Event Timings

10.15 am	Guest Arrival and Refreshments
11.00 am	'Reinventing Hospitality' Insight Presentation by Simon Stenning, Founder, FutureFoodservice
11.45 am	Drinks and Canape Reception
12.45 pm	Three course lunch
3.00 pm	Panel Discussion and Audience Q&A
3.45 pm	Closing speeches
4.15 pm	Drinks and Networking - Carlyle Suite
5.00pm	Drinks and Networking Continues - The Wilton Arms

The Event

The event program will concentrate on strategic growth and opportunities within the foodservice and hospitality sector. We'll tackle today's challenges head-on, explore the latest innovations, and look ahead to what the future holds in an inspirational panel discussion featuring Richard Lewis, CEO, RedCat Hospitality; Allen Simpson, CEO, UKHospitality and Simon Wilkinson, Evolv Board Director.  The panel will be hosted by Robyn Black, Head of Content at Fleet Street.

The event will start with an inspirational insight session entitled 'Re-inventing Hospitality' presented by Simon Stenning, Founder, FutureFoodservice and will focus on considerations and forecasts for how the industry will grow over the next few years, including insights from the new ‘How Will Britain Eat’ report, together with new thinking on the key developments and trends for both consumer behaviour and market changes.

The event includes an inspirational insight session, drinks and canape reception, three-course seated lunch and panel discussion plus plenty of opportunities for networking.

Meet Our Speakers

Simon Stenning, Founder, FutureFoodservice

With 30+ years’ experience of working in, developing, analysing and commentating on the UK foodservice/hospitality industry, Simon is acknowledged as the leading analyst of the market and recognised as an expert in making sense out of all the data and insight available; Simon is now making sense of the future as Founder of Future Foodservice, a forecasting and advisory business.

With a career founded in operations, managing hotels & restaurants, and with Pret A Manger through the late nineties, Simon moved into marketing and development with Compass Group. At which point Simon completed a Postgrad diploma in Marketing, enabling a move into strategic marketing and market intelligence.

 

 Richard Lewis, CEO, RedCat Hospitality

Richard Lewis is the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at RedCat Hospitality, the operator of award-winning Coaching Inn Group and RedCat Independent Pubs.  The company operates 95 sites in total - 37 managed operating under its 'RedCat Independent Pubs' arm, 22 leased and tenanted sites operating under its 'RedCat L&T' arm and 36 managed hotels under the Coaching Inn Group brand.

Richard joined as CEO in 2023 to lead a passionate and engaged team to deliver the business strategy: to grow Coaching Inn Group, while maintaining its strong identity and culture, and transform RedCat Independent Pubs into a standalone group of pubs that are an integral part of their local communities.

Before he joined RedCat Hospitality, Richard was the Chief Executive Officer for SSP Group Plc UK & Ireland from 2019-2023, where he managed the business during Covid, and developed a new strategy for the UK & Ireland to drive recovery through innovation post pandemic. Prior to this, Richard also spent eight years at Greene King, where he worked his way up from Managing Director of Local Pubs to Chief Operating Officer – responsible for the operations of over 1,700 retail sites and brands, including Greene King Local Pubs, Hungry Horse and Chef and Brewer.

Passionate about making a difference within the charity sector, Richard is also an Advisory Board Member at Pennies, the leading fintech charity in the UK & Ireland, working to protect and grow micro-donations, where he plays a part in helping the charity reach more businesses and consumers.

Allen Simpson, CEO, UKHospitality

Allen joined UKHospitality in 2024 as Deputy CEO after five years as Executive Director and Acting Chief Executive of London & Partners, the global trade, investment and tourism promotion agency for the UK’s capital city as the city recovered from the pandemic.

After starting his career at the Foreign Office, Parliament and Ministry of Justice, Allen worked during the financial crisis and Brexit period at the London Stock Exchange and Barclays Bank. He has served on the boards of several think tanks and political organisations.

Outside of work, Allen divides his time between food, renovating his house, and exploring the UK with his wife Katy, and their daughter.   

Simon Wilkinson - Evolv Board Director / Chair & Calveton UK / Board Advisor TGI Fridays

Simon joined the board of Evolv in October 2023 when it was acquired by Breal / Calveton and has spent 42 years working within the hospitality business. He has worked for major PLC’s including Whitbread & Scottish & Newcastle and Private Equity backed businesses, as a CEO & Board Director for the last 15 years. During his career Simon has successfully overhauled & turned around different businesses, ahead of them being sold at attractive returns for all stakeholders. He has extensive International (USA, Middle East, Caribbean) & UK experience in Leadership roles within; Restaurants, Branded Food Concepts, Fast Casual, 5-star Hotels, Leisure, Holiday Parks and Pubs, Clubs & Bars. As well as Board Level & Non-Exec experience in consultancy, mentoring, coaching & due diligence. 

Meet Our Panel Host

Robyn Black, Head of Content, Fleet Street

Robyn Black is Head of Content at Fleet Street, the specialist PR, comms and content agency for the hospitality and leisure sector.

Formally an editor and journalist, she is an award winning writer with over 20 years-experience in the food, drink, retail and hospitality sectors. In her time she has written for a number of key national and trade titles including The Guardian, The Grocer, and The Morning Advertiser, and is the former editor of InaPub and Imbibe.

With a wealth of experience and in-depth industry knowledge, Robyn is a regular commentator on the sector, frequently chairs panels at industry events, and is a judge of several sector business competitions.