking for it. Growth isn’t a top-down concept. It requires a hard bottom-up focus from our industry and Government on how the UK can make more of what it consumes itself, more smartly, whilst also unlocking more overseas markets for our UK products. Make more in the UK and we will grow more.
All of this is out of view from most people when they pick up groceries at the supermarket or grab a coffee on the way to work. But we know what it takes to make this happen. And for that, we should congratulate ourselves this evening and put ourselves on the other side of the fence – enjoying the output from our industry in a glorious setting.
Have a great evening.
Programme
Doors open and Drinks Reception in the Crypts
Guests seated in the Great Hall and formal dinner proceedings commence
Dinner served in the Great Hall (90 mins)
Formal dinner proceedings end
Post-dinner Drinks Reception in The Crypts
Bar closes
Carriages
Please note timings can be subject to change at short notice
Karen Betts Chief Executive Officer, FDF
The Food and Drink Industry Dinner 2025
This evening we’ll all sit down for a delicious meal in great company. And in the historic surroundings of Guildhall, the City’s oldest secular building. It’s a chance to celebrate the year just passed, and to look ahead with excitement and confidence at opportunities and challenges to come.
As ever, the food and drink industry has done us proud over the past year. From price and competitiveness to variety and choice, everyone, everywhere across the UK is lucky to have the food and drink industry we have – where, at almost any time of day or night, we can buy what we want to eat or drink at affordable prices.
From farm to fork, the food industry employs 4.2 million people. In food and drink manufacturing, those good jobs lead to great careers in companies that touch everyone’s lives every day. Our colleagues are part of the UK’s critical skills base in, for example, engineering, food science and nutrition. We’re shaping future skills too, as we innovate, for example, to reduce energy consumption, create more recyclable packaging, and bring novel products to market.
All of that points towards our industry’s exciting future. The UK’s food and drink manufacturing industry is ambitious to continue our journey from great to groundbreaking. We’re investing in new and more efficient ways of making food, driving up productivity and helping to keep a lid on inflation; in more sustainable practices, at factory sites as well as in helping to transform household waste; in healthier products, to help consumers lead healthier lives without compromising on taste; and in the resilience and security of our supply chains.
We want to work with all our partners as we do so. With government on incentivising investment, and ensuring we have the skills we need to make British manufacturers the most innovative and competitive in Europe. And with regulators, the charitable sector, academia and others, right across the UK, to ensure we continue to have the food and drink industry our country needs, as we face the future with confidence.
I look forward to raising a glass with you all to our industry’s vibrant future.
Menu
Starter
Pan roasted dive caught scallops, tom yum sauce, fried shallots, kaffir lime (Nut free)
Vegetarian/Vegan Option
English pea posset, confit Jersey royals, whipped Cremmata, preserved lemon and chamomile (VE, GF, DF, and Nut free)
Main
Barbecued native beef loin, hay smoked butter, courgette, string potato and bone marrow cannelloni, Roscoff onion jam
Vegetarian/Vegan Option
Vadouvan potato terrine, dhal puree, okra bhindi masala, poppadom (VE)
Dessert
Strawberry meringue, champagne and elderflower jelly, wild strawberry cream (Nut free)
Vegetarian/Vegan Option
Amerena cherry and dark chocolate cheesecake (VE, GF, NF)
If you have an allergy or intolerance, or any specific questions or concerns, please speak to a member of the waiting team who will do their best to advise you.
Complimentary Beverages
Wine Barrel Jumper Viognier White 2022, South Africa
Whale Point Merlot Red 2024, South Africa
Beer
Peroni
Peroni 0%
Camden Hells Lager
Soft Drinks
Cawston Press Juices
Pepsi & Diet Pepsi
Coca-Cola & Diet Coke
R.White's lemonade
Complimentary beverages listed above can be ordered via your wine waiter or at the bar in the Crypts. All other beverages not listed are chargeable.
The FDF Awards returns to the roundhouse! 2025
Each year, the awards ceremony brings together professionals from across our industry to recognise and reward the companies and individuals.
View all our award categories and enter by 9th May 2025, for your chance to win. You can enter as many categories as you like, and you can nominate multiple projects and colleagues.s.
Then join us on 11th September 2025 for an evening of fantastic food and drink, great company and suspense as we recognise and reward the winners of the FDF Awards 2025.
The Roundhouse is an iconic London venue with a rich history that has hosted some of the world’s most famous performers and events. We hope you will join us for what promises to be our biggest ever event.
Thursday 11th September 2025. The Roundhouse , Chalk Farm Road, London. NW1 8EH.
Closing date for entries is 9 May
For all sponsorship enquiries please contact: craig.hannington@fdf.org.uk
Tickets now on sale 11 September
FDF Events
Webinar: Smart water management for F&B
Whether you're looking to connect with industry experts or stay up to date with the industry, FDF hosts a wide range of events and webinars giving you access
Explore the current schedule and save the dates for these must-attend events
Webinar: Maximising Resource Efficiency
Webinar Webinar
8th April 2025
10:30-11:30
Online webinar
Hosted by Alpheus
In this webinar, Alpheus will explore the opportunities for water reuse and efficiency improvement in the food & drink sector.
The webinar will explain how water recycling can help businesses ensure a more sustainable and cost-effective water supply.
10th April 2025
10:00-11:00
Online webinar
Hosted by SLR
In this webinar you will discover the essential steps for delivering a Circular Economy and the benefits to your business.
SLR will explain how their Circularity of Resources Assessments (CORE) can help identify the hotspots in your business that are ripe for transformative change.
Webinar: State of Industry Insights
Webinar
16th May 2025 11:00-12:00
Online webinar
Join this webinar, exclusive to FDF members, for insights into the latest trends shaping the food and drink manufacturing sector. FDF’s economists will share insights from the latest quarterly members’ survey.
with the latest trends and developments across access to networking and learning opportunities. events and webinars.
FDF Nature Risk Workshop
18th June 2025
08:30 - 13:00
6th Floor 10 Bloomsbury Way, London. WC1A 2SL
Discover the impact of nature loss and water risks businesses can face within the supply chain and how these risks can be mitigated.
This event will provide insight for our members with their sustainability strategies, and also how FDF's Nature Restoration pillar of Ambition 2030 can help with progress.
Webinar: Regulatory Updates Webinar
Visit our Events page for more information Webinar
1st July 2025 14:00-15:00 Online webinar
Join this webinar, exclusive to FDF members for a quick dive into the latest and upcoming changes in food safety and labelling policies.
Our FDF experts will share their insights to help you stay on top of the current legislative proposals and prepare for upcoming changes.
FDF awards 2025
11th September 2025
18:00-00:00 The Roundhouse London. NW1 8EH
Join us for an evening of fantastic food and drink, great company, and suspense as we recognise and reward the winners of the FDF Awards 2025.
Submit your entry for free before 9 May 2025, for your chance to win. You can enter as many categories as you like to nominate multiple projects and colleagues. Or just come along and enjoy the evening!
The Accelerate mentoring programme is designed to promote and improve the gender balance at board level across the food and drink industry by supporting the accelerated development of female and non-binary talent
Applications are open for mentors and mentees for the 2025 programme
To apply, or for more details, contact accelerate@odgersberndtson.com or scan our QR code
Deadline for applications is 3 August 2025
Organised by
Proud to support FareShare as our national charity partner. Find out more
Fuel your growth
Discover KPMG Consumer Advisory
Tribute to Catherine Stevens 1993 – 2024
It is with heavy hearts that we remember our dear colleague and friend, Catherine Stevens.
Catherine (Cate to her family) was a kind, generous, intelligent, beautiful, and loving young woman with a wonderful sense of fun, an infectious laugh, and a smile that lit up every room. Catherine loved to sing and act, to cook, to listen to live music, to play games, and to travel. She loved helping other people succeed. She was determined and brave, quietly battling her crippling anxiety every day, masking her pain to spare others worry. She was quiet and introverted, with a very good extrovert mask.
Catherine and Joseph had married in May 2024, a wonderful day shared with family, friends and colleagues. Catherine was the much loved youngest daughter of Hellen and the late Jeff Stevens. She was a wonderful little sister to Abby, a loving and supportive wife to Joseph, a doting aunt to Jacob, and an amazing ‘bonus daughter’ to her stepfather Mark. She was a granddaughter, niece, cousin, and friend.
A much valued colleague at the Food and Drink Federation, Catherine supported many of our sector Associations, including the Federation of Bakers, the Association of Bakery Ingredients Manufacturers, and the British Oat and Barley Millers Association. She organised meetings - and colleagueswith ruthless efficiency and effortless charm. She threw herself into wider office activities, from our AI working group to book club, to being a mental health champion, and she also took no prisoners when it came to team mini golf. It was a privilege for us to work with Catherine, and her infectious laugh. The entire team at FDF finds comfort in the memories we shared – the hard work, the laughter and the fun.
Catherine is truly missed by all her colleagues at The Food and Drink Federation, and we honour her memory by carrying forward her kindness, dedication, and compassion by supporting PAPYRUS, our charity partner for this evening that meant so much to her.
Catherine’s family would like to thank everyone attending the FDF Industry Dinner for supporting PAPYRUS in her name.
If you would like to make a donation to Papyrus please click here
https://catherinestevens.muchloved.com/
FareShare is the UK’s largest charity fighting hunger and tackling food waste.
Our mission is simple yet powerful, rescue surplus from the food industry which is unsold or unwanted and redistribute it to over 8,000 charities and groups across the UK.
From farmers and food processors to retailers, wholesale and food service businesses, FareShare rescues food from every stage of the supply chain, ensuring it reaches those who need it most.
How you can help
FareShare welcomes a huge range of products into their warehouses - from ambient to fresh produce, dairy to meat products. Get in touch and a dedicated Commercial Manager will help every step of the way and find the solution to your surplus.
Scan here:
Find out more: https://fareshareuk.com/FDFlndDinner2024
Contact the team, or make a food offer: givefood@fareshare.org.uk
The Food and Drink Industry Dinner | 2025
Guest Directory
ABinBev
Alpheus
Ameresco Limited
Aon Ltd
apetito Ltd
Arden Fine Foods Ltd
Argon & Co UK Ltd
Ashbury
Associated British Foods Plc
Bank of England
BBPA
Birds Eye Ltd
Sarah
Kells
Partridge
Delegation
Coca-Cola
Department
Guest
Department
Guest Directory
Food
Tilly
David
HARIBO
Cynthia
Luke
Sheena
HGF
High
Daniele
Institute of Food Science & Technology
Institute of Grocery Distribution
Bradbury (Sarosi)
JDE Peet's Tasmina Hoque
Johnston Carmichael (Scotland) Ltd
Hardie
KP Snacks Ltd
KPMG
Labour MP for Carlisle
Labour MP for North West Leicestershire
Labour MP for Northampton South
Labour MP for West Ham and Beckton
Leeds Beckett University
LGC Ltd
Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney & Shetland
Macsween of Edinburgh Ltd
Mars
Marsh Ltd
Silcock
Thorpe
Minns MP
Hack MP
Gately
Elahi
Macsween
Wildman
Sampson Leigh Stanger
Mind Minesh Patel
Minister of State at DEFRA
Mondelēz UK Ltd
Mpac Group plc
Zeichner MP
Akkermans Jacinta George
Guest information is subject to late change
There are table plans located in the Guildhall Crypts
Muller Yogurt & Desserts
National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
National Farmers' Union
Williams
Doshi
Bannister NatWest Bank Plc Maria Dolan
David Scott
Nestlé UK&I
Dorothée Heinze Will Strong Josephine Bradley
Karen Percival
James Marsh Emma Keller Martin Lines Signe Norberg
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade Hillary Curnow
Patrick Kelsey
Matthew Knox
NFU Mutual Kaylea Dutton-Keen Alex Johns
NHS England Max Kindred
NHS England
Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association
Papyrus UK
Tim Radcliffe
Phil Shelley
Michael Bell
Amanda Barbera
Kaitlin Braithwaite
Ged Flynn
Charlotte Handy
Alex Hills
The Food and Drink Industry Dinner | 2025
Guest Directory
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Gareth
Pepsico UK & Ireland
Pilgrim's Europe
Pladis Foods Ltd
Bowell
Politico
Potato Processors' Association
Powerstar
Private Secretary
Ramboll Group
Red Flag Consulting
Red Flag Consulting
Ricardo-AEA Ltd
Richmond Towers Communications Ltd
RSK ADAS Ltd
RSM UK
Sainsbury's
Binnie
Lavialle
Nisbett
Matthew Symonds
Keith Thornhill Jackie Wild
Gutteridge
Allawi
Wootton
TCI
The
Guests
The
Trade
Tritility
Unilever
United
Guest information is subject to late change
Norma
Thank you to our Charity Partner
6th Floor, 10 Bloomsbury Way, London, WC1A 2SL
FDF.org.uk | X: @FoodanddrinkFed | LinkedIn
To uphold the highest professional, ethical and legal standards whilst ensuring everyone has a great time, we kindly ask all guests to be mindful of their behaviour and follow our code of conduct https://www.fdf.org.uk/fdf/events-andmeetings/event-code-of-conduct/ by showing respect to fellow attendees, staff, and the venue at all times.