Shaftesbury Capital has announced a partnership with award-winning food writer and broadcaster, Jimi Famurewa. The former Evening Standard restaurant critic will be stepping into a new role as the official ambassador for Soho’s unmatched collection of dining concepts, under a new initiative launched by the leading landlord to champion world class hospitality entrepreneurs.

The initiative, Soho Food Scene, will be launching later this month, shining a spotlight on the neighbourhood’s rich culinary landscape. With Famurewa at the helm, Soho Food Scene will provide a platform for dozens of restaurants and the people behind the go-to spots throughout Soho.

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The Foodies Festival heads to Parkers Piece in Cambridge between 4th and 6th July 2025.

There will be a line up of top Chefs, cooking live in The Chefs Theatre, workshops and masterclasses.

The festival also includes a Baking Theatre featuring expert bakers and Great British Bake Off stars and there will be an opportunity to meet artisan producers, join chilli eating competitions and enjoy live music on the Live Music Stage.

For further information please visit https://foodiesfestival.

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A multi-billion-pound Universal theme park in Bedford has been approved and is set to open its doors to visitors in 2031.

Universal has announced that the theme park will be the UK’s largest attraction, drawing an estimated 8.5 million visitors in its opening year.

The park is projected to contribute around £50 billion to the UK economy by 2055.

The park, set to be the first Universal-branded theme park and resort in Europe.

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The Good Eating Company has officially opened its new restaurant, The Orangery, on London’s Tottenham Court Road. Boasting the largest on-site hydroponic farm in London, The Orangery is built around hyper-local produce, a modern British menu and farm-to-table practices, offering an innovative dining experience.

Through its partnership with Square Mile Farms and a commitment to hyper-local produce, the Orangery has been designed to bring environmentally conscious practices to the forefront of London’s food scene, delivering a dining journey that champions British heritage, modern flavours, and hydroponic farming technology.

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Company of Cooks has extended its partnerships with the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and its London event venue, RCP London Events, for a further three years, in a deal worth £10million.

The dedicated Company of Cooks team will continue to exclusively manage and deliver the full suite of catering and hospitality services at RCP’s iconic Grade I listed building in London’s Regent’s Park. This includes the bespoke catering and event solutions, front-of-house management, professional reception services and efficient porterage that ensure an exceptional experience for all RCP members, guests and event attendees.

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- squeezeit, one of the UK’s fastest-growing kids’ drinks brands, is launching its newest flavour—Blue Raspberry—this March, to capitalise on the nation’s love for nostalgic, sweet-shop-inspired beverages. This latest addition to the squeezeit range delivers a tangy-sweet punch in a bold, bright blue packaging.

squeezeit has experienced double-digit growth in the market over the past two years, demonstrating the success of its fun-first, playful approach in capturing the attention of Gen Alpha, families and nostalgic adults alike. Building on the success of its Bubblegum flavour, which became one of the brands' bestsellers after first hitting shelves in 2023.

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Pimentae, the trailblazing, award-winning tequila brand known for its premium, bar-quality cocktails, is bringing the spice to the dining scene with an exciting new partnership. To celebrate the launch of Pasta Evangelists’ bold new Spicy Jalapeño Pesto, customers dining in at select Pasta Evangelists restaurants will receive a complimentary Pimentae Spicy Margarita, the ultimate pairing for this fiery new dish.

With a reputation for innovation, Pimentae has redefined the tequila cocktail experience, making it more accessible to a growing audience of agave lovers. Its award-winning range includes the signature Spicy Margarita.

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Hilton, Whitbread, Greene King, Dorchester Collection and Vacherin were among the Springboard Awards for Excellence 2025 winners, crowned at Wembley Stadium yesterday. The star-studded event, delivered in partnership with Delaware North, honoured the sector's most innovative and dedicated professionals, setting a new benchmark for excellence in the field.

Hosted by the charismatic sports broadcaster Geoff Shreeves, the awards ceremony was a night to remember, featuring a surprise performance by M People's Heather Small that brought the house down. Guests were treated to welcome drinks in the Lioness Bar.

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The Foodies Festival is set to take place at Wollaton Park in Nottingham between 27th and 29th June 2025.

There will be a line up of top Chefs, cooking live in The Chefs Theatre, including Great British Bake Off winner 2023 Matty Edgell and there will be workshops and masterclasses.

The festival also includes Cake & Bake Theatre and a Children's Cookery School, Street food and live music on the Live Music Stage with Blue and The Wanted 2.0.

For further information please visit https://foodiesfestival.

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The UK’s biggest celebration of food and drink, the Foodies Festival is set to take place at Hylands Park in Chelmsford between 20th and 22nd June 2025.

The event will host a line up of top Chefs and Michelin-starred chefs will also cook live including MasterChef The Professionals 2024 Ritchie Stainsby.

There will a local Artisan Market, street food, a Cake & Bake Theatre, Eating Competitions, pop-up bars, cook school and live music including Symphonic Ibiza, Pixie Lott and The Wanted 2.0.

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The UK’s biggest celebration of food and drink, the Foodies Festival is set to take place at Stoke Park, Guildford between 6th and 8th June 2025

The event will host a line up of top Chefs and Michelin-starred chefs will also cook live. The line up includes MasterChef: The Professionals 2024 chef Ritchie Stainsby.

There will a local Artisan Market, street food, a Cake & Bake Theatre, Eating Competitions, pop-up bars and Foodies Festival Workshops and live music including Blue and Boyzlife.

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Europe's largest BBQ festival, The Big Grill, celebrating the art of cooking with fire & smoke, returns to Herbert Park, Dublin, between 14th and 17th August 2025.

The Big Grill will allow you to smell, taste, discover and learn about all kinds of BBQ’ing grilling, smoking, meats and delicacies from around the globe, all washed down with a choice craft beer or cider.

There will be demos & workshops from well known chefs, chilli eating challenge, children's play area with entertainment, a grand BBQ cook-off and loads more.

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TWO Services has been announced as an approved supplier for Aramark UK, a global leader in food services and facilities management.

This partnership further strengthens TWO Services' long-standing relationships with Wilson Vale and Graysons, both of which are now part of Aramark's expanding UK portfolio. With years of experience collaborating with these brands, TWO Services brings extensive expertise in deep cleaning and ventilation system maintenance to Aramark's sites.

Renowned for its VHR TR19-compliant ductwork cleaning.

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The Korean fried chicken brand Bonchon is looking for a franchise partner to introduce its rapidly expanding concept to the UK.

Bonchon, founded by Jinduk Seo in Busan, South Korea, in 2002, expanded to New York City in 2006 and has since grown to over 455 locations worldwide.

Bonchon offers fried chicken wings, drumsticks, and boneless wings, all hand-brushed and double-fried for its signature crunch. The menu also features dishes like udon noodle soup, chicken katsu, and bibimbap.

Bonchon operates over 140 locations in the USA.

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Just Eat Takeaway.com is set to be acquired by investment group Prosus in a €4.1 billion (£3.4 billion) deal, as Prosus aims to expand its food delivery presence across Europe.

Prosus has reached a conditional agreement to acquire Just Eat Takeaway.com for €20.30 (£16.80) per share through a recommended all-cash public offer on the Amsterdam exchange. Once completed, the deal would establish the fourth-largest food delivery group globally.

The acquisition represents a 49% premium to Just Eat Takeaway.

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The UK’s biggest celebration of food and drink, the Foodies Festival is set to take place at Oaklands College in St Albans between 31st May and 1st June 2025.

The event will host a line up of top Chefs and Michelin-starred chefs will also cook live.

There will a local Artisan Market, street food, a Cake & Bake Theatre, Eating Competitions, pop-up bars, Foodies Festival Workshops and live music with headliners Blue and Example.

For further information.

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Foodex, the UK’s premier trade event for the food and drink processing, packaging and logistics industries, is set to return to the NEC Birmingham to offer a one-stop shop for manufacturing professionals across the full industry spectrum.

Run over three days, between 7th and 9th April 2025, the show will shine a light on the top trends making an impact across the spectrum of food manufacturing sectors: from improving traceability and consumer trust, transforming productivity and highlighting the latest new ingredients and super foods to make an impression on the industry.

The event will run alongside The Ingredients Show.

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The Big Feastival returns to Alex’s idyllic Cotswolds farm between 22nd and 24th August 2025 with a unique weekend celebration of music, food and fun for all the family.

Big Feastival combines performances from the UK’s top musicians, Michelin-starred chefs, award-winning street food, and a thrilling lineup of family-friendly activities, creating an action-packed weekend filled with exceptional entertainment.

Tuck into top chef demos in the Big Kitchen and have your fill from The Menu, featuring the cream of the UK’s street food crop.

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The UK’s biggest celebration of food and drink, the Foodies Festival is set to take place at Syon Park, London between 24th and 26th May 2025.

The event will host a line up of top Chefs and Michelin-starred chefs will also cook live. The line up includes MasterChef: The Professionals chef Ayesha Kalaji.

There will a local Artisan Market, street food, a Cake & Bake Theatre, Eating Competitions, pop-up bars and Foodies Festival Workshops and live music including Scouting for Girls, The Wanted 2.

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Pomp, ceremony, glamour, glitz, networking, entertainment...and glorious food and drink. These are the hallmarks of The Grocer Gold Awards, and where better to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the past year, across the length and the breadth of this huge, vital and fast-changing industry than at the iconic Royal Albert Hall, London, a stunning and historic setting.

Launched in 2003, The Grocer wanted to break the mould by creating a different kind of scheme; one that would make a truly positive statement about the great work being done by the companies in this fast-moving industry.

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