THE FUTURE
OF FOOD IS HERE
Discover the VISIONARIES shaping tomorrow's food landscape.
2nd Edition - 27 November 2025.
OUR WORLD IS CHANGING
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WITNESS THE FUTURE OF FOOD
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OUR WORLD IS CHANGING · WITNESS THE FUTURE OF FOOD ·
THE ‘FUTURE OF FOOD’ IS A COMPETITION
FOR FOOD ENTREPRENEURS
SHAPING TOMORROW'S FUTURE
FOR BIZ FOODIES
Open to any existing or new entrepreneurs. Free to enter and attend.
PITCH YOUR IDEA
Submit your innovative concept that benefits the megatrends around us.
WIN £10,000!
Finalists pitch to win in front of Food Industry luminaries.
JOIN THE DEBATE
With an audience of entrepreneurs, investors, buyers and journos.
2024 SCHEDULE
Pre-view for Judges and VIPs
11:00
Registration for Attendees & Networking in the Ondaatje Theatre
12:00
14:00
Meet the Finalists
Klaxon Rings Everyone to the Theatre
12:45
Welcome by Barney & Meet the Judges
13:00
Mike Berners-Lee – Author of There Is No Planet B and Professor at Lancaster University
13:10
Pen Hadow – Arctic Record Breaker and Conservationist of Seas and Wildlife
13:30
Kevin Dorren – Chair of D2C Move Fresh and Specialist in AI & Shifting Populations
13:45
16:00
Judges’ Summation
Attendees Circulate Pitch Tables
14:30
Klaxon Rings Everyone Back to the Theatre; Popular Vote Delivered to Judges
15:30
Miranda Ballard – Leads Small & Medium-Sized Business Teams Across West Europe at NielsenIQ
15:45
Gold, Silver, and Bronze Announced; Prizes Awarded
16:45
It’s a Wrap!
17:00
THE BRIEF
THE GAUNTLET HAS BEEN
THROWN DOWN TO THE FOOD INDUSTRY…
Most entrepreneurs, investors, CEOs and politicians have a short, self-determined 3-5 year strategic horizon. Few look beyond this. Adapting or changing the way we do things for later years can only really happen in 3 ways.
Governmental legislation
Investor pressure
Entrepreneurial endeavour
Entrepreneurial minds are invited to unleash their creativity and propose new or existing innovative ideas, processes, or packaging formats that align with future megatrends and that might also contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The food industry is counting on your insights and imagination to ensure that they stay ahead of the game and meet people’s needs - the needs of the future.
THINK DRAGON’S DEN MEETS TEDX TALKS MEETS MODEL UN!
ENTRIES CAN FIT INTO ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES
REGISTER YOUR INTEREST
TO ATTEND THE
FUTURE OF FOOD 2025
Thursday 27th November 2025
Doors close at 12.45
Secure your seat to attend the Final Event at the Royal Geographic Society, London.
Networking begins at 12:00 ends 17.00. To attend person must register individually.
WITNESS FIRST HAND AND HAVE A SAY WHO SHOULD WIN
£10,000!
JOIN IN ON
THE DEBATE
AT THE FINAL PITCH
THE FINAL EVENT
Join us for an exciting afternoon at the prestigious Royal Geographical Society in London.
Experience engaging pitches from the finalists, insightful feedback from our expert judging panel, and enlightening keynote introductions from people with first hand experience of change. Network with fellow entrepreneurs, investors, experts, and media to spark new collaborations and ideas. Free to attend – register below!
📍 Royal Geographical Society
📆 Tues 27 Nov, 2025 (12.00-5pm)
🎟️ Free to enter & attend!
HEAR FROM
EXPERIENCED
VISIONARIES
EXPERT INTRODUCTIONS
Gain exclusive access to invaluable insights and expertise from our esteemed keynote speakers, who will set the scene with their own experiences. Join us as these visionaries delve into their perspectives on the Future of Food, offering unique inspiring discussions.
Speakers from our 2024 edition:
PEN HADOW
The Explorer
Pen is an Arctic region explorer, advocate, adventurer and guide. He is the only person to have trekked solo, and without resupply by third parties, from Canada to the Geographic North Pole - in an immersion suit.
He led ‘Arctic Mission’, which became the first boat expedition without icebreakers to sail into the ice-free international waters surrounding the North Pole.
Its pioneering research into the wildlife, ecosystem, and marine pollution of these waters was cited in the US Senate to introduce the 'Save Our Seas Act'.
MIRANDA BALLARD
The Analyst
Miranda leads the Small & Medium Size Business teams across West Europe at NielsenIQ - the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth.
She has been a butcher, an author, and a former food company founder.
She'll use the data to show the value and impact of Future of Food ideas that have made it to our shelves already.
MIKE BERNERS-LEE
The Academic
Mike is the best-selling author of ‘There is No Planet B’ and ‘How Bad are Bananas? The Carbon Footprint of Everything’. He also contributed to Greta Thunberg’s ‘The Climate Book’.
As Director of Small World Consulting Ltd, he works with both the public and private sector to push for the systemic changes we need to see for a sustainable future.
As a professor at Lancaster University, his research includes supply chain carbon modelling, sustainable food systems and the environmental impact of ICT.
Mike promotes public awareness of sustainability and climate change issues.
KEVIN DORREN
The Technologist
Kevin is the chair of Move Fresh who help brands on logistics and operations with clients such as Brewdog and Diet Chef.
He is the cofounder of Parsley Box, a D2C business supporting senior living in the UK.
He has been involved in FMCG since 2005 and has co-founded a number of technology businesses included TVsquared (sold to Innovid for $160m in 2022).
Kevin specialises in startups, fundraising and consumer marketing. He brings great insight on aging populations and the use of AI in the DTC sector.
THE FORMAT
HOW DOES THE COMPETITION WORK?
ROUND 01
Your Future Idea
Submit a 500-word summary of your innovative food concept now - deadline is 27 Sept, 2025. All participants are welcome to attend the finalist event for free.
ROUND 02
Prep & Pitch
Finalists will be announced and 12 teams will be invited to present their idea at the Final Event 27 Nov, 2025. Each pitch will have a stall and judges and attendees will circulate. Mentoring for these 12 will be on offer to perfect their pitch. All will receive a certificate of accomplishment.
ROUND 03
The Final Event
The top three pitches on the day will take to the stage, engaging in a lively Q&A session with the judges and audience. The winner will be presented the coveted Future of Food Gong and £10,000 cash prize.
REGISTER NOW
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FREE TO ENTER & ATTEND
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REGISTER NOW · FREE TO ENTER & ATTEND ·
WHO SHOULD ENTER?
This is a unique opportunity for ambitious and creative food industry entrepreneurial minds.
Ideal applicants include those considering launching their own venture or already involved in or leading food-related businesses with revenues ranging from £0 to £20+ million. Ideas, whether existing or new, should be both realistic and commercially viable. We encourage a diverse range of applicants, whether in teams of up to four or as individuals (with only one entry per team/individual).
MEET THE JUDGES
Judges from the 2024 edition:
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Adam Leyland
Editor in Chief at The Grocer magazine. Adam makes frequent appearances on TV and radio and regularly hosts conferences, webinars and hosts the infamous Grocer Gold Awards.
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Rebecca Oliver-Mooney
Head of Commercial Buying for over 2,000 Co-op supermarket stores covering Drinks, Frozen & Community Buying & leads the incubator programme known as ‘The Apiary’.
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Yilmaz Erceyes
Chief Marketing Officer and Director at Premier Foods, managing a portfolio of brands with revenues of over £1bn. Named as one of the UK’s leading marketers by Marketing week.
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Fiona Fitzpatrick
With 25 years experience in hugely successful Food brands like Gu Puds, Chobani and Strong Roots. She hosts the Brand Growth Heroes Podcast & runs Accelerator Programmes.
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Jason Gibb
A food entrepreneur and Founder of the FoodHub community and Bread & Jam, a festival that shakes up the way the food and drink industry works and celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit.
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Damian Thornton
Managing Director in the European consumer food & beverage team at Piper Sandler. For over 30 years, he has advised on a wide variety of M&A deals for major corporate clients and fast growing brands.
WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND THE COMPETITION?
It's free to attend: The competition is free to enter and attend, making it accessible to anyone who is interested.
Networking opportunities: The event provides the chance to network with other entrepreneurs, investors, experts, and media professionals. This could lead to new collaborations or ideas for your business.
Learn from industry experts: You can hear from experienced visionaries during keynote introductions. The speakers come from diverse backgrounds and will be sharing their insights on the future of food. You will also have the opportunity to hear pitches from the finalists and gain insights from the judges' feedback.
Witness the future of food: The competition aims to shine a spotlight on the challenges and opportunities in the food industry and encourage early thinking for solutions. You can see firsthand the innovative ideas that are being developed to address these challenges.
Enjoy the experience: The final event takes place at the prestigious Royal Geographical Society in London. It will be an exciting afternoon with engaging pitches, insightful feedback, and inspiring discussions.
OUR SUPPORTERS
TRUSTED BY INDUSTRY LEADERS & GLOBAL PARTNERS
This event is intended to be entirely free to enter and attend to encourage accessibility for all. Event funds and prize money has been donated through philanthropic means. We are however, extremely grateful for the continued support of the following outstanding individuals and businesses.
FAQ’S
HAVE QUESTIONS?
WE’VE GOT ANSWERS.
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Entry registrations will open on the 1st June 2025
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Round 1 is a short series of questions that will include a bit about you or your company. We then want to hear about your idea and your vision of how it will work. This needs to be approximately 500 words.
Closing date: Friday 26th September 2025
If you are selected to go forward as a finalist, then you will be invited as an entrant to the final event at the Royal Geographical Society on Thursday 27th November from 11am until 5pm. The space will be available from 8.30am for you to setup.
This leads you to Round 2. This round will require you to present your idea from a 3x3m space in the Great Hall of the RGS. You may use any form of media, prop, costume, dramatisation… to bring your entrepreneurial vision to life. Judges will then circulate and view your pitches. Following this, the best will then go through to the Grand Final.
You will be invited to deliver a 1 minute elevator pitch from the main stage.
Judges will then decide on the best pitch and the debut winner of ‘Future of Food’ will be crowned and presented with the top prize.
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This is an entirely FREE event for entrants and attendees. There should be no financial barrier to contribute to such an important theme. Other than the time to prepare and your transport to the event, there is no cost.
This event is a not-for-profit event and has been philanthropically supported in its organisation. Notwithstanding supporting companies may be sought to help contribute to the overheads.
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The winner will be awarded a £10,000 grant and a gong for their efforts.
Finalists will each have mentorship to finesse their pitch and get to deliver it to some of the industries most influential stakeholders and each .
Prizes are at the discretion of the providers subject to the type of ideas and stage the winners my be.
GOLD
· The Future of Food 2024 Glass Award!
· £10,000 to the winning team
· Various other prizes from industry supporters and retailers may be provided too
Silver
· A Future of Food 2nd Place Gong
· The Future of Food Goodie Bag – stuffed with top-value items!
Bronze
· A Future of Food 3rd Place Gong
· The Future of Food Goodie Bag – stuffed with top-value items!
All finalists will receive a Future of Food Finalist certificate
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In short, you can’t. But much like Dragons' Den, Sharktank or any other pitching event, you are demonstrating how you will deliver an idea, where others may not have the skills, charm or tenacity to do so.
Many ideas are not completely original ideas - perhaps ‘borrowed’ and adjusted. It’s the actual 'doing' that is then the toughest part of all.
If this is not the answer you wanted, then the event may not be for you - however, any positive influence you may have shaping the future of food that you can support - we’d love to have you along.
The idea here is to shine a spotlight on the challenges and opportunities ahead and get early thinking for solutions underway.
Besides, you may be swayed by prize money, the mentoring, a quality audience and a superb venue!
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Doors open for the 12 finalists from 8.30am on the 27th November at the Royal Geographical Society.
Each team will have a 3x3 pitch station with a 5ft table to get ready.
Judges and VIPs will arrive at 11am to peruse the pitch tables. Attendees arrive from 12.00. Doors close at 12.45.
From 1pm sharp, finalists, attendees and judges will meet in the impressive seated auditorium to hear from three highly acclaimed individuals who will share their own insights into the Future of Food from their own diverse perspectives.
The finalists 1 minute pitches in the auditorium will follow.
Teams will then man their stations whilst judges and attendees circulate, navigate and listen.
Following this, judges will preside and a popular vote will be cast. The top three teams will be announced and invited to the auditorium for a five minute presentation along with a Q&A with the judges. Questions from the audience are encouraged, along with any opportunities for debate.
At 4:45pm, the winner of Future of Food will be heralded with the £10,000 prize grant, a gong and mentioned above. All finalists will receive a certificate and much recognition amongst the food industry.
