October 2019

The Soho Hotel, London | Thursday 10th October 2019

This conference was held at The Soho Hotel with the food study tour taking place around Arcade Food Theatre, Homeslice and MEATliquor.

The agenda included...

  • Interview - Stephen Finch, founder of Vagabond Wines and Darrel Connell, partner at investor Imbiba: Last year Vagabond’s innovative self-dispense wine bar concept secured £3.5m from specialist investor Imbiba. We will find out more from Stephen and Darrel about this partnership, what it’s like for a founder to sell a stake in their business, and what expertise an investor can bring to the table. Darrel will also share his views on the wider trading and investment climate.
  • Profile - Biff’s Jack Shack: Biff’s Jack Shack became a street food sensation while at Kerb, before taking its signature vegan junk food to Boxpark Shoreditch and Eat 17. Founder Biff Burrows will share his journey so far, and explain how in a break from convention, he is turning supplier and selling Biff’s branded products to restaurants and bars to cater to the growing vegan market.
  • Panel - Market Opportunities: Opening new restaurants is a high-risk game - however there are many ways operators can trial their food and test concepts, with minimal investment. We will bring together the award-winning restaurant and creative hub Carousel, property experts Distrkt, and others, to share their insights on the opportunities you should look out for.