When Glee returns to the NEC next week, one of the biggest draws will be its brand-new sector: Food @ Glee. For three flavour-packed days (16th – 18th September), the show will bring together the UK’s leading suppliers, innovators, and experts in garden retail catering – blending seminars, live demos and exhibitors into a truly immersive experience.
But with so much to see, taste and learn, the key is knowing how to structure your time. Here’s how to make every moment count.
Day One: Tuesday 16th September – brewing inspiration
The journey begins with a morning caffeine hit. At 10:45am – 11:15am, David Blair of Beanworks Coffee Roasters sets the stage with The UK High Street Coffee Sector is Changing Again – and What That Means for Garden Centre Catering. It’s an unmissable start, outlining how garden centres can adapt to shifting consumer habits.
From there, the conversation turns to profitability. At 11:30am – 12:00pm, a panel session on Planting the Seeds of a Great Menu highlights that “profit is in the kitchen.” Expect practical tips on cost management and menu strategy.
By lunchtime, it’s all about seasonality. At 1:30pm – 2:00pm, Robert Tate, Managing Director of Appetite Me, explores Flavours Through the Seasons – Year-Round Food Experiences That Drive Revenue. Then at 2:30pm – 3:00pm, Andrew Burton of Pleydell Smithyman introduces The Catering Edge – Garden Centre Catering Innovation, offering a blueprint for operators looking to stay ahead of the curve.
The final course of the day comes at 3:30pm – 4:00pm, with a design-focused panel, The Psychology of Design: How Smart Choices Drive Business Success. This session digs into the subtle ways layout, flow and visuals influence customer behaviour, a theme brought to life on the show floor by exhibitors like Stagecraft Display Ltd and Arrange Spaces Ltd, masters of restaurant and retail design.
Between sessions, Tuesday is the ideal time to explore exhibitors such as Magrini (with live barista demos and coffee equipment), iSqueeze (juice and smoothie machines), and Appetite Me / Twisted Vanilla, showcasing farm shop and food hall development. It’s the perfect way to see seminar theory in action.
Day Two: Wednesday 17th September – innovation meets inspiration
The second day opens with a bang. At 10:45am –1 1:15am, an expert panel presents Kitchen Revolution: Modern Cooking Tech That Reduces Energy Bills and Improves Food Quality. Energy efficiency is top of mind and stands like WhitCo Catering & Bakery demonstrate the ovens, fryers and air-frying systems that can make it a reality.
By 11:30am – 12:00pm, it’s time for a session that gets to the heart of garden centre evolution: Restaurant & Retail: The Perfect Companions. Learn how the most successful operators treat food and retail as symbiotic partners, before heading to see Nisa Retail and Co-op Wholesale for real-world models of this in practice.
Later in the afternoon (2:30pm – 3:00pm), Andrew Burton of Pleydell Smithyman returns with Growing the Business Together with Food and Plants, showing how even the smallest centres can integrate farm shops successfully. This pairs perfectly with a visit to Brakes, the UK’s leading wholesale supplier, and The Full Range Ltd, procurement specialists who take the pain out of supply chains.
Wednesday also holds a special highlight: at 5:00pm – 6:00pm, the Greatest Food & Drink Awards, in partnership with Garden Trade News, recognise the very best catering teams, from afternoon teas to café operations. It’s both a celebration and an invaluable networking opportunity.
Day Three: Thursday 18th September – baking in success
The final day sharpens its focus on detail. At 10:45am – 11:15am, John Cunningham, CEO of the Foodservice Equipment Association, presents Planting the Perfect Kitchen: Food Service Design. It’s a practical, operations-led session that links directly to stands like Arrange Spaces Ltd and WhitCo, where design meets execution.
At 11:30am – 12:00pm, the theme shifts to differentiation. From Ordinary to Extraordinary: The Benefits of Menu Differentiation showcases how small changes can elevate customer experience. This is the perfect cue to explore the unique products on offer – from The Amazing Chocolate Workshop’s handmade creations to Smoked Bishop’s distinctive flavours.
By lunchtime, the spotlight moves to retail environments. At 12:30pm – 1:00pm, a panel discussion, Retail Ready: Creating Irresistible Food Halls, lays out strategies for maximising spend through layout, product mix and storytelling. On the floor, Long Clawson Dairy’s award-winning cheeses and Tudor Tea & Coffee’s speciality blends show exactly how irresistible ranges can look and taste.
The show closes on a high note at 1:30pm – 2:00pm with The Perfect Rise: Baking Technology That’s a Hidden Advantage. Delivered by WhitCo, DEBAG and partners, this seminar highlights how consistent results and reduced waste are transforming bakery operations. Visitors can then head straight to WhitCo’s stand to see this German-engineered tech in action.
Your recipe for three perfect days
Across three days, Food @ Glee delivers a structured journey:
- Day One inspires with coffee, menus and design.
- Day Two demonstrates innovation and efficiency.
- Day Three hones in on differentiation and consistency.
The power of Food @ Glee lies in its blend: expert insight on stage, live demonstrations on the show floor, and exhibitors who can provide the tools and products to turn ideas into profit. Whether you’re looking to refresh a café menu, launch a farm shop, or simply improve efficiency, you’ll find a roadmap here, and a whole network of partners ready to help you follow it.
So, plan your diary, bring your appetite for ideas, and get ready to leave Birmingham with the ingredients for your next big success story.
