






Briony Mansell-Lewis Managing Director
We couldn’t be more excited for Food Matters Live to return to Ascot in just a few weeks – two inspiring days dedicated to leading industry insights, new ingredient innovation, product development, and powerful business connections.
Food Matters Live is where ingredient innovators, product developers, pioneers in food and nutrition, and renowned industry leaders come together to spark ideas, share expertise, and shape a better, sustainable and nutritious food landscape.
We are delighted to once again be hosting a packed agenda designed to keep you ahead as we move into the final quarter of 2025.
To help you get the most out of your time, this preview guide provides everything you need to know – from key highlights across the multi-faceted programme, the benefits of attending, to who you’ll meet and what to expect.
Tastes of Better: our signature one-of-a-kind experience, created exclusively for product developers to accelerate on-trend product development
The Trends and Insights main stage featuring over 50 speakers sharing cutting-edge insights and thought leadership
A series of curated roundtables discussion where you can take your seat for personalised advice and NPD solutions
Attending Food Matters Live this October will also enable you to be part of a vibrant, curated community of like-minded professionals from forwardthinking food and nutrition businesses, coming together to connect, collaborate, and create new business opportunities.
We’d like to thank all of our partners, speakers, supporters and VIP attendees joining us. We can’t wait to welcome you to Ascot on 8-9 October for two days of inspiration, discovery, and game-changing connections.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Step into our unique, cross-category sessions, designed for you to see, taste, and explore the latest ingredient innovations. As part of the VIP experience, you will be provided with a personalised itinerary, detailing handpicked sessions inviting you to explore partner showcases through an experiential journey that will take your product development to new heights.
Tastes of Better was spot on in terms of the content. I liked the diversity of the sessions, and it was nice to connect with people I otherwise may not have. European Senior Brand Manager, Nomad Foods
8th and 9th October
Journey with IFF through an immersive multi-sensory experience exploring tastes, textures, sounds and sensations. Explore some of the market’s most innovative ingredients solutions through four immersive TRENDSFORMED™ zones, bringing to life the key trends driving consumer preferences in food and beverage today, so you can benefit first hand from the expertise of their dedicated culinary creative team, mixology gurus and product design specialists. IFF will demonstrate how to address your most pressing development challenges with their cutting-edge technical solutions, without compromising on indulgence.
Discover how IFF are bringing back the joy of eating and drinking for GLP-1 consumers through their innovative product concepts designed to maximise nutrition and restore enjoyment while supporting health goals.
Smarter ingredient alternatives
IFF’s CURE™ Core & Uncommon Replacements and Extenders help developers overcome raw-material shortages and rising costs with cost-effective, high-quality alternatives e.g., cocoa, citrus to tomato shortages and issues.
IFF’s science-backed insights explore how flavours influence mood and emotions, helping to create products that connect with consumers on a deeper level. This research brings multisensory experiences to life, allowing companies to design food that resonates emotionally.
Ensure superior taste and texture experiences with GRINSTED®, POWERFLEX®, CREMODAN® and FLAVORFIT™ technologies for reducing sugar, salt and fat to natural umami enhancement while keeping indulgence intact.
the latest global consumer trends driving innovation
IFF’s PANOPTIC foresight capability tracks short-, mid-, and long-term industry shifts to help brands anticipate market trends. At Food Matters Live, their Trendsformed showcase will bring these insights to life, allowing attendees to see, taste, and experience the future of food through concepts developed by IFF’s culinary and design teams.
An exclusive chance to witness BENEO and Kreglinger coming together to showcase their ingredients partnership
VIP guests will have the chance to showcase this groundbreaking partnership and their cutting-edge innovations in food and nutrition, learning how to address your most pressing development challenges.
BENEO and Kreglinger’s ingredient solutions will tackle:
Fuelling longevity – how BENEO ingredients support Heart, weight and gut health
Clean protein fortification and cost Reduction solutions with BENEO’s mild processed and nutrient dense ingredients
Meet the team
Get prepared by listening to BENEO and Kreglinger’s podcast
A balanced protein bar
Packed with protein, prebiotics, and Palatinose™
Pure Whip Delight
Eggless pavolva: fluffy, cost effective, and irresistibly creamy
Bake wise cake
Save on eggs, sugar and costs, not on taste
The healthy hummus hack
Cost friendly, high protein dip
An advanced meal replacer
Gut-friendly, high protein and blood sugar smart
Purely plant tartare, perfect on sourdough
Creamy, craveable and cost smart
8th October
Prepare yourself for an immersive whistle-stop tour of the world’s greatest culinary cultures, pausing to sample some of the key dishes as we circumnavigate the globe. RAPS UK’s Tastes of Better showcase at Food Matters Live, will display the latest innovations in international ingredients and provide an insight into their masterful creations.
Culinary creativity is at the heart of what we do, expanding horizons and looking for new solutions to bring the best tasting products to market. We gather inspiration from around the globe bringing flavour discovery and a cultural narrative behind each dish. From idea generation to launch, we work collaboratively alongside our customers identifying future market requirements and creating bespoke market ready concepts.
Meet the RAPS UK Team
RAPS: Bringing taste innovations right to your table
RAPS has been supplying the food industry with seasonings, sauces, marinades and functional ingredients for more than 100 years. With state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Central Europe and a worldwide network of subsidiaries and distributors, we serve all sectors, from meat, fish and poultry to bakery, confectionary and drinks.
Get prepared by listening to Kerry’s podcast
Three key themes will be explored to help you prepare for the future of food and beverage:
How can we keep up with changing nutritional landscapes?
9th October
Experience the cutting edge of food and beverage innovation, where bold ideas meet tomorrow’s possibilities. Discover a dynamic showcase of visionary concepts, brought to life through Kerry’s insight-led scenarios that explore the future of taste, technology, and sustainable nutrition. The concepts Kerry will share with you are anchored in the challenges of today and in anticipation of tomorrow’s. Get ready to taste the future.
Kerry’s 50 years of innovation and food excellence will be on display at Tastes of Better Ascot, 8-9 October, where the company’s experts will showcase their latest developments in taste, nutrition and food science.
In the last few years, food and beverage leaders have needed to innovate and reformulate amidst complex regulatory environments. In this session we will explore what is next for the nutritional landscape and how you can partner with Kerry to create products aligned to changing requirements.
How can we mitigate cost & supply issues?
Supply issues with ingredients such as dairy, cocoa and citrus have had a heavy impact on the supply chain and cost associated with these products. At Kerry, we explore what is next for ingredients under the threat of extinction and how Kerry can best partner with you to minimise and eradicate these issues in your supply chain.
How can we keep exceeding consumer expectations on taste & ‘the experience’?
Experience and taste is everything to the end consumer. More than ever, consumers crave escapism and enjoyment from food & beverages. Let’s push the limits of what can be done to add to the experience in the kitchen, coffee shop or restaurant.
Explore more of Kerry’s showcase here
From market leading consumer insights and applying food and sensory science, to solving supply chain and regulatory challenges, Kerry’s teams are here to deliver solutions that will future-proof your range across multiple categories. Today, Kerry will showcase solutions for tomorrow and beyond across the following categories that will future-proof your range across their three key themes.
Consumers want healthier products that don’t skimp on taste. Cutting salt, sugar or fat might tick the health box, but it often dulls the flavours we love. Adding fortification like proteins, fiber and minerals also brings unwanted off-notes. With tightening regulations reshaping industry norms, manufacturers need solutions that simplify, not complicate. We believe healthier shouldn’t cost a premium – but bland is certainly not the answer.
Consumers are searching for a broad range of authentic meal and appetiser experiences, from cleaner labels to global tastes. Get marketplace inspiration from our consumer insights and culinary teams, then use them to create functional, safe and sustainable solutions that prioritise taste and nutrition.
As consumers adopt on-thego lifestyles, they want snacks that are delicious, nutritious and easy to enjoy. Get ahead of trends in format and flavour with our market research, then make novel creations come to life with the help of our culinary talent and innovative ingredients.
Bakery manufacturing can include challenges such as delivering indulgence, improving nutrition and achieving greater processing efficiencies. From pinpointing emerging trends to making recipe and process changes that reduce bakery waste, our innovative team and portfolio of commercial bakery ingredients can help you make better baked goods.
9th October
AKK bring you a all-senses experience that demonstrates how premium-quality, plant-based ingredients can drive both innovation and sustainability in the food industry. Throughout the experience, AAK’s team of experts will be on hand to share insights and discuss how partnering with AAK can support your product development and sustainability goals.
Reducing CO₂ emissions through intelligent, plant-based ingredient solutions
Exclusive access to AAK experts in Chocolate and Confectionery, Dairy and Plant-Based, Savoury, Bakery, and Special Nutrition
Understanding ingredient impact across value chains, communities, and consumer health
Driving social responsibility through conscious ingredient selection for long-term change
AAK’s sustainability initiatives and our role in leading the transition to a more responsible food system
Better Planet
Responsible sourcing, processing & Innovation
Better Performance
Functional ingredients, waste reduction & efficiency.
Our innovation pillars means that we bring our capabilities in plantbased oils and fats into a collaboration with you. Together we create lasting value for your business as we are Making Better Happen™
Chocolate & Confectionary
We make cocoa butter alternatives and filling fats that can extend shelf life, improve flavour release, taste, production performance and sensory experience. With our codevelopment approach, we collaborate with you to create chocolates and confectionery that suit your needs and specifications.
Better Futures
Better livelihoods, green processing, and renewables.
Purity & Safety, nutrient enriched, and functional health.
Taste & aroma, mouthfeel & texture and visual appeal.
Dairy & Ice-cream
We have long experience of how to customize solutions for the Dairy segment segments in applications such as Ice cream, Cheese, Whipped Toppings, Yellow Fats, Fermented Milk Products, Milk Drink & Powder, and Coffee Whitener. Our solutions and our expertise can add unique benefits to your final consumer products. This is possible thanks to our extensive knowledge of oils and fats and an understanding of the whole value chain, including deep insights about each application.
AAK provides dietary products, beneficial oils, and fat supplements that constitute unique solutions for infant, medical, and senior nutrition. Our broad product range and our solutions help improve nutritional intake and the health of people all over the world.
We are passionate about creating better sensory experiences, believing that people should be able to enjoy healthy, sustainable plant-based foods without sacrificing taste, texture or enjoyment. As a value-adding partner, our aim is to work with you to co-develop the tastier and healthier plant-based foods that people love. AkoPlanet™ is our platform for plant-based foods. Designed specifically for plant-based meat, fish, seafood and dairy alternatives, our AkoPlanetTM plantbased fats and oil solutions can take your products to the next level.
We offer sustainable solutions that are responsibly sourced, have superior functionality, and that provide a healthier nutritional profile. Our solutions come in the form of shortenings, laminating fats, frying oils, margarines, flaked shortenings, hard stocks, melanges, and many other products that can be customized to fit your specific baking needs and match or even make your production processes more efficient.
Our extensive portfolio of products includes dressings, butter blends, margarines, spreads, shortenings, vinegars, frying oils, mayonnaise, sauces, cooking wines, and other condiment products. In short, everything needed to produce fabulous food, offer healthier options, generate cost savings, improve performance or place a greater emphasis on sustainability. We offer market adapted products to different regions.
9th October
Join Ingredion for a dynamic, insight-driven session exploring how manufacturers can meet clean label expectations without compromising on taste or texture. We’ll unpack key consumer trends such as affordability, sustainability, and health-conscious consumption, and show how today’s consumers are seeking products that combine these values with clean label appeal. Through live tastings, they will demonstrate how Ingredion goes beyond ingredient swaps to co-create tailored solutions that meet both consumer expectations and business goals.
This interactive session brings clean label to life with real-world samples and practical insights. Whether you’re new to clean label or looking to elevate your current approach, this session offers practical tools, inspiration, and proven strategies to accelerate innovation across various applications and markets.
Discover how to overcome clean label formulation challenges without comprising on taste or texture.
Gain insights into key consumer trends like health and affordability – and how to act on them.
See real product examples that showcase solutions you can apply to your own developments.
In between your Tastes of Better sessions, you can experience our main stage programme. Hosting over 50 expert speakers and spotlighting the latest trends in food innovation and the future of positive nutrition, you’ll be equipped to overcome today’s market challenges.
We found the sessions very insightful, learnt about some new techniques that are close to our hearts as innovators. I found it inspiring, and it was helpful as a networking opportunity also.
Senior Brand Manager, Unilever
Join over 50 expert speakers, delivering exclusive case studies and panel discussions to keep you ahead of consumer and retail trends within the food industry.
8 October 9 October
09:10 – 09:30
Chairs opening keynote – the pathway to resilient food and nutrition
09:30 – 09:45
Partner welcome panel – ingredient innovation shaping the future of food and positive nutrition
09:45 – 10:45
From insight to action: what to tomorrow’s biggest trends mean for ingredient innovation?
12:05 – 13:05
Tomorrow’s trends defining functional nutrition
15:00 – 15:45
Creating healthier choices: overcoming technical challenges in NPD presented by HFSS regulation in partnership with
16:00 – 17:00
Progressing sustainable protein: the UK market outlook
09:00 – 09:35
Chair’s opening remarks and panel discussion: Heading into 2026 – examining industry priorities for UPFs
09:35 – 09:45
Partner welcome panel
09:50 – 10:50
Panel discussion – from insight to action: what action will GLP-1s have on ingredient innovation and product development?
12:05 – 13:05
Culinary Insights Panel – flavours of the future: trends and ingredients shaping future consumer trends
15:00 – 15:45
Understanding the fibre engagement gap, public health implications and fortification opportunities
16:00 – 17:00
Exploring the latest innovations and insights into gut health and the microbiome
This was my first time joining such an event, and I thought it was interesting and thought-provoking. I have already mentioned to our leadership that I would recommend representatives from our technical, planet, and own brand teams attend future events.
Trading Controller, Booker Group
Thank you for such a great event! The panel discussions and round tables were all fascinating and it was good to network with others in the nutrition world.
Assistant Category Manager, Holland & Barrett
As part of the programme each day, we additionally invite you to take a seat at one of our NPD Discovery Roundtables. Deep dive into trending sustainable, nutritious ingredient innovation alongside trending topics such as GLP-1, functional flavours, prebiotic formulation, nutrition and health claims, and more
The NPD Discovery Table Talks were a goldmine of insights and learning.
NPD Scientist, Agrigum International Limited
8 October 11:00 – 12:00
Bite into better: a clean label picnic in partnership with:
Andy Griffiths, Technical Field Support, Ulrick & Short
Sebastian Stoklosa, Technical Field Support, Ulrick & Short
Elevating fibre content through effective hybridisation in partnership with:
Joe Sanderson, Product Director, Upp Freya
Functional flavours: discover PROTEC® by PROVA in partnership with:
Estelle Gautier, Flavourist, PROVA
Martyn Hamilton, Sales Manager, PROVA
Power up your prebiotic formulations: smarter, healthdriven solutions with natural fibres in partnership with:
Thomas Chaussier, Sales manager, Nexira
Bastien Berepion, Technical Manager, Nexira
Charlotte Wallart, Product manager, Nexira
Shaping the future of healthy ageing in partnership with:
Stefania Sala, Product Manager, Gnosis by Lesaffre
Clarisse Geraci, Product Manager, Gnosis by Lesaffre
Snack your way to a happy gut - From science to nourishing applications in partnership with:
Yilmaz Guney, Global Category Manager, Döhler
Christine Von Brunn – PM Manager for BU Health, Döhler
8 October 14:00 – 14:45
Balancing costs & taste when reducing sugar: reformulating for a natural, low-sugar future in partnership with:
Muserref Karadayi, Healthful solutions business manager EMEA, Ingredion
Gabrielle Quarantelli, sugar reduction & fibre fortification sales representative, Ingredion
Bite into better: a clean label picnic in partnership with:
Andy Griffiths, Technical Field Support, Ulrick & Short
Sebastian Stoklosa, Technical Field Support, Ulrick & Short
Cocoa prices are rising - what are your options? in partnership with:
Estelle Gautier, Flavourist, PROVA
Martyn Hamilton, Sales Manager, PROVA
Creative use of waste in product development in partnership with:
Joe Sanderson, product director, Upp Freya
Innovative Taste, Colour and Texture: Tackling Market Challenges from Multisensory Inclusions & Décor to Smarter Cocoa Reduction in partnership with:
Yilmaz Guney, Global Category Manager, Döhler
Christine Von Brunn – PM Manager for BU Health, Döhler
Healthier formulations: elevating taste and texture with natural texturisers in partnership with:
Thomas Chaussier, Sales manager, Nexira
Bastien Berepion, Technical Manager, Nexira
Charlotte Wallart, Product manager, Nexira
Maximising nutrition in convenience food and beverage in partnership with:
Joe Yeates, Business Manager Food and Nutrition, Azelis
Allie Coppolella, Marketing Manager, Aezlis
Vitamin allies in the menopause transition in partnership with:
Stefania Sala, Product Manager, Gnosis by Lesaffre
Clarisse Geraci, Product Manager, Product Manager, Gnosis by Lesaffre
Bite into better: a clean label picnic
in partnership with:
Andy Griffiths, Technical Field Support, Ulrick & Short
Sebastian Stoklosa, Technical Field Support, Ulrick & Short
Developing higher quality, more natural products through a more scientific NPD approach in partnership with:
Phil Spratt, Product and ingredient development team lead, Campden BRI
Michael Adams, Head of product innovation, Campden BRI
Functional flavours: discover PROTEC® by PROVA in partnership with:
Estelle Gautier, Flavourist, PROVA
Martyn Hamilton, Sales Manager, PROVA
Power up your prebiotic formulations: smarter, health-driven solutions with natural fibres in partnership with:
Thomas Chaussier, Sales manager, Nexira
Bastien Berepion, Technical Manager, Nexira, Charlotte Wallart, Product manager, Nexira
Shaping the future of healthy ageing in partnership with:
Stefania Sala, Product Manager, Gnosis by Lesaffre
Clarisse Geraci, Product Manager, Gnosis by Lesaffre
Unlock GLP-1 opportunities with BENEO ingredients in partnership with:
Silke Ulmann, Beneo
Adriana Arias, Beneo Scott D’Eath, Kreglinger
Bite into better: a clean label picnic in partnership with:
Andy Griffiths, Technical Field Support, Ulrick & Short
Sebastian Stoklosa, Technical Field Support, Ulrick & Short
Cocoa prices are rising - what are your options?
in partnership with:
Estelle Gautier, Flavourist, PROVA
Martyn Hamilton, Sales Manager, PROVA
Creative use of waste in product development in partnership with:
Joe Sanderson, product director, Upp Freya
Developing higher quality, more natural products through a more scientific NPD approach in partnership with:
Phil Spratt, Product and ingredient development team lead, Campden BRI
Michael Adams, Head of product innovation, Campden BRI
Healthier formulations: elevating taste and texture with natural texturisers in partnership with:
Thomas Chaussier, Sales manager, Nexira
Bastien Berepion, Technical Manager, Nexira,
Charlotte Wallart, Product manager, Nexira
Maximising nutrition in convenience food and beverage in partnership with: Joe Yeates, Business Manager Food and Nutrition, Azelis
Allie Coppolella, Marketing Manager, Aezlis
Navigating the UK’s 2025 healthier food policy: reformulation, innovation & collaboration in partnership with:
Moderated by Adriana Arias, Beneo, with Annick van den Heuvel, Beneo, Scott D’Eath, Kreglinger, and Eli Gasgil, Meatless
RAPS Microencapsulation: protecting sensitive ingredients and controlling functional release in partnership with:
Patrick Rödel, Processing Expert and Product Developer, Microencapsulation Division, RAPS GmbH & Co. KG
Vitamin allies in the menopause transition in partnership with:
Stefania Sala, Product Manager, Gnosis by Lesaffre, and Clarisse Geraci, Product Manager, Product Manager, Gnosis by Lesaffre
If you work in product development, innovation, R&D, or technical and culinary creation, we invite you to join us at Food Matters Live Ascot. Read on to discover the benefits of attending, who you’ll be connecting with and how to book your VIP place.
I came away from Food Matters Live feeling full of ideas and excitement for the job I do and felt lucky for attending this event.
Innovation Technologist, Grupo Bimbo
Join over 750 VIP industry professionals working across brands, manufacturers, retailers, QSRs, foodservice and nutrition.
Companies already registered include:
2 Sisters | Accent Catering | Allied Bakeries | Apetito | Aramark | Bakels
Baker and Baker Products | Bakkavar | BeanTastic Hummus | Beyond Nutrition
Black Label Creations | Blue Sky Botanics | BM Caterers | Brand Archery
BrewDog | Bridor UK | Bulk | Cambridge Commodities | Carlsberg Britvic
Community Foods | Condimentum | Copernus | Crediton Dairy | Danone
Ecotone | Elior UK | FEI Foods Ltd | Fever Tree | Field Doctor | Future Food
Solutions | Gousto | Graze | Greencore | Hero Group | Holland & Barrett
HRS Communications | Huegli UK | IBC Simply | Innocent Drinks
JDM Food Group | Kallo Foods Ltd | Kanes Food | Kepak | Kraft Heinz
La Doria | Leathams | Leigh Firebank Consulting | Lidl | Mallows Bottling
Marks and Spencer | Marston Foods | Martson’s McCormick | Milena Kaler
Mindful Chef | Mondelez | Muller | Nichols plc | Nomad Foods | Oakhouse Foods
Oatly | Ocado Retail | Oviva | PepsiCo | Pilgrim’s Europe | Pladis | PrepWorld
Puratos Ltd | Rain Nutrience | Reynolds Food Group | Ringtons | Rondanini
Sainsbury’s | Saputo Dairy | Signature Flatbreads | Sodexo | Soreen | SSP
Subway | Suntory | Taiko Foods | Tesco | The Gluten Free Bakery | The Protein
Ball Co | The Real Olive Company | Think Through Nutrition | Tofoo Co | Tutus
Consulting | Twisted Kombucha | Unilever | Valeo Foods | Valogen Biosciences
Vector Consumer Ltd | Vegetarian Express | Viridian Nutrition | Vitacress
Waitrose | Walker’s Shortbread | Warburtons | Weetabix | Yeo Valley | YET2
Access to multiple live tasting and technical demonstrations with our Tastes of Better partners
Trading Controller, Booker Group 1 2 3 4 5
Experience an expert line up of 50 speakers taking to the main stage
Join exclusive roundtable discussions each day, focussed on new product development discovery
Stay ahead of your competition by discovering the latest insights, ingredients and innovations
Dedicated networking sessions with over 750 members of the UK’s food and nutrition community
This was my first time joining such an event, and I thought it was interesting and thought-provoking. I have already mentioned to our leadership that I would recommend representatives from our Technical, Planet and Own Brand teams attend future events.
We offer flexible pass options, including individual and team passes, to accommodate the needs to both attendees and organisations. A small booking fee applies to VIP passes.
Exclusively tailored for professionals working in New Product Development (NPD), Product Development, and R&D within food and drink brands, retailers, end-goods manufacturer, QSRs and foodservice companies. VIP attendance is by application only and registration cost from £37.50 per day.
Suitable for organisations working in New Product Development (NPD), Product Development, and R&D within food and drink brands, retailers, end-goods manufacturer, QSRs and foodservice that operate in a team of 3 or more. VIP team attendance is by application only and registrations is discounted depending on the size of team – contact us for more information. Team passes are discounted to £44 pp for a twoday pass. For teams of more than 5 please contact cheryl.carroll@foodmatterslive.com
Designed for business service providers professional services and consultancy firms. Two day pass is £495 Purchase a pass
I loved the event. The various teams were interesting, knowledgeable, and very open to feedback. Looking forward to future events!
Healthy & Sustainable Diets Manager, Tesco
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